Australia's Unicoil
Bends it's way to Global Success

Australian company Unicoil International Pty Ltd, which designed and manufacture it's patented "Unicoil" product range, has successfully reached the United States automotive aftermarket with an alliance of two of the biggest names in the U.S., Goodyear and Gates Corporation.

The distribution arrangement allows Unicoil products to be offered through approximately 75% of U.S automotive aftermarket channels. Unicoil kicks off its U.S debut this December in 2.200 AutoZone stores - one of America's largest retail chain stores, followed shortly by more than ten thousand other stores including most of the biggest names in the U.S aftermarket such as Napoa and Carquest.

Awarded as the best new product at the recent AAPEX show in Las Vegas by one of America's most trusted and well read automotive magazines Popular Mechanics, show's great reflection on the positive U.S sentiment towards this Australian innovation.

Unicoil's patented design allows either the professional or novice repairer to bend ordinary straight hoses into any required shape. The stainless steel Unicoil product is simple slid down a length of hose to wherever the bend is needed and by using hand pressure, the hose can be shaped exactly as required. This simple technology creates an easy to use and cost saving universal moulded hose system which is well on its way to becoming a major global success.

Initial orders have already caused the Australian company to double its manufacturing capacity. Taking the initial Unicoil order quantities to over 170,000 units from its U.S distributors and the market size and demand indicated at AAPEX '05, it is forecast that in excess of half a million units will be sold within the first 12 months from Unicoil's December 2005 USA release.

This Australian success story started six years ago, when Unicoil inventor Dennis Bozic was working as a spare parts interpreter. In this role Dennis experienced first hand the frustration of mechanics and do-it-yourselfers when it came to sourcing pre-moulded engine heater hoses, which in turn sparked his idea of developing a device that could bend and shape ordinary straight hoses.

Necessity is the mother of all invention and in keeping with this theory, Dennis, with the aid of his cousin Frank Dobra, set about designing a product that would replace expensive and at most times difficult to secure pre-moulded heater hoses with a far more convenient universal solution.

First released at the 2003 AAAA trade Fair in Melbourne, Dennis's next step was to forge an alliance with respected Australian automotive aftermarket identity Ray Della-Polina, who was an investor, recognised the potential for Unicoil. Ray's decades of experience in the Automotive aftermarket industry has brought extensive knowledge and business expertise to the Company and upon becoming a stakeholder was immediately voted as Chairman of Unicoil International pty Ltd.

In September 2004, Unicoil made its international debut at the world's automotive aftermarket trade show, Automechanika in Germany. This was followed by Unicoil's unveiling in the United States at AAPEX 2004 in Las Vegas. Major response to this new Australian innovation following these two International exhibitions led to the development of distribution alliances with Goodyear and Gates U.S.A and an immediate expansion to the product range began. The Unicoil product is now manufactured to fit three popular heater hose sizes - 13mm (1/2 inch), 16mm (5/8 inch) and 19mm (3/4 inch) - available as individual coils or in kit form and with other sizes already in demand and on the drawing board.

Unicoil International returned to AAPEX 2005 showcasing the Unicoil range in co-operation with it's two new distributors, Goodyear and Gates, resulting in an abundance of interest in both local U.S and global companies. The highlight being Unicoil's nomination and success at winning a Popular Mechanics Editor's Choice Best New Product Award.

According to Unicoil inventor and Managing Director Dennis Bozic, "This was my third International trade show event with Unicoil and it was both flattering and rewarding to see mechanics from all over the world embrace the product. The comments I hear from mechanics around the world are very similar, with the most common comment being - "it is about time someone thought of something like this, now where can I buy one?"

According to Unicoil Chairman Ray Dell-Polina, "We are all very excited about the current development in the United States, and we are now working to expand our sales and distribution into Europe. We are also continuing to promote the use of Unicoil in the Australian market, as there are still many mechanics out there that we need to reach and display the benefits of Unicoil"

As word continues to spread of this product's ease of use and cost savings compared to stocking pre-moulded hoses or having to order and wait for these hoses, more operators are opting for Unicoil as the logical, cost and time saving solution for automotive heater hose replacements. The success of Unicoil is a prime example of Australian ingenuity taking its deserved place on the global automotive aftermarket stage.