Tonsley move to drive further growth for 4WD specialists

It was five years ago when friends Jake Attard and Ian Woods saw a gap in the burgeoning 4×4 camping and accessories market.

“I was a plumber, Ian ran a gym and we are also both keen campers and were looking around for good quality canopies to fit on the back of our utes, both for work and play,” Jake said.

“However, everything we found was basically cheap and nasty or super expensive. There just wasn’t anything that was well designed, high quality and yet affordable with the right storage, power supply and usability.

“So, we got our heads together and started coming up with some designs for what we thought would plug that gap.”

Trojan Camping and 4X4 was born in a shed at Edwardstown in Adelaide’s south, and it wasn’t until they took their designs to the Adelaide 4WD and Adventure Show in October 2019 that things really took off.

“We basically attended the show with little more than CAD drawings, but we just started taking orders almost instantly,” Ian said.

“That convinced us that we were on the right path. It was enough for us to get out of our day jobs and fully into our new venture.”

Their timing couldn’t have been better. The pandemic-inspired spending on high-spec leisure utilities helped augment strong demand from trades for canopies on work vehicles with multiple uses. Trojan now offers a range of canopy options in a host of sizes, complete with dual battery power, refrigeration, lighting and ingenious storage solutions.

All builds are assembled and completed in Adelaide with interstate sales now accounting for 60% of business through a national network of trusted installers.

With its exponential growth showing no signs of slowing, Trojan needs more room – which is why it’s now building a new $2 million manufacturing and showroom facility on 2800m2 on Edison Road at the Tonsley Innovation District.

A two-level showroom and office and design facility will sit in front of a 1200m2 workshop and high-roof warehouse area that will dramatically increase the company’s ability to expand.

“At the moment, the level of demand means our lead time is hovering between 12-16 weeks – and that’s with our full team of 10 working flat out delivering a maximum of 15 canopies a week,” Ian said.

“It will also enable us to expand into other designs, particularly work bodies for trade vehicles.”

The decision to choose the Tonsley Innovation District was both about the location of the land and the environment they’re joining.

“It’s also such a modern and dynamic atmosphere where everything feels new – we’re really excited about being part of it.”

Ian and Jake hope to be in their new premises by early-mid 2025 with construction based on a seven to eight month timeline.

“It’s great to be welcoming more South Australian manufacturing know-how to the Tonsley Innovation District,” Renewal SA Executive Director Property and Major Projects Todd Perry said.

“The Trojan team have very quickly built a national reputation for excellence and they’re a fantastic addition to an ecosystem that is all about delivering the highest quality solutions.”

According to research by Statista, projected revenue in the smart home market in Australia is projected to reach US$3.7 billion in 2024 and grow annually at nearly 9% annually over the next four years.