Many ideas and schemes that start out in a bloke's shed tend to stay there, never seeing the light of day, but in the case of JB Metropolitan Distributors' owner, Bruce Spiteri, his small business has made the transition from the family garage to become Australia's largest confectionery and snack food distributor.
Now based in the Sydney suburb of Moorebank and holding contracts with leading brands including Nestle, Mars, Allen's and Cadbury, JB Metro is a very different operation from the 'mum and dad' outfit that began over 25 years ago.
With a dedicated staff of 85, a fully equipped warehouse facility and a fleet of 18 trucks and vans, the company has a stranglehold on the niche metropolitan Sydney confectionery and snack foods distribution market.
JB Metro delivers to a wide variety of outlets ranging from cinemas, service stations and sporting clubs through to workplace kiosks and canteens.
Crucial in meeting the company's high quality standards is prompt and reliable delivery, which requires a well-run and maintained delivery fleet.
JB Metro Despatch Manager, David Watt, joined the company about four years ago and gradually began a measured fleet replacement program.
"There was quite a mix of vehicles on fleet when I took over the role, some of them were old Isuzus with over 500,000 kms on the clock," Mr Watt said.
"Rather than the high kilometres being a problem, it was more the case that some of the pantech bodies were not specified to best suit our needs.
"They were mainly fitted with a narrow single back door, which means a lot more work for drivers who will sometimes have to unload up to 30 to 35 times per day without curbside access."
JB Metro's fleet is predominantly made up of Isuzus spanning from '93 to 2007 models. The two most recent purchases are Isuzu's best selling NPR 300s fitted with Automated Manual Transmissions (AMT).
According to Mr Watt, the decision to go for an AMT was to aid driver comfort, particularly on the more congested and demanding city routes.
"The AMT cuts down on driver fatigue and stress, the drivers are pretty busy so we specify a truck that will be as comfortable as possible," he said.
"I've found that the Isuzus are a perfect fit for what we do, they have a comfortable cabin and are well specified with all the latest safety equipment.
"We're also very particular with our body requirements. All of our newer trucks are ordered with a side door along with wide rear barn doors, and of course are fitted with chillers to maintain the goods at the appropriate temperatures."
The barn doors have also made life easier at the warehouse each morning, where the trucks can be loaded by the pallet with forklifts rather than by manpower alone.
"The trucks begin arriving at the warehouse at 4.30 am with the last ones due at 6.30 am," Mr Watt explained.
"We bring the trucks into the warehouse in groups of four and each is seen to by a forklift. We've managed to get loading time down to around an hour since specifying the truck bodies with barn doors; this is around a 50 per cent time saving.
"Depending on the runs, the trucks will do anything from 300 to 700 kilometres a week; although they are not huge numbers there's a lot of stop and start driving involved."
Mr Watt said that JB Metro was an excellent company to work for, with management holding all employees in very high regard.
"When I took on the role of Despatch Manager, Bruce put me in a position to streamline the distribution process and make the necessary changes to improve efficiency, but also keep our drivers happy," he said.
"Our drivers are often the face of the company and deal directly with the customers, so it's important they're content in their work and present a good public image.
"To this end we consult with our drivers when specifying the trucks and bodies. Since they're using the vehicles every day, they are best able to tell us what works.
"The company also has a policy that once drivers complete the distribution runs, they don't return to the warehouse, they stay with the truck and can go straight home."
The recent delivery of two more Isuzu NPR 300s to the fleet has helped the company service increased demand over the holiday season.
"The arrival of the two additional trucks is making the job easier, and so will our relocation to a new warehouse facility - there are a lot of 'sweet tooths' we have to keep satisfied."