News Release - October 1999

Disc brake company seizes golden opportunity

One of the braking industry's best-known high-performance products is to get a new name.

The announcement made by Disc Brakes Australia (DBA) sees its premium range of cross-drilled and slotted rotors, until now known as DBAsport, renamed as DBA Longlife Gold.

According to Phillip Joseph, the company's managing director, the name change is being made to open up more opportunities for the fast growing company and to capitalise on the success of the name "Longlife", which is now applied to all other DBA rotors.

"Back in 1997, when we launched DBAsport - Australia's first line-up of cross-drilled and slotted rotors - we won the AAAA "Best New Product" award and widespread market acceptance," he said.

"Since then we have introduced an intermediate range which, under the name DBA Longlife Slotted, has been very successful.

"Market research has shown the reason: the name "Longlife" - deserved because of proven durability - is a big hit.

"We believe the best way to capitalise on this strong branding is to create a logically named three-tiered range pushing a consistent message: quality, durability and performance.

"The positioning of each product is now distinct. Our base model, Australia's best-selling replacement rotor, DBA Longlife, is followed by the "heavy-duty" DBA Longlife Slotted and the "top-of-the-range" premium product, DBA Longlife Gold," said Mr Joseph.

The name change is not the only major step forward for Disc Brakes Australia.

On top of sustained success for all three products during 1999, the company has received industry acclaim with a gold medal awarded to DBA Longlife Slotted for "Best New Product of the Year" and a silver award for "Manufacturer of the Year".

The NSW Police Service has also adopted DBA Longlife Slotted as its preferred replacement rotor for all highway patrol cars: as has Ford Australia's special vehicle partner, Tickford, which commissioned DBA to produce a unique variation on the slotted design for its acclaimed new T-Series.

But according to Phillip Joseph, he and his team are not about to sit on their laurels.

"We plan to develop a dedicated motorsport division which will carry on the successful DBAsport brand name," he said.

Mark Joseph, DBA's manufacturing director, will head up the Special Projects Division.

Mark has spent the last two years researching and testing product from all over the world.

"The features of a motorsport rotor can be complicated and intriguing, such as two piece construction, complex vane configuration, light weight, multi-slotting with a high thermal metal matrix composition," he said.

"That's why this division must stand alone from DBA's normal aftermarket business.

"While we've already made headway, it will take us a while to develop this new dynamic part of DBA. However, we're all confident of success in the long-term.