Joe - Franchise Owner
After immigrating to Australia from South Africa in 2006, I began my mechanical apprenticeship in regional Queensland, working on everything from lawn mowers to heavy vehicles, with a strong focus on light cars and 4WDs. I qualified as a Light Vehicle Mechanic in 2009 and moved to Brisbane, where I spent four years in a fast-paced independent workshop refining my technical skills and developing a reputation for efficiency and reliable workmanship.
In 2013, I stepped into management after securing the Centre Manager role at Ultra Tune Indooroopilly. Over the next four years, I built my leadership experience while earning key industry credentials, including Hybrid & EV qualifications, an Air Conditioning licence, and Queensland Roadworthy Examiner certification.
A new opportunity emerged in 2017 when I joined Ultra Tune Australia as the Queensland Franchise Support Manager. For the next three and a half years, I travelled extensively across the state supporting 76 workshops, handling high-level customer resolutions, opening new centres, training staff, and providing hands-on operational support wherever needed.
In 2020, after managing the Cleveland centre during a staffing shortage, I took the leap and purchased Ultra Tune Cleveland. Since then, I’ve grown the business from myself and one staff member to a thriving team of seven—soon to be eight. Demand has increased so significantly that in 2023 we relocated to a new facility three times the size of the original workshop. During this period, I also completed my second trade qualification as an Automotive Electrician.
Developing young talent has been a big part of the journey. I’ve trained and qualified three apprentices—two of whom continue to work with me—and I’ve also had the opportunity to bring my brother into the workshop while he completes his Light Vehicle Cert III studies after moving to Australia.
Today, I combine nearly two decades of hands-on experience, leadership, technical expertise, and genuine customer care to deliver the honest, dependable service my workshop is known for.