For more than seven decades precision automotive engine bearings have been manufactured in the northern suburbs of Launceston, Tasmania

In the 1940s, the automotive workshops of Repco (then known as Replacement Parts) in Launceston, Tasmania and also in Melbourne, Victoria were contracted to the Australian Defence Force to manufacture engine bearings for Gypsy aircraft as support for the war effort.
This work led to the manufacture of replacement cadmium nickel connecting rod bearings for Ford V8 and other engines used by the army. 
During the war years more than a million bearings were supplied and the knowledge gained provided a sound foundation for post-war development. 
The Launceston workshop also repaired damaged artillery shell cases; and produced valve seats for Rolls Royce Merlin aircraft engines, valve guides for Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah aircraft engines, rifle sights, and artillery dial-sight components. 
At the end of the war, Repco had difficulty purchasing replacement engine bearings and decided to establish a plant to produce these parts.  
At that time, building supplies in Victoria were scarce and being rationed, and due to Tasmania having access to steel and cement and with a government keen to develop a manufacturing base – the decision was made in favour of Tasmania as the location of the bearing company.
A new plant was constructed in the developing suburb of Mowbray in the north of Launceston and the company commenced manufacturing in January 1949 with a workforce of 66, with the official opening held on 11 April 1949.
During the 50s and 60s Repco progressively and systematically worked to acquire all of the domestic bearing manufacturing businesses in operation in Tasmania – including one known as ACL – and transferred the equipment and production to its greenfield Tasmanian site, with this facility growing to be a major supplier to the developing Australian Automotive Industry.
At this time, the company’s involvement with motorsport started with the world championship winning Repco Brabham Formula One program.
This motorsport involvement grew with the company and today is stronger than ever across numerous platforms within Australia and overseas.

There was more growth for the business throughout the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s – a golden era for the business and the Australian Automotive scene, with a strong vehicle manufacturing industry comprising of the world’s largest car companies.
During this period the company won numerous national and international automotive awards from all OEM automotive companies – including an unprecedented four consecutive Toyota Gold Supplier of the Year awards, Ford Supplier of the Year, twice General Motors Global Supplier of Year and consecutive Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) Supplier of The Year in 1999/2000 – an accolade awarded to the best supplier to the Australian Automotive Industry as adjudged by the OEM manufacturers.
During this time Repco sold off its engine parts manufacturing group in a management buyout, with a new company – Automotive Components Limited (ACL) formed in 1986 – marking a comeback of the ACL brand acquired by Repco in the 1960s.
“The success of the business over the years has been due to the dedicated, loyal and highly skilled workforce,” ACL Executive Advisor, Chris Brooks, said.
“Over the lifetime of the business, it has had an average employment level of approximately 400, with many employed with us for their entire working life and in some instances, there have been two or three generations from the one family.
“The business has always focused on the development of its people and has had an impact in the broader community.
“Over the journey we have provided employment to more than 6,800 Tasmanians, reaching an employment peak of 728 in the early 70s. 
“It seems that in Launceston, you would be hard pressed to find someone who didn’t know someone who worked at or had a connection to our Bearing Company.”
The company has seen its fair share of change, highs, and lows over the 75 years, including the withdrawal of OEM vehicle manufacturing from the country.
“This together with the pressure of the global financial crisis saw the company enter receivership,” Chris explained.
“It was a challenging period for the business where the company received great support from the industry and its staff.
“The cessation of vehicle manufacture in Australia presented challenges to the supplier industry from which ACL was not exempt. Thankfully, 2014 saw the end of the receivership and a further change with new ownership.
“At this time the company turned to the replacement market and reengineered the business to be an agile, proactive and customer focused manufacturer of premium quality engine bearings.”

The strategy was successful and today ACL produces one of the largest aftermarket ranges of engine bearings.
“This includes the internationally lauded RACE Series Performance Engine Bearings which caters for more than 200 engine applications for Australian, American, Japanese, Korean and European vehicles,” Chris said.
“There is no doubting that ACL is a trusted brand manufactured in Tasmania for the world.
“We receive excellent support from our distributors and loyal customers, with our ACL owned distribution centre in the USA positioned to service our biggest markets.
“At the same time, we are proudly Tasmanian with a proven history of supporting local suppliers and services. We acknowledge and respect the community that we operate within and hold a a strong focus on partnership and involvement in our local community, being proud to support local jobs and support the local economy at every opportunity.”
The company is also well known throughout Australia for its rich pedigree in motorsport and continued support of racing categories from the grassroots level all the way through to the top echelons, including Supercars, Super 2 and 3, Hyundai Excel racing, Formula Ford, drifting, drag racing, hill climbing and powersports.
“It is always our aim to support local motorsport and local community activities – local Motorsport is the proving ground for the stars of the future,” Chris said.
“We have said it before and we will say it again – we are proudly Tasmanian. As such, we acknowledge Tasmania’s rich motorsport heritage, with our State well represented on the national and international stage.
“In 2024, the 75th anniversary of our company in Launceston, Tasmania, we are very pleased to continue the support and development of Tasmanians in Motorsport.
“We believe that there are many prominent prospects within the state, and they are well placed to take the next step.”

Not only does ACL’s motorsport involvement allow the company to support its community, it also provides early intel on future engines of interest and how they are expected to perform.
“This not only means that ACL can be ahead of the game in making bearings available to prospective users, but also provides more time to ensure that the individual bearing designs are fully refined prior to launch,” Chris said.
“ACL’s customers are our best Research and Development resource. Sponsorship allows direct contact with users across a broad range of engine types and race categories which enables ACL to continually refresh and deepen the knowledge and expertise that are essential for exceeding engine builders’ expectations into the future.
“Sponsorship also leads to a level of mutual trust and cooperation that provides ACL with in-depth knowledge of how and why leaders in a variety of race fields use ACL Race Series performance engine bearings.
“This knowledge feeds directly back into ACL’s materials development and advanced bearing design strategies. This means that ACL can be proactive rather than reactive in responding to the evolution of engine variants, components and tuning within these race codes.
“More broadly, ACL’s development of bearings for a range of performance applications means that there is an emphasis on toughness and adaptability that provides an extra layer of confidence for engine builders, with lessons we have learnt from the track applied to our product engineering and development.
“We have a rich and proud history in automotive manufacturing and the fact that we continue to do so in a special place like Tasmania makes it even more special.”

To learn more about ACL, visit www.aclperformance.com.au