EDI CUSTOMS
EDI has been a valued supporter and advertiser of Cruzin for some time now and we thought it was about time to visit the company’s enthusiastic car oriented owner, John Leggett and his accumulating collection of automotive goodies. My visit also created the perfect opportunity to learn a brief history of the successful business and how our readers can benefit from John’s vast importing and exporting experience.
Now in its 25th year of operation, EDI has weathered two recessions, the Y2K bug and the introduction of GST. Established from a one man band venture to supporting 25 staff and a network of trusted agents worldwide, John is still very hands on and is well versed in adapting to an inconsistent industry.
Like most school graduates of his time, John answered a newspaper advertisement offering employment, opening crates at the wharf. From there he started to deliver unloaded goods in the back of a one tonner and furthered his new-found occupation by obtaining a customs brokers licence at age 22. Keen to follow his passion for snow sports, he then took a job in the ski fields that lasted around three years. In the off season he travelled to South Australia, Northern Territory and Europe but eventually got fed up with only having 10 bucks in his back pocket and went back into the freight game, working for a customs broker in his home town Brisbane.
“During the early 90s the buzz word was to shorten your company name into three letters,” John explains, “EDI is short for Electrical Data Interchange.”
With an office comprising of a desk and phone, John drew on knowledge gained from previous experience and forged his own import-export business that eventually blended automobiles with general freight into a successful mix.
“The Los Angeles to Australia trade lanes have become an important element of the business, with automotive and general freight becoming part of our consolidation focus.”
With a full time employee in LA and four located in Perth, EDI exports around twenty 40 foot containers a month from America, depending on the exchange rate. When the dollar was above the one to one exchange ratio, that number almost doubled.
EDI also export from the UK, New Zealand, Japan, Italy and Canada to name a few, with a considerable quanitity of export when the dollar drops, like when it was 45 cents in the year 2000, compared to the US greenback. John says that the China freight game is also played with successful results.
What does all this freight movement mean to the average hot rodder I hear you ask? Loads! With our aftermarket parts industry at an all-time high and the ease of locating your dream car at the touch of a button, our only obstacle is distance. John’s best advice for potential buyers is to do their homework before they click to buy or head off on a shopping spree.
“We can inspect and validate the car and seller, secure handover of funds, educate buyers about the pitfalls of overseas purchasing and if they are already in the States, help them barter with the seller.”
Other areas that are often overlooked when buyers are dazzled by desirable daydreams at affordable prices, is the paperwork, such as Bill of Sale, clean titles, what modifications are acceptable to achieve import approval and when documentation must be lodged. They can also give a clear indication of the final cost, including stamp duty, GST, cleaning costs and how to avoid unnecessary costs by falling foul of Australia’s stringent rules.
The myth of filling an old car with a host of repurchased parts is also somewhat explained.
“If you’re purchasing a car with extra parts in the same deal, you will avoid GST. The only pitfall will be that quarantine requires all of the parts to be unpacked to inspect the vehicle. That’s where careful labelling is a must. They are looking for spiders, dirt and such and won’t inspect the car if they can’t see it. If you buy a pickup and fill it with new unrelated parts customs will be onto it.”
John relates EDI’s success to knowing their customers and understanding their needs.
“An owner of a six figure Ferrari is a different customer to someone trying ship home an affordable old pickup with patina. Both genuine clients, but you have to know who your customer is. That only comes with experience.”
EDI also offers parts shipping for the likes of engines, motorbikes or panels. They package to suit the parts with the most affordable option. New items can avoid quarantine while older parts with little monetary value can avoid GST.
“Many American parts suppliers will often ship free within the USA, so they can send it straight to our shipping address.”
John explains the rule of thumb is like this: a small 20 kg package is best done through UPS or DHL, anything bulky or heavy becomes outside their realm. General freight consolidators need the goods to be sufficiently packaged to survive the trip where any item can be stacked on top of one another. Our Automotive consolidations are tailor made for the freight, negating the need for over packaging.
“There are so many aspects of freight consolidation that we have become good listeners to help our customers achieve their goods. We strive for the best possible price to ship or receive goods in the best possible condition, in the fastest amount of time without stress. A vast majority of our business is repeat and word of mouth. There are so many hands that are involved to handle the goods from point A to point B, incidents can happen. It’s how we deal with it that makes the difference.”
EDI can be contacted via info@edicustoms.com.au or by calling 0417 733 057.
Sidewalk Traders
A by-product of EDI, and John’s newest hobby is Sidewalk Traders, a splinter business that caters for accumulated stock, collected over the years by John, that ticks away in the background of the main game. It also opens new doors for EDI through connections with automotive collectors. The boutique business is conducted by appointment only, and offers a tilt-tray service to move larger items. For now, items can be viewed via Facebook and Instagram until a website is built to cater for it.
“The Picker’s style show have spurred on collecting and importing, and the GFC has changed people’s minds about tying their money up in shares and real estate,” John says as we take in his collection of cool cars and memorabilia. “People are looking for investment alternatives. Interest in number plates, posters and memorabilia has increased for the average person that doesn’t have the knowledge of precious metals. With high-end vehicles, you still need to know what you are doing, but at the lower end of the scale it’s not as critical. With cars, you can touch it, feel it, show it and even drive it. Try that with a bunch of zeros on a computer screen.”
“Most things are for sale and if someone shows genuine passion for any one of our items, that means more to me than hanging onto it.”
