TJM celebrates 50th anniversary

TJM is one of Australia’s original and most successful 4x4 brands, and it has now been manufacturing and selling four-wheel drive accessories for 50 years.

Like so many great brands, TJM was born not as a business but from a need to find quality products for 4x4 vehicles. The landscape and marketplace might be very different today, but back in the early 1970s the sand islands off the coast of South-East Queensland were popular destinations for the few people who used 4x4 vehicles and buggies to get out and explore.

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Among them were mates Lloyd Taylor, Cliff Jones and Steve Mollenhauer (the initials of their surnames for the company name) who wanted protective roll bars and bullbars for their vehicles but couldn’t find the gear they wanted anywhere.

As is the Australian way, the trio made their own, and demand for more of the products led to the creation of TJM, with the team fabricating 4x4 parts from a shed in the backyard of Lloyd’s mother’s house.

As production and the range of products grew, the business moved to a factory and store in the Brisbane suburb of Geebung, which was to become the headquarters until 2009 when a fire destroyed the (much larger, by that time) factory and offices.

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As both the market and popularity of four-wheel drive vehicles increased, TJM expanded to produce all manner of 4x4 accessories, from protection equipment to suspension components, roof racks and everything in between.

From the early 1980s TJM began exporting its Australian-made accessories overseas to markets such as the USA and Japan, becoming a true Aussie success story. TJM was bought by mining and electrical company CMI in 1991, and the business continued to expand.

The fire in Geebung brought big changes to the company, with production equipment lost and more of the production moving offshore. It took almost a full year to get back on track before a new headquarters and warehouse facility were built in Brendale, keeping the HQ in the company’s home city of Brisbane.

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In 2015, CMI looked to focus its attention on its core mining and electrical business and TJM was purchased by Thai company Aeroklas, a brand best known for its ute canopies and accessories. Aeroklas still owns TJM as the company marks 50 years in 2023, and under its ownership it has opened flagship corporate TJM stores and expanded the business to now have more than 80 outlets across Australia. International and fleet sales remain strong and, with new markets opening up globally, it will continue to expand.

"I'm looking forward to the next chapter of TJM, and I'm excited to see what the future holds." said Group General Manager Greg Kelly, of TJM parent company Aeroklas Asia Pacific.

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“From the day TJM started, the cornerstone of this iconic, great Australian brand has been innovation. It's part of our DNA. We will continue to create enhancements to off-road vehicles that will delight and excite our customers. It's what we do.”

4X4 Australia has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with TJM over the decades. In 1999, then-editor Ron Moon conducted a trans-continental drive from the west coast of Australia to the east with a convoy of TJM vehicles, staff and international guests.

To see the full and extensive range of 4x4 products available from TJM and to find your local store, visit www.tjm.com.au