User:Moderntrans

Robin Ratcliffe, was born in Hunterville, in the Manawatu province of New Zealand, on 15th September 1948. The youngest of three children, he was initially educated at Taumarunui High school from 1960-1964. In 1973 Ratcliffe started Modern Transport Engineers Limited, a heavy transport manufacturer specialising in transporters and trailers for heavy industry.

In 1978 Ratcliffe joined his eldest brother Anthony Ratcliffe in the ownership of Whirling Brothers Circus where they became national figures in the training of lions and the owners of the first African Elephant in NZ. In 1979 Ratcliffe built a Lion Park at mystery Creek in Hamilton and in 1981 Ratcliffe handed the complete ownership of the circus back to his brother so he could devote all his effort and energies to the trailer building company. In 1982 Ratcliffe was building Bitumen tankers for the Australian market and in the latter part of 1982 Ratcliffe was successful in building the first hydraulic house trailer.

In 2011 Ratcliffe built the largest transporter in NZ with some 304 tyres with a capacity of 850 tonnes. The same year he built the largest road train coal hauler in Australia some 60 metres long with a loaded capacity of 500 tonne. By 2023 there was 11 companies in the Modern Group Of Companies employing 450 staff:

1. EQUIPMENT AND TRANSPORT LEASING LIMITED (814918) (NZBN: 9429038290671) NZ Limited Company 2. VEHICLE MAINTENANCE LIMITED (633377) (NZBN: 9429038674051) NZ Limited Company 3. MODERN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT LIMITED (7865898) (NZBN: 9429047877566) NZ Limited Company 4. MODERN TRANSPORT ENGINEERS (2002) LIMITED (1237589) (NZBN: 9429036342655) NZ Limited Company 5. MODERN TRANSPORT ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA LIMITED 6. MIKES TRANSPORT WAREHOUSE LIMITED (1237591) (NZBN: 9429036342693) NZ Limited Company 7. TRANSPORT MANUFACTURING LIMITED 8. RAGLAN FISHING CHARTERS LIMITED (6104688) (NZBN: 9429042563877) NZ Limited Company 9. ROADMASTER LIMITED (522622) (NZBN: 9429039060181) NZ Limited Company 10. UNIVERSAL SAFETY VESTS LIMITED (8487689) (NZBN: 9429050872619) NZ Limited Company 11. EVANS ENGINEERING CO LIMITED (691637) (NZBN: 9429038434723) NZ Limited Company