STM Trucks & Machinery is marking 50 years of continuous family ownership as its anniversary year draws to a close. The Gerace and Papallo families founded the business as Tri-City Trucks in Western Sydney in 1976, and it has grown from a single-yard dealership into a multi-branch truck and machinery dealership serving tradespeople, landscapers, and small business owners across New South Wales. Both founding families remain actively involved in the business’s day-to-day operations.
The company's origins were modest. Tri-City Trucks opened as an International Harvester dealership on the Hume Highway, now known as Camden Valley Way. In the early 1980s, the business added Mitsubishi trucks, a franchise that would later become Fuso, broadening its commercial vehicle offering to meet growing regional demand. This early decision to expand the brand portfolio set a pattern of incremental growth that would define its development over the following decades.
"We started with one yard, a handful of staff, and a commitment to looking after the people who bought from us," said a spokesperson for STM Trucks & Machinery. "The Gerace and Papallo families have worked side by side since day one, and that partnership is as much a part of this business as any truck or machine we've ever sold. Fifty years is a long time, but when you're doing it alongside people you trust, it goes fast."
The business relocated to Narellan premises in 1995 before making a more significant move in 2006 to its current eight-acre site in Smeaton Grange, where it was renamed Sydney Trucks & Machinery. In 2008, the company added Kobelco excavators to its product range, marking its first entry into the earthmoving equipment sector. In 2022, the business was renamed STM Trucks & Machinery. That same year, the company acquired Siteworx, which was subsequently rebranded as STM Wollongong.
That growth is reflected in the Smeaton Grange head office, which now operates with approximately 32 service bays, two drive-through B-double pits, and a 30-metre weighbridge. The business now has a team of more than 120 people across its branches in Smeaton Grange, Queanbeyan West, and Unanderra. STM's current brand portfolio spans trucks and machinery including Iveco, Fuso, Kobelco, Merlo, ASV, Hydrema, and New Holland, alongside spare parts, servicing, and in-house finance brokerage.
"Reaching 50 years as a family business in this industry is something we don't take lightly," the spokesperson said. "The next phase is about building on what both families have put into this business, continuing to invest in our people, our facilities, and the customers who have stayed with us across the decades. That's been the foundation from the beginning, and it doesn't change now."
That investment extends to STM’s division, which operates six days a week at its Smeaton Grange workshop and provides 24/7 emergency truck repair services, with technicians available for on-site work at customer locations. The workshop's capacity to accommodate large vehicles, including B-doubles, reflects the scale of investment the company has made in its service infrastructure over the years. Parts delivery runs daily across Metropolitan Sydney, the Southern Highlands, and Wollongong.
About STM Trucks & Machinery
STM Trucks & Machinery is a family-owned and operated business founded in 1976 by the Gerace and Papallo families, both of whom continue to manage the company today. The business operates from its head office at 20-26 Dunn Road, Smeaton Grange, with additional branches at 1 Paterson Parade, Queanbeyan West, and 7-9 Glastonbury Avenue, Unanderra. STM sells new and used trucks and machinery from brands including Iveco, Fuso, Kobelco, Merlo, ASV, Hydrema, and New Holland, and offers genuine and aftermarket spare parts, workshop and on-site servicing, and in-house finance brokerage.
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For more information about STM Trucks & Machinery, contact the company here:
STM Trucks & Machinery
Customer Service
+61246474488
info@stm.com.au
20-26 Dunn Rd, Smeaton Grange NSW 2567, Australia
