The SGESCO-MAX team is deeply saddened to announce the passing of its founder, Albert McPherson, over the weekend. He was 85 years of age.
Albert was a man of quiet determination, deep technical skill, and unwavering curiosity – qualities that shaped not only his life but also the company he built from the ground up.
Founded in 1962, when Albert was just 22, SGESCO-MAX began as the Starter, Generator Exchange Service Company (SGESCO), a small Brisbane-based auto electrical business driven by Albert’s engineering mind and hands-on problem-solving.
What began with starter motors and generators at a workshop in Holland Park soon evolved into marine electronics at Bulimba, and later, into mechanical electronics and safety systems at Rocklea. In 2000 Albert’s forward-thinking approach saw the company acquire Max Instruments, the Queensland distributor of VDO gauges, becoming SGESCO-MAX and relocating to Archerfield. Today the company is recognised as an Australian leader in heavy vehicle safety technology, with clients across the globe.
Albert had a gift for solving complex problems. When he couldn’t find a solution internationally that met his standards, he built his own. Under his guidance, SGESCO-MAX pioneered a range of Australian-first innovations, including the MAX-SAFE Anti-Rollaway Brake System™ and MAX-SAFE Reverse Watch®– technologies that have since become benchmarks in heavy vehicle safety, and are used on over 25,000 vehicles in Australia alone.
For close to 40 years, Albert worked side-by-side with his eldest son, Marc, now the company’s Head of Research & Development. Together they transformed SGESCO-MAX into a trusted, respected name in the Australian heavy vehicle and machinery market. In 2020, during the challenges of COVID-19, Albert’s youngest son, Scott, joined the business after a long career in information technology and consulting, taking on the role of Managing Director, allowing Albert to enjoy a well-earned retirement.
Even in his later years, however, Albert remained a presence in the workshop and the boardroom – sharing his wisdom until his early 80s.
Now in its 63rd year, SGESCO-MAX stands as a dynamic second-generation family business – a quiet achiever built on Albert’s values of innovation, integrity, and safety. His sons, Marc and Scott, together with the wider SGESCO-MAX team, continue his vision of making Australian roads and worksites safer for everyone.
“Dad was a man ahead of his time,” noted Scott McPherson. “He always wanted to know how things worked and would make the most of current technologies, while often being frustrated that technological advances did not keep up with the ideas he had.
“Still, teamed with Marc, he was able to create world-class solutions and was buoyed by working with companies that valued safety as much as he did. Our many clients’ safety records have become a testament to their ingenuity.”
“Dad’s legacy, however, is much more than SGESCO-MAX. For decades, he was a valued role model, providing fantastic opportunities to hundreds of apprentices to have their own rewarding careers. Many went on to establish their own businesses; others ventured into educational careers.
“We could not be prouder of what he accomplished in his life. Marc and I will be forever grateful that we had the opportunity to work with and learn from him, and that we are well placed to carry his business and vision forward,” said Scott.
Albert McPherson leaves behind not only a remarkable heritage of innovation but also a family and a company inspired by his belief that when the right solution doesn’t exist- you create it.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lyn, in February 2024, and is survived by his children Marc, Peta and Scott, his grandchildren Oliver, Alexander, Harrison, Angus, and Olivia, and his great grandchildren Lily, Albie, Audrey, and Jamie.
In memory of ALBERT MCPHERSON (2025)