Tropical Mobility, the electric vehicle arm of Tropical Battery Company Limited, has struck a new distribution deal with Snap-on, bringing the American tool giant’s full suite of automotive equipment to the local market.

The partnership, announced last week, will see Tropical Mobility distributing Snap-on’s Total Shop Solutions brands — Hofmann, Challenger Lifts, Ecotechnics, and Pro-Cut — locally. Tropical Battery listed Tropical Mobility as a key subsidiary in its just released APO prospectus, positioning it as a growth engine within the wider group. The latest move adds another revenue stream and extends the brand’s reach beyond vehicle sales into tools, equipment and workshop services.

“This agreement gives us the ability to supply top-tier equipment needed to service all kinds of cars, not just the EVs we sell,” CEO of Tropical Mobility Oliver Hill, in a notice posted on the Jamaica Stock Exchange regarding the new partnership. In a follow-up interview with the Jamaica Observer, the company indicated that the new partnership is expected to double Tropical Mobility’s sales within the first year, with projections for a threefold increase by the second year. Tropical Mobility’s sales are currently consolidated into the financial statements of its parent company.

Snap-on, a Fortune 500 company based in Wisconsin, is hailed as one of the world’s most respected names in automotive equipment. The US$3.7-billion company manufactures products including hand tools, tool storage solutions, vehicle diagnostic equipment and management systems, and ‘under-car’ shop tools.

Tropical Mobility hopes to woo local garages, alignment shops and service stations through direct access to the suite of “premium” lifts, wheel balancers, brake disc lathes, and AC servicing tools. However, ahead of bringing the products to market, Tropical Mobility said it integrated them into its own service centre operations to validate performance and reliability. The Tropical Service Center, off Mandela Highway in Ferry Industrial Park, offers alignment, wheel balancing, disc skimming and AC services on various vehicles, including EVs, using Snap-on equipment.

“We use this same equipment every day at our Tropical Service Centre in Ferry, so we know how good it is,” Hill said. “Prospective customers can get a live demonstration any time before making the same decision we did to invest in the quality of Snap-on equipment for themselves.”

Several Snap-on products were showcased during the Jamaica Auto Show which was held at the National Indoor Sports Centre on May 10 and 11. The event drew a broad cross-section of the motoring public, including car dealers to small garage operators, many of whom are now facing increased pressure to modernise their service offerings as electric and hybrid vehicles gain traction.

The Snap-on deal also signals a shift in Tropical Mobility’s commercial strategy. While the company started by importing EVs — ranging from electric motorbikes to passenger cars and buses — it has increasingly moved toward building out the infrastructure and services needed to support Jamaica’s transition to electric transport. The company also supplies EV chargers, cables, and adapters, specialized EV tires and automotive shop equipment.

— Karena Bennett