Martin Cooper - Managing Director

Bruce Cooper - Technical Director

Martin and Bruce Cooper incorporated Hercules Applied Technologies Pty. Ltd., in 2005 and set up a division of the company, Hercules Roll Over Protection Structures, after identifying a pressing need in the market for affordable, certified ROPS.

Hercules ROPS is actively distributing its ROPS throughout Australia and has appointed Distributors for North America and Canada and Europe.

Background
Through their agricultural machinery business, Martin and Bruce Cooper had already formed a strong relationship with Australian ROPS authority, Frank Ford. By combining Ford's ROPS expertise and the Coopers' 20 years experience in manufacturing, international trade and marketing, they have designed a new range of ROPS and reengineered Ford's original certified designs, upgrading them to the International Standard, for worldwide distribution.

Frank Ford - Engineer

A pioneer of the ROPS program in Australia, Frank Ford has been designing and testing Roll Over Protection Structures (ROPS), Falling Object Protection Structures (FOPS) and tractor cabins for over 30 years.

After pursuing a career in Engineering, Ford was appointed Manager (Victoria), for Comalco Fabricators. He was subsequently promoted to Marketing Manager (South-East Asia) for Comalco Ltd.

In 1973, Ford registered Safe-T-Cab Developments, in Australia. In 1974, he rolled out his first certified safety cabin. Since then, he has designed and certified in excess of 300 ROPS, FOPS and cabins.

Frank Ford has supplied under contract to:

• Alcoa (Cabs)
  
• Australian Army (ROPS)
• Deutz (Cabs)
• Ditchwitch (ROPS)
• Ford Motor Company (ROPS, Cabs)
• Ford Tractor Company (ROPS, Cabs)
• Ingersoll-Rand (ROPS, Cabs)
• John Deere (ROPS)
• Kubota (ROPS, Cabs)
• Massey Ferguson (ROPS, FOPS)
• Mitsubishi (ROPS)
• Nissan (FOPS, Cabs)
• Toro (ROPS, Cabs)
• Valpadana (ROPS)
• Zetor (ROPS, Cabs)

Frank Ford has served as a Member of the Australian Parliament and is currently the Principal of Melbourne-based company, Dynamic Safety Solutions. He has appeared before the Coroner on several occasions as an expert witness.