TOUGHSTUFF WINTER2016
We’re a
big part of your Business!
In just four years, Waikato firm Splice Construction Ltd has grown its business from five staff to 25 by developing specialist services and employing top machine operators. And as the business grows, so does their fleet of Kobelco excavators. Splice continues to win significant contracts in some of the country’s biggest road construction projects. Splice has worked on the Tauranga Eastern Link, the Cambridge Section of the Waikato Expressway and Auckland’s Northwestern Motorway. Current contracts include the Huntly section of the Waikato Expressway and the Mackays to Peka Peka (M2PP) Expressway on the Kapiti Coast. Splice managing director Graeme Rush has grown the company’s business by providing specialist services such as installation of
Splice Construction Ltd has growen its business and its fleet of Kobelco excavators.
guardrailing and wire rope barriers, and construction of MSE walls and noise walls. Once his operators begin work on a big project, their skills and experience usually win them additional work. Foreman/operator Andrew Prince is in charge of the work on M2PP in Kapiti. “We came down here 18 months ago to do six weeks’ work and we’re still here,” he says. The company has now built 17 MSE walls on the project. For the Huntly section of the Waikato Expressway, Splice purchased two new Kobelco SK210LC-10 excavators to prep for bridge construction and to cut tracks to provide access for drilling teams. One is getting fitted with a Leica 3D GPS. “To form some of those tracks, we were cutting six metres vertically to form a three metre wide track.” The company now has eight Kobelcos in its fleet. Andrew says the busiest Kobelco is an SK135 which has clocked nearly 3000 hours in 18 months. In his two years with the company, he hasn’t seen a single breakdown.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE • Kawasaki Z7 Loaders to Kiwi Lumber. • MIMICO Environmental Awards. • Graymont maximises production. • Meet Chris Gray, our new GM. Splice operations manager Bryan Shepherd says his boss has always upgraded his diggers regularly. The company’s clients like to see late model machines that won’t let them down. “At the end of the day, we need the right people and the right gear to do our job or we don’t get paid. The skill level of some of our operators is right up there. “And when it comes to gear, the Kobelco excavator used to be considered a mid-range digger but I’d quite happily say Kobelco has stepped up a level and they are now a top range machine. There’s been an increase in power and they’re much smoother to operate. The latest SK210LC-10 models are just awesome – up there with the best.”
Published quarterly for clients & associates of Matamata Industrial Machinery Imports Ltd
First kawasaki z7 loaders to kiwi lumber MIMICO delivered New Zealand’s first Kawasaki Z7 wheel loaders to Kiwi Lumber during March and April, 2016. Two 80Z7 loaders and one 90Z7 loader, all with log forks as attachments, were delivered to Kiwi Lumber’s three North Island sites. They unload logs off trailers, carry and stow logs in the yard, and feed logs to production lines. Remote monitoring systems are fitted as standard. The machines are working well in harsh conditions. Kiwi Lumber appreciate the Kawasaki Z7 loaders with their new design, smooth and powerful operation, plus quiet and comfortable cabin. Kiwi Lumber’s Kawasaki 90Z7 wheel loader.
MIMICO ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS QUARRYNZ Three Canterbury quarries took honours in the quarry industry’s annual MIMICO Environmental Excellence Awards which concluded the 3-day QuarryNZ conference in Blenheim. MIMICO Environment Awards judge, former Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Morgan Williams gave Gold to
Isaac Construction for what he described as the ultimate legacy project at its McLeans Island quarry on Christchurch’s northern outskirts. Silver awards went to Canterbury Aggregates for its commitment to handover its Amberley Beach Quarry as a future community asset and to Fulton Hogan Miners Road quarry for leadership in environmental
policy and sustainability practice. Aggregate and Quarry Association (AQA) chair Brian Roche said the awards recognise the importance quarries placed on good environmental management. “While much of our focus is rightly on health and safety, our industry is also committed to ever-improving our environmental performance and we put great value on that and our relationships with the communities in which we work.” Dr Williams said the standout feature of this year’s winners is they full integrated environmental management goals into their operations, not as add-ons. All were privately-held, family-based companies with histories of business resilience and of being a good neighbour and environmental steward. Pictured MIMICO Environmental Excellence Award winners, from left, Bill Pascoe (Canterbury Aggregates), Mike Higgins (Isaac Construction) and Peter Savage (Fulton Hogan).
Article and image supplied by AQA. Visit mimico.co.nz for the full story.
MIMICO HELPS GRAYMONT MAXIMISE PRODUCTION MIMICO has recently completed the installation of a scalping screen at Graymont’s Oparure Quarry, near Te Kuiti. The Oparure Quarry is New Zealand’s largest single lime quarry. It sits on a 67-hectare site which is located on top of the rich Waitomo strata and produces exceptionally high-grade limestone for supply to Graymont’s Otorohanga and Te Kuiti Plants. The main driver behind having the screen installed was to help the Oparure operation recover usable product from what was previously waste primary scalp product. A refurbished Svedala VFS screen was supplied, with special design considerations required due to the sticky nature of the limestone feed stock and the confined installation space. A screen bypass option was designed into the screen structure, to enable rejection of high clay content feed stock. The screen was fitted with Trellex rubber media to help it handle the sticky feed stock. Special non-stick liners were installed in key transfer points and Metso Trellex belt scrapers used to provide superior cleaning of all conveyor belts. MIMICO, the New Zealand distributor of Metso and Trellex equipment, provided the product
Graymont’s re-furbished scalping screen.
expertise and refurbished screen, while the MIMICO Engineering division (previously QMI Engineering) designed and fabricated the screen structure, conveyors and all chute work. The Oparure plant also manufactures a range of high quality Pulverised Limestone products such as ag-lime, CalcimateTM and industrial fine lime in bags, bulk bags and bulk, as well as aggregates in bulk, predominantly supplying customers across the North Island. ABOUT GRAYMONT Founded in 1948, Graymont is headquartered in British Columbia,
Canada, and serves customers from a network of close to twenty locations spanning the United States and Canada as well as four locations in New Zealand. McDonald’s Lime and Taylor’s Lime were purchased by Graymont on July 1, 2015, with the two companies now unified under the Graymont banner. Graymont’s lime operations are focused on the production of high calcium and dolomitic lime and value-added lime-based products such as hydrated lime and precipitated calcium carbonate as well as pulverized limestone and construction stone.
Pic of the Season Hopper Construction operates a fleet of Kobelco excavators and Moxy ADTs. Here Hopper puts a Kobelco SK210LC-8 and a Moxy MDT30 through their paces at Kumeu, West Auckland.
INTRODUCING CHRIS GRAY Chris Gray is one of MIMICO’s newbies. Chris began his new role as MIMICO’s General Manager in mid-July and has hit the ground running. Tough Stuff sat down (briefly) with Chris to find out a little bit more about him. Why do you work at MIMICO? MIMICO has grown consistently in the time I have known the business, and I believe there is great potential for this business going forward. Wanting to be part of this exciting period for the company is what drew me here. When did you start at MIMICO? On July 11, 2016, so not long ago. Where have you worked previously? I’ve been involved in the heavy building industry for 29 years. This has taken me from working for Pioneer Asphalt, RMC Aggregates and Cemex in the UK, to Hazell Bros and Rocla Quarry Products in Australia, and recently Winstone Aggregates in New Zealand. What’s your favourite memory from your pre-MIMICO work life? Most of my favourite memories would have to be some of the great people I’ve worked with. If I had to choose a favourite achievement it would be turning around the transport division of Hazell Bros. I was given the transport division as an underperforming business. In less than ten months we’d managed to secure a few key contracts and increased the profitability nearly tenfold. This was a very rewarding experience and taught me the value of having faith in yourself when you believe strongly in something.
CONTACT
US NOW
What’s your favourite MIMICO memory so far? It would have to be the MIMICO lunch at this year’s Institute of Quarrying conference in Blenheim. The South Island guys did a great job getting the venue ready, and it really helped promote the brand. We’ve received a lot of praise following this event. What is the most important thing in this industry? A strong customer focus. Too often you can get caught up with your own internal issues and lose sight of why the organisation exists. We want customers to work with MIMICO because we offer unrivalled service, quality and support. To achieve this it is important we constantly challenge ourselves to view the business from a customer’s point of view.
How would you describe the atmosphere at MIMICO? I’d have to say there is a strong feeling of pride in the business. This comes from the quality of the equipment we sell and being part of a growing business. This gives the sales guys the confidence to challenge clients with strong affiliations to other brands knowing they have great products and support. What do you do when you’re not at work? I enjoy fishing, shooting, riding motorbikes and DIY around the house. What is the greatest thing you’ve done in your life so far? I’ll keep away from the cliché answer of the birth of my children. Motorbike racing would have to be the greatest thing I’ve done. I road raced in the UK and Australia.
Freephone 0800 806 464 Email enquiries@mimico.co.nz Auckland, Matamata, PAPAPARAUMU, Christchurch
HEAD OFFICE and MATAMATA BRANCH
AUCKLAND BRANCH
PARAPARAUMU BRANCH CHRISTCHURCH BRANCH
17 Waihou Street, Box 202, MATAMATA 3400
88-90 Takanini School Road, Takanini, AUCKLAND 2105
3 Sheffield Street, PARAPARAUMU 5032
14 Paradyne Place, Wigram, CHRISTCHURCH 8042
Phone 0800 80 64 64
Phone 09 640 0340
Phone 04 297 0475
Phone 03 343 6901
Fax 07 888 4879
Fax 09 269 7613
Our brands
Fax 03 343 6902