6 minute read
First Grove long boom in New Zealand
There were a number of reasons for choosing the Grove GMK3060L-1 including the long boom, the compact nature of the crane and its ease of operation.
FIRST MODEL OF NEW GROVE LONG BOOM TO NEW ZEALAND NEWCOMER
Adam’s Crane recently took delivery of the first Grove GMK3060L-1, 60t-capacity long boom in New Zealand. Innovative features relating to the all terrain include full remote control and a twoaxle trailer designed, engineered, and built by Tidd Ross Todd Limited (TRT).
ADAM’S CRANE IS A NEW ENTRANT INTO
the New Zealand crane sector. Adam Gausel and his wife, Nicola, have made a bold statement to the market taking delivery of the first Grove GMK3060L-1 from TRT New Zealand.
The decision to launch their business and invest in the new equipment was based on existing business relationships within the city of Nelson and their 20 years of experience in the crane industry, explained Gausel.
“I’ve been around cranes for most of my career, having started by operating Palfinger truck loaders,” he explained.
“I operated these for 11 years and the work was mostly taxi hire and transportation. I moved onto a 70t truck crane and crawlers, placing pre-cast panels and bridge building, commercial construction lifting, along with taxi hire. I was working with and managing allterrains and a crawler.
“My most recent role saw me working for a construction and development company. I was hired to procure a fouraxle mobile crane, which was mainly utilised for their own requirements. I was successful in operating that crane, grew the business and ended up with the market share in Nelson.
“After eight years, the company moved out of construction-based activities and sold off the business as part of a larger package. I had previously worked for the new owners and there wasn’t going to be an opportunity to grow within the company. That’s when Nicola and I decided to have a go at starting our own business. We started trading on the 18 October 2021.”
Gausel has a network of clients around the top of the South Island region and expects the bulk of the work will fall here. He is expecting demand for general taxi crane hire and short- to medium-term site-based hire, with an operator. Work will be in the construction sector and primary industries, supported by lifts in residential construction.
“Being small, I’m aiming to provide a high level of service, while keeping focused on positive outcomes for my clients, and the Grove GMK3060L-1 is the ideal crane for this type of work,” he said.
Remote control is the way forward for certain applications on smaller mobile cranes.
The crane trailer designed, engineered and built by TRT is designed to transport everything for the crane including outrigger pads, blocks ancillary equipment and the extra counterweight. “There are a number of reasons for choosing the Grove GMK3060L-1. The long boom impressed me, the compact nature of the crane and its ease of operation. All-terrains are complicated bits of kit, but the GMKs are reliable and I like the fact TRT have experienced, up- to-date technicians who can fix the issues you might get as machines start to age. The telematics will be a good feature for the product support going forward and I love how quiet the little QSL-9 Cummins is when working around the crane. TRT also built a two-axle counterweight trailer for it to tow the counterweights. “The main feature for me, however, is the radio control feature. I started the business because I’m fascinated by cranes, and I love the challenges working through a project, big or small. I enjoy meeting people and getting involved with their projects. The remote control allows me to work alongside my clients, which is where I’m at my best. Remote control is the way forward for certain applications on smaller mobile cranes.” Dean McIlroy, cranes sales for TRT NZ, worked closely with Gausel on the purchase of the crane. “Adam’s Crane is a new customer and Adam has come from a construction company which TRT has worked with over the years. Adam recently decided to go out on his own and we are backing him every step of the way. He has an excellent reputation in the market, and he has a large network of contacts from his time in the construction sector,” said McIlroy.
“We have provided him with a solid solution to help start the business. As we discussed throughout the purchasing process, he needs to keep overheads low, manage outgoings, and keep the business as lean as possible. We’ve supplied him with a crane that has a remote control as well as a support trailer.
“As Adam is finding his way with the new business, he can work as the owner- operator. There is no need for him to employ anyone else at the moment, he can conduct the lifts on his own.
“The remote control allows Adam to manage all functions of the crane. The major advantage as an owner-operator is you can operate the crane and you are not in the super structure at the back of the crane, where your view is limited. You can move around the crane and see every aspect of the lift.
“Obviously, safety is a concern when you are on site and because the GMK
3060L-1 is a compact crane with a small footprint and a massive boom [visibility is key]. When operating in tight spaces on construction sites, the advantages of the remote enables the operator and those working in close proximity to operate in a safe position. The remotecontrol unit is extremely compact and easy to use, which is an excellent feature.”
The support trailer was designed, engineered, and built by TRT.
“The trailer is designed to transport everything Adam needs for the crane, including outrigger pads, blocks ancillary equipment and the extra counterweight. Adam has his permit for the crane and the two-axle trailer,” explained McIlroy.
“You can’t road the crane with all the counterweights because of the weight on the axles, meaning you would normally take support vehicles with the crane to manage the counterweight. But Adam has bought the two-axle support trailer and can take all the required gear and counterweights for the heavier lifts.
“I see the Grove GMK 3060L-1 being really popular with the NZ market. Shortly after collecting the crane, Adam was using the crane for a lift in the South Island. It was over a weekend and a couple of customers saw him and they were in touch with us on the Monday.
“There have been enquiries already and there is a fair amount of interest in the model, which is good. It operates on a small footprint, it has a nice long boom, it’s a good strong lifter, so it ticks a lot of boxes.”
Gausel spoke about his experience with the team at TRT.
“I’ve been dealing with TRT for about 10 years now. The TRT crane team are awesome, and I really appreciate the service they supply. Although I’m only a small fish I never feel like I receive anything less than great service from the team,” he said.
“TRT have done a great job of supporting me and helping me get going. I had specific requirements for how I wanted to operate my crane and TRT’s trailer manufacturing helped complete the package.”
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