The New Zealand and Australian Hydraulink network is expanding its go-anywhere capabilities with growing 4WD fleets. These new vehicles allow industry-leading hydraulic services to be delivered to remote and vital sites where downtime must be avoided. One branch office that exemplifies the company’s can-do ethos is the hard-working Hydraulink Tokoroa Branch in New Zealand – which has expanded its mobile fleet to include four 4WD vehicles. This highly mobile and well-stocked fleet ensures they can handle the challenges of getting to customers anywhere and on time.
“We handle a lot of forestry-related, dairy and sheep farm business – amongst other industries. Some of our jobs can be up pretty rough and remote gravel roads. To make sure we’re equipped, we invest in experienced people who have the credentials to do the job, as well as the confidence and knowledge to get these sturdy vehicles where they need to be,” said Tokoroa Branch Manager Doug Griffiths.
Griffiths – who heads a team of 12 staff, including four mobile techs – is among Hydraulink service providers at more than 400 service outlets throughout Australia and New Zealand. These providers bring essential hydraulic hoses, fittings and safety-compliant and traceable service expertise to locations as diverse as damp, mountainous logging camps, through to Australian outback mining sites – scattered across thousands of kilometres. They service machinery for which safe and efficient hydraulics are vital, ranging from diggers, dozers, haulers and harvesters, through to trucks, trailers, loaders and bulk handling technologies.
“Customers value the fact that we deliver consistent, industry-leading standards of service – from the one brand, with efficiency – whether it’s on-site at the customer’s facility, or at Hydraulink facilities. The peace of mind achieved by assurance of quality and safety is a major plus to operators big and small,” says Griffiths.
Like other Hydraulink outlets finding that sometimes they only handle some jobs with 4WD, Hydraulink Tokoroa is investing in staff and vehicles that deliver the company’s capabilities – even in the farthest corners of their markets.
“Our South Waikato business can extend over large distances. When customers can’t get to us, they need us to find a way to get to them. Forestry work crews, for example, move around a lot from place to place, they are always on the move, so location and knowledge of the area is key. Having five service trucks on the road in the South Waikato means we have good coverage and minimise downtime.”
“We are experiencing very good growth in the South Waikato as a result of our investment in the right people and the right machinery. Our current team is the biggest we have had – and the fleet is the biggest too. What customers value particularly highly is timely service. If the customer can’t fell trees, or pull the wood, they aren’t making money. No-one likes downtime.” Griffiths’ Hydraulink branch deals with timber industry customers ranging from small woodlot crews to industry leaders. Farm customers extend from multinational processors through to individuals who need to optimise their time on-site.
Export production typically goes out through Tauranga Port, while other forestry production is directed to major facilities such as the Kinleith Mill, Roundwood New Zealand, Red Stag, Kiwi Lumber and Pacific Pine. Production machinery that must be maintained in peak productive capacity to achieve the safety and efficiency required includes CAT, John Deere, Tigercat and Hyundai. Equally vital transport machinery that depends on good hydraulic service includes Kenworth, Scania, Freightliner and diverse logging trucks, bin trucks and forklifts.
Experience is vital
Hydraulink New Zealand National Sales and Service Manager Chris Cox says experience on the large and sophisticated machinery involved is vital to safety and efficiency, whether service is delivered at Hydraulink facilities or on-site at customer workplaces.
“It is very reassuring to customers that the people who arrived on-site are already familiar with the specialised needs of their machinery and worksites. This is not only such a time-saver – which translates into high efficiency – but also it is a great asset to high and uniform safety and compliance practices over many sites.
“One of our big pluses in branches such as Tokoroa – and through our associated mobile franchises – is that we have all this experience and capability concentrated under the one brand. The benefit of this is that customers know that the quality product and service they receive from one location will be the same excellence delivered to the same standards at other places.
“This consistency and quality is very important to customers with the diverse and multiple sites, who want traceability and uniformly high standards of service and safety delivered across their organisations.“
Details, Hydraulink New Zealand
0800 8066 66
