Determination, diversity and a fleet of skid steer loaders and Kobelco excavators have combined to make Anthony Ring’s excavation and concreting business a success despite its inception during one of our worst economic periods four years ago.
“Looking back, branching out on my own during the GFC may not have been the smartest idea,” Ring says. “The loan for my first machine was very tough to secure. But I got there and figured if I can make the business work during that time, I can see it through anything.”
Every day on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula is different for Anthony and his team of three full-time staff, from pulling down trees between two $10 million homes on a cliff in Portsea through to creating the Masons Falls lookout site, doing house foundation cuts and digging pools in Mount Martha.
Anthony Ring Excavations owns a fleet of six machines. Four are Kobelco excavators — an SK17SR-5, SK28SR-6, SK35SR-6 and an SK135SR-3 — and two are skid steer loaders.
“Having such a broad range of gear means that I can do pretty much anything for my clients,” Ring says. “Builders only need to have one number in their phone and they know that I can get any job done well, on time and on budget.”
The first machine Ring bought for the business was an SK35SR-6.
“In December this year, that machine will be four years old and it’s already done 2,500 hours,” Ring says. “The hydraulics are just as responsive as the day I took delivery.
“When I first got that machine I’d accept jobs that really needed a larger machine but I wanted the gig so I used the mini instead. I’ve really worked it hard, clearing land, pulling down trees and digging pools.
“Doing those larger jobs in a smaller machine meant that I was spending some long days in the cab,” Ring adds.” I actually didn’t mind it … the Kobelco cabs are so safe and comfortable with great visibility and complete climate control.”
The Kobelco SK35SR-6 excavator features a 4-cycle, 3-cylinder, direct-injection diesel engine and the company’s proprietary iNDr cooling system.
The latter creates a “wind pathway”, Kobelco says, that naturally introduces air into the system. The fan is located further inside the machine which makes it possible to reduce noise, heat and prevent dust penetration.
“It became clear that the machine was unbreakable,” Ring says. “When it came time to expand the fleet, I just picked up the phone to Matt at Melbourne Tractors and I went straight back for more Kobelcos, the most recent being the SK28SR-6.”
Looking forward, Ring says he’s keen to focus on bigger, long-term jobs: “I love working on the Peninsula but I’m keen to get my machines and my team up to Melbourne onto some week- or month-long projects.”
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