For Fleck Earthmoving Group, the aftersales support from LiuGong and dealer Pacific Machinery Group has been second to none
The Fleck Earthmoving Group in New South Wales has an unwavering commitment to being a one-stop shop for its clients and servicing every job site to the best of its ability. And if that means the purchase of a new machine to meet a client request, that is what it will do.
Not only is the company constantly upgrading its fleet to ensure it is up to date with the most professional working strategies, its fleet is also continually growing.
Building strong stakeholder partnerships in business is another key to long-term success and the relationship between Fleck Earthmoving, LiuGong equipment and its associated support teams has been close to a perfect match.
Fleck Earthmoving was established in 1988 by original owner Jamey Flecknoe. However, under new director Danny Kalischer and group operations manager Mike McFarlane, the business has quickly grown from having eight machines in its fleet to more than 80.
Based in Box Hill, north-west of Sydney, it is now largely a wet hire company with 64 operators in the field and three in the office. The Fleck Group also incorporates several other businesses, including NextGen Earthworks, NSW Plant Haulage and its newest division, Fleck Plant Hire, which services all dry hire requirements.
The Fleck Earthmoving Group has a fleet of excavators ranging from 0.8 tonnes up to 50 tonnes, plus dump trucks, dozers and posi track loaders. Jobs can include everything from backyard swimming pools and redesigns to major agricultural works, complete with the floating of machines, transport and dirt removal in trucks and trailers.
McFarlane says that with regards to the LiuGong excavators in the fleet, the business has maintained a great relationship with Liam King and the team at Sydney dealership Pacific Machinery Group; saying that the aftercare and support has been amazing. So much so that he quips that he would prefer they did not contact him, because it cost the business a new machine every time.
Walking the walk
McFarlane recalls King’s encouragements to consider the LiuGong excavators. At the time, McFarlane advised that when Fleck did make the step, “they would be coming in hot”. However, the Pacific Machinery team has been equal to the task and gone above and beyond.
“We were up north on the Moonee Moonee Bridge and I told Liam I needed a 30-tonner delivered Monday to the Hunter Valley,” McFarlane says.
“It was the Thursday and we agreed on a price before I was at the end of the freeway. We had a team fly from Perth to install and test the GPS unit, Liam opened the shop on the Saturday and Sunday and everything was completed, including the machine being stickered and ready to go for floating to site, on the Monday morning at 9am.
“Later, I was back up the Valley and we looked at another two 14-tonners – again which we needed by the following Monday. The turnaround time has been quite amazing and I don’t think others can do what they have done.”
The LiuGong excavators included a 930E and two 915E machines, powered by the Tier 3/Stage IIIA Cummins engines delivering 216 horsepower (161kW) and 115hp (86kW) respectively. The larger rig digs to a depth of 7.3m and provides a reach of more than 10.5m, while the smaller machines offer a 5.5m digging depth and 8.3m reach.
McFarlane says Fleck Earthmoving’s operators have experience with most machine brands and feedback on the LiuGong excavators had been great.
A Tier One client of the business has also enquired about the machines after viewing the 30-tonne LiuGong excavator at work on a bulk earthworks job in the Hunter Valley.
The 14-tonne excavators have been involved in a lot of detail excavation works in the city, including for Sydney Water. They also have been used with various attachments, including a wet saw for rock sawing.
The ongoing support from Pacific Machinery Group and the LiuGong team also has continued to impress.
“It is easy to work with the LiuGong crew and Liam knows the industry and our expectations and how important things are if there are any issues,” McFarlane says.
“One evening I rang him at 7pm with an issue and he had it worked out by 7.15am the next morning.
“On an ANZAC weekend, we had a machine in the city that got vandalised and it was on a high profile job, but Liam got the parts from overseas in seven business days and we were back up and running.
“For any other parts we have needed that were not in Australia, he has pulled them off another machine to keep us running.
“You can ring him at 8pm at night and he will pick up. That’s why our partnership and everything has worked so well,” McFarlane says.
For more information on the LiuGong range of machinery, visit: liugongaustralia.com.au
For more information on Pacific Machinery Group, visit: pacificmachinerygroup.com.