Former Australian Forest Contractors Association (AFCA) chair and director Ian Reid has thrown his support behind new John Deere construction and forestry equipment dealer, RDO Equipment, which he says should be congratulated for its investment in the market.
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AusTimber Harvesting and Haulage is looking forward to working with John Deere dealer RDO Equipment
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Reid is the managing director of AusTimber Harvesting and Haulage. He has also been instrumental in organising the AUSTimber expo over the past 10 years and bringing it to Gippsland in 2016. AUSTimber is the largest forestry show in Australia and returns to Victoria next year.
“AUSTimber gives all our industry colleagues the chance to showcase their brand, products and innovative technology. I’m excited to be part of the event again in 2020, and also welcoming RDO Equipment to the show for the first time,” Reid says.
“The investment and commitment that RDO is making to the forestry and construction industries is really impressive, and we’re looking forward to building a strong relationship with them for many years to come.”
RDO Equipment is the new John Deere Construction and Forestry dealer for all states apart from Western Australia, and Reid is keen to tap into the resources that RDO Equipment has brought to Australia across its sales, service and parts teams.
“RDO has the full global support of the John Deere brand, which I really like because you know they have experience and knowledge of the machinery. They are John Deere through and through and have a great track record with their equipment and their company culture, which is a good fit with our business,” Reid says.
AusTimber Harvesting and Haulage is based in Morwell in the Gippsland region in Victoria, and has been running since 2006. The business currently has 30 employees who work in harvesting the region’s HVP pine and hardwood plantation resource.
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“We’ve been using John Deere machinery since 2012. At the time we were looking for fit for purpose machines that were reliable and technologically advanced, that would suit our business growth. Now seven years later, we’re still buying John Deere for the same reason,” Reid says.
AusTimber currently has 14 John Deere forestry machines, including 1270G wheeled harvesters and 1910E forwarders, as well as a 948G skidder working in its hardwood operations.
“John Deere machines have a combination of everything we need: they are productive, dependable, and at the forefront of technology, which is where we want to be as well. The newer machines that come with John Deere Intelligent Boom Control (IBC) in particular, deliver outstanding precision and accuracy. Our operators appreciate the advanced features that the John Deere machines provide.”
IBC makes boom control precise, fast and easy because the operator controls the boom tip directly instead of controlling independent boom joint movements. It also considerably reduces the number of tuning parameters needed and increases the durability of the boom structures and hydraulic cylinders.
IBC is also available on John Deere’s newer model harvesters, where the trajectory and functioning of the boom adjust automatically to the harvester’s work phases.
“We really like the John Deere computer and monitoring systems. Having easy access to data and understanding what our machines are doing helps us make informed business decisions,” Reid says.
“RDO is a welcome addition to the market and we are excited to work with them as we continue our partnership with John Deere.”
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About RDO Equipment
RDO Equipment was established in the US in 1968 by Ron Offutt, then a 26-year-old potato farmer, in Casselton, North Dakota. More than 50 years later, RDO has more than 80 locations in the United States and partnerships in Africa, Australia, Mexico, Russia and Ukraine. It is the world’s largest John Deere dealer.
The company became the John Deere Construction and Forestry equipment distributor for all Australian states except WA on 1 May 2019 and will support customers from eight branch locations.
RDO came to Australia in 2012 when it acquired a 50 percent interest in Vanderfield, a 14-store John Deere agricultural equipment dealer based in Toowoomba. In 2015 it made a further investment in Vermeer Australia. RDO is now also the world’s largest Vermeer dealer.