Leading crane manufacturer and servicing company Konecranes has moved to new premises in Mackay, providing the space needed to service the growing requirements of its customers in North Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Konecranes’ Mackay branch – backed by the resources of the world’s largest crane service organisation, with 373,000 cranes under service contracts globally - is now based in the Terminus Business Park at Paget, 6.7 km southwest of Mackay town centre. It’s the most sought-after industrial location in the city.
The company had outgrown its old accommodation, according to area manager Justin Shepherd, whose region includes Mackay, Townsville and the Northern Territory.
“We’re servicing about 1200 industrial customers, with maintenance programs covering cranes from 245 kg hoists up to 100 tonne overhead cranes. The new premises give us much needed space for workshop-based overhauls and storage,” he said.
The move to the Terminus Business Park has reduced travelling time for Konecranes technicians and has also lifted the profile of the company, as the business park boasts direct Bruce Highway exposure.
Most of Mr Shepherd’s customers are involved in mining, including nickel and zinc in the Townsville area, silver and lead at BHP Cannington in Northwest Queensland, and coal in the Bowen Basin.
Konecranes has nine experienced crane technicians based in Mackay and a further five in Townsville. The new Konecranes premises in Mackay give the company room to develop further services to benefit its customers.
“We need a solid base if we are to continue to grow with the region. Our expansion has been quite spectacular, jumping from a two-man operation in 2004 to nine technicians in Mackay and other support and administration staff,” he said.
“Our work is only going to get busier as coal and service companies brace for the next big production surge in the mineral-rich Bowen Basin and elsewhere. It’s imperative that we keep pace with this expected demand.
“Konecranes has an advantage over other crane providers and servicers in that we offer a complete maintenance solution to our customers. We survey what they require and deliver solutions based on those needs, providing optimum reliability and performance, as well as ensuring that safety standards are complied with.”
The Konecranes group employs nearly 10,000 people in 43 countries. Konecranes industrial cranes and hoists are used by many industries including automotive production, energy and resources, manufacturing, metal and mineral processing, primary product and paper processing and ports and infrastructure projects globally.
Konecranes National Sales and Marketing Manager Warren Ashton said the expanded Mackay branch would provide further crane manufacturing, safety and service innovations for North Queensland.
“As world leader in crane design, manufacturing and servicing, Konecranes has over the years established a track record that includes a number of industry firsts. The newest innovations are found in our groundbreaking CXT crane design, a type which is now in increasingly widespread use throughout Australasia,” he says.
“When involved in an ongoing basis in assisting with safety training and preventative maintenance, Konecranes uses the customer knowledge and expertise of its teams throughout Australasia to deliver locally the global resources of the Konecranes group,” says Mr Ashton.
The quality of 25 service locations throughout Australia & New Zealand was recognised recently when its Western Australian branch was declared the global group’s best service branch in the world from among 370 branches internationally.
Konecranes has launched an audit service in Australasia drawing on its global CRS programme to help industries to determine whether their overhead lifting equipment achieves optimum reliability, performance and mandatory safety standards.