In early September, The Baden Davis Crane Connection (Crane Connection) announced that it had been appointed as the distributor of XCMG Cranes covering New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT.
The Crane Connection has a rich heritage when it comes to crane dealerships. The predecessor company, GM Baden, was the distributor for Liebherr for 12 years and was responsible for introducing Liebherr mobile cranes to the Australian market.
Crane Connection’s Ben Baden and Anthony Davis have gone on to represent a number of products and brands including Link-Belt, Kobelco and TIDD pick and carry cranes. The team are no strangers to representing brands, building the awareness and then providing the critical aspect of after sales service and support.
XCMG and The Crane Connection have been negotiating for many months and during this time it became clear to Ben and Anthony that XCMG has a very strong, long-term focus for the Australian market.
“It was apparent to us that XCMG don’t want to rush products that are not ready for entry into the Australian market. The decisions they make are thoughtful and calculated, and the products that they are bringing in have been thoroughly tested to the high and exacting standards your typical Australian crane customer is expecting,” said Ben.
“We appreciated that this approach wasn’t just in theory, it is based on a thorough understanding of the exacting high standards the Australian market requires, and this was one of the fundamental reasons we decided to go with XCMG,” he said.
Customers can be reassured that when they purchase an XCMG from The Baden Davis Crane Connection, they will receive strong product support and service.
Ben and Anthony operate a dedicated service, repair and spare parts facility in Sydney’s western suburbs that is second to none. It includes 14,000 square metres of land with workshops, fabrication shops, large wash bay facilities, large paint shop facilities, and a significant spare parts department.
“Our capabilities put us in a perfect position to support XCMG product and as it grows in the Australian market, so will our commitment to provide the required levels of product support including spare parts availability,” said Ben.
The entire Crane Connection team is focused on cranes. Most are long-term employees, many with 15 to 20 year’s experience, with the company and some with more. The workshop continues to manage the repairs and maintenance of every crane manufacturer, and this work includes insurance and major inspection repairs.
“Why do we provide such a comprehensive range of after sales services? We operate a facility where everything is done in-house. We don’t need to subcontract welding, we don’t need to subcontract painting or electrical work, it’s all managed in-house,” Ben said.
“From our perspective, we see many opportunities of working with XCMG. When a global crane business like Sarens signs an agreement to purchase XCMG all terrains into the future, you understand the goal posts have been moved.”