Cranes & Lifting, Features

Strong start for Tadano Demag in Oceania

It’s been six months since Tadano Oceania took over the sales and service of Demag products. Anthony Grosser, managing director, Tadano Oceania, provides insights on the integration progress and how customer loyalty has been one of the most pleasing aspects during the transition.

It’s been six months since Tadano Oceania took over the sales and service of Demag products. Anthony Grosser, managing director, Tadano Oceania, provides insights on the integration progress and how customer loyalty has been one of the most pleasing aspects during the transition.

When Tadano Oceania took over the sales and service of Demag products six months ago and in that time, we have worked through various processes to ensure the transition has been as seamless as possible. From the outset, they promised customers that would carry out business as usual and in return they have showed their confidence by continuing to purchase Tadano Demag products, according to Anthony Grosser, managing director, Tadano Oceania.

Stability, continued integration and completion of new Brisbane premises are key focuses in the coming months says Grosser.

“In 2016, Tadano purchased my company and my initial employment contract was based around the sale of the business. In fact, my time with the business was due to end recently, but with everything happening with Tadano Oceania locally and Tadano Demag globally, I am delighted to announce my intention to stay on with the business for many years to come.

I think it’s important to our customers and the company that we maintain a stable and strong team that evolves and develops with the product,” he said.

Grosser was happy with last year’s CICA Conference and Exhibition.

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“The CICA event in the Hunter Valley was really successful for us. It provided an opportunity for customers to meet the team and for us to explain our plans for the products. We introduced the new Aerial Work Platform (AWP) range which generated great interest.

“I flew from CICA to Germany, for the first of our global strategy meetings. The Demag factories impressed me very much and it was interesting to see that Tadano and Demag have two very different structured production lines. In time, the combination of these best practices will ensure a market leading product line up,” he said.

“Currently, the key focus is to utilise the synergies of both companies and to ensure we use the best skills of each department and continue to develop systems to achieve our long-term goal to become number one worldwide in the lifting equipment industry,” said Grosser.

Completion of the purpose designed and built crane support facility is on track confirmed Grosser.

“The new state-of-the-art facility in Brisbane, featuring more than 12 fully equipped service bays, including overhead cranes and wash bays, over 10,000 sqm of hardstand to house a wide range of stock, and modern office facilities, is on track for completion on time in March,” he said.

“Over the last six months, we’ve presented our plans to customers and it’s reassuring to see they have listened and shown their confidence in the Tadano Demag brand by continuing to purchase equipment from us. Here are some examples of what our customers are saying and buying,” said Grosser.

Tadano Demag helps Qwest for growth

QWEST Crane Hire recently invested in a new Tadano Demag AC 300-6 to increase its capabilities and place it within the heavy lift market within the Central Queensland region.

QWEST Crane Hire is a privately-owned crane company that in just over two years has grown its fleet to include 25 cranes, ranging from 7t City Cranes up to the recent addition of the AC 300-6, including the only 40t Franna within the Central Queensland market. Qwest currently operates from three depots in Rockhampton, Gladstone and Emerald with a fourth depot on the horizon very shortly.

Grant French, one of the owners of Qwest, works within the business, day in day out as the operations manager, overseeing all areas of the business.

“The business prides itself on working in all aspects of the crane supply market, including everything from residential, commercial construction but with a primary focus within the Mining and Industry Sector,” said French.

Relocating to Queensland from Western Australia after the sale of his previous crane company HAGO Crane & Machinery Hire, French believed there was an opportunity to enter the crane industry again and proceeded by purchasing a local crane hire company in Yeppoon in 2017. Since then, the operation has expanded rapidly into Rockhampton, Gladstone and finally Emerald in the latter part of 2018.

“We had a clear plan to geographically expand our services, activities and upgrade the fleet to meet these demands.  In the crane market, we appreciate that if you don’t offer a safe, efficient and cost-effective service and perform to the highest standard, you will simply not win the work,” said French.

Qwest invested in a new six axle Tadano Demag AC 300-6 all-terrain crane. Boasting a 300t classification, with features such as an 80m main boom this is the first crane of its size in the Tadano Demag range equipped with a luffing jib. This new 6-axle all terrain crane delivers strength, reach and versatility needed for accomplishing the most demanding jobs at lower operational and transporting costs than similar models in its class.

“As a rule, we run Demags, and we already have five Demag all terrains in the fleet, ranging from 100 to 220 tonnes. The new AC 300-6 is a big step up in all terrains and will be an ideal addition to the fleet. It provides the extra capacity we’ve been missing,” said French.

The AC 300-6 combines long reach with a strong load chart to give operators the perfect fit for efficient work at height or on reach. The 80m main boom can perform jobs at heights up to 78m or 74m without rigging a jib. It is ideal for Drag Line work, with a class leading lifting capacity of 15t on fully telescoped 80m main boom. Also, the Demag AC 300-6 is the smallest in the Demag range that can be outfitted with a luffing jib for superior reach and fly-over capabilities, bringing the maximum system length to 118m. The well proven luffing jib rigging system is the same as on the AC 350-6 and AC 1000-9 cranes and provides safe and quick rigging.

Packed with the latest Demag innovations like the IC-1 Plus control system and a single engine concept with an intelligent motor management system, the Demag AC 300-6 enhances productivity to help reduce operating costs. The IC-1 Plus control system provides real time calculation of the lifting capacities and supports operators in safe crane operation. It also allows asymmetric outrigger positioning which enables the crane to perform jobs usually reserved for larger machines. The Demag AC 300-6 is fitted with a single engine, with start and stop function to reduce idle times and total engine hours contributing to the reduction of fuel costs and preserving the crane’s residual value.

The compact design of the Demag AC 300-6 all terrain crane features a carrier length of 15.3m and a width of 3m. The crane is easy to position on the job site, thanks to its active all-wheel steering that allows excellent manoeuvrability in tight spaces.

On the road, the Demag AC 300-6 crane meets axle load limits from below 12 up to 16 tonnes and can travel up to 85km/h. It also has 800kg of extra payload capacity for carrying extra lifting accessories. It includes an axle load monitor, displayed on the dashboard, to help customers drive within the road-legal weight. This model, like all Demag cranes in this product family, can be configured to comply with the variable axle weight limits in most states by connecting different types of boom dollies or removing the boom.

“The support from Demag and its key personnel like James Greenwood and Joe Arena has always been excellent and with Tadano and Demag now under the one umbrella, and with such a strong focus on product support, we are even more confident in our latest acquisition and we are already exploring the next addition with Tadano Demag,” said French.

Reliability and loyalty behind all terrain purchase

Brothers Nick and Eric Bucciarelli have been around cranes for almost their entire lives. Their grandfather had owned a crane company as has their father, and in 2011, the pair decided to go into business as well.

General Crane Services (GCS) now operates throughout the Perth metropolitan region and regional Western Australia, providing lifting, rigging and transport services for the construction, mining and industrial trades within WA.

It started out with a single 80t Terex Demag and a small team, handpicked for their dedication and expertise within the industry.

Now, the company has a fleet of more than 20 cranes, ranging from three to 250 tonne lifting capacities, with the ability to tackle larger projects with bigger cranes if needed. The latest addition is the Tadano Demag AC 160-5.

The Demag AC 160-5 is the most compact crane of its class: While other machines come in at a width of three metres or more, the AC 160-5 has a narrower width of 2.75m and a total length of 14.51m, making it also shorter than its classmates.

In combination with its 5-axle steering system, independent rear axle steering, and dynamic launch control, these features enable the crane to get to areas where other cranes would simply get stuck. The crane has a capacity of 160 tonnes, a main boom length of 68m, and a maximum travel speed of 85km/h.

Nick Bucciarelli, managing director of General Crane Services, says loyalty is the backbone of the business.

“We have stayed loyal to our suppliers, who in return have provided us a reliable fleet,” Bucciarelli said.

This can be seen clearly across GCS’s fleet, with every crane carrying the Tadano Demag brand due to their reliability and technical offerings.

Bullish about new demag all terrain

Toro Cranes is a small crane hire company based in Kemps Creek, Western Sydney. Business owner Steve Cardillo, recently weighed up his all terrain crane options and chose a new Demag AC 40.

Cardillo recently took delivery of a Demag AC 40 all terrain, and he explains the reasons behind the purchase.

“Our business services the residential construction industry right around Sydney, and we needed to add a new small all terrain crane to the fleet. We had a look at our options, and we decided on the Demag AC 40. I’m honest, we just prefer the Demag product. We purchased a new machine, but a different brand, a couple of years ago and it just didn’t fit our requirements. The AC 40 is suited to our type of work in the residential sector.

“We thought the Demag AC 40 model was superior to other cranes in its particular size class, and we went with the standard configuration with a second winch. It’s easy to operate, includes a spacious cab and has a very long reach for a crane of its size,” Cardillo said.

With a 40 tonne lift capacity, the AC 40 features the longest main boom in its class at 37.4m and a system length of 45.4m. With travel speeds of 80 km/h, this crane can travel at motorway speeds. Also, its compact design makes it easy to position on the job, so Toro Crane’s crew can get to work quickly.

“Our core type of work is residential frames, roof trusses and steel beams, and for this the crane allows us to complete jobs in one set up instead of multiple set ups. It saves us on pack down and set up times making our services more efficient for our customers,” said Cardillo,

“The crane’s first job was installing roof trusses. This is where we got to see the benefits I’ve mentioned earlier. The AC 40 really highlighted its ability to deliver improvements on our services on its very first lift which is pretty exciting,” he said.

Service and support also played a part in Cardillo’s decision to purchase.

“We’ve had Demag’s in the past and we’ve always been pretty happy with the support and parts back up we’ve received. Sometimes you may have to wait on special order parts, but it generally doesn’t take long, the support services from the Demag team are good,” he said.

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