Queensland-based Uplift Cranes has bought a new 100-tonne telescopic crawler crane from XCMG after experiencing the machine before buying it. General Manager, Justin Hawthorne, elaborates on the reasons behind his purchase.
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Speaking to Justin Hawthorne on the phone, it’s clear he is pressed for time.
And, looking at some of the surface level stats, it’s not hard to see why; according to the Queensland Audit Office, the State Government has committed $16.4 billion to major capital projects in the 23-24 financial year – and where there’s major infrastructure projects, there’s demand for crane services.
Uplift Cranes was founded six years ago by Kristy Maviglia, an Indigenous woman, to better service the construction, infrastructure, and general heavy lifting requirements in Australia’s East Coast. Operating out of depots in Brisbane and Gold Coast, the company owns a fleet of 20 cranes, ranging from its nifty three-tonne machine all the way through to its 220-tonne capacity all-terrain crane, with mobile, crawler and tower cranes consisting of everything in between. Providing precision, reliability and safety on its heavy lifting projects sits at the core of the service Uplift Cranes offers, according to Justin. This, he says, is evidenced by the spate of recent projects the company has been involved in, requiring detailed plans, sound lifting and efficient cranage.
“Uplift Cranes has been conducting business on the Cross River Rail project, the Bruce Highway Upgrade at the Deception Bay Road Interchange, the Centenary Bridge Upgrade, Coomera Connector, Hope Island Station, and a whole host of other projects,” he says. “It’s been a really busy time for us lately, and we’ve got a large range of work coming up.”
With the greater uptake of its services came the need to invest more in its fleet, and Uplift Cranes has done just that with its latest purchase: a 100-tonne telescopic crawler crane from XCMG, the XGTC100. The XGTC100 possesses a lifting capacity of 100 tonnes and has a fully extended main boom length of 52m, which can reach hook heights of up to 69.5m with its lattice jib extension.
According to the manufacturer, the machine thrives in off-road, restricted applications, such as construction site piling, bridge and tunnel construction and mining terrains. For Justin and the team at Uplift Cranes, the versatility of the machine is something they intend to exploit in full.
“This is the first crane of its kind in our fleet,” he says, “purchased to broaden the scope of work we can conduct for our clients.”
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The XGTC100 telescopic crawler crane, as reported on in the November issue of Cranes and Lifting, was part of XCMG’s ‘try-before-you-buy’ offering, where the manufacturer made the cranes available for dry hire on a six-to-eight-week basis. Stephen Broomfield, XCMG’s Australia and New Zealand Crane Manager, spoke of his belief in the product, saying people would “experience the quality that we know is there” – and, in Justin’s own experience with the brand, his statements are on the money.
“We tried this crane for the first time in Muswellbrook, and we had absolutely no complaints,” says Justin. “The machine was very practical and not complex at all to operate, which ties in with safety being our top priority.”
Akin to many in the crane world at the moment, issues such as inflation, rising costs of products coming out of Europe, increased shipping costs and lengthy wait times were considerations at the forefront of Uplift Cranes’ decision to purchase its latest machine. Further aligning with Uplift Cranes’ driving philosophy of delivering reliable and cost-effective solutions, says Justin, was the affordability and availability of the XGTC100 telescopic crawler crane.
“The crane was immediately available for us after we purchased it, which was one of the major selling points,” he says. “Additionally, the affordability XCMG could provide us compared to other brands really stood out to us and, after using the crane, we don’t feel as though quality has been forsaken for affordability.”
On top of supplying a reliable, high performing, affordable product, XCMG has also reaffirmed its commitment to supplying its clients with high quality post-sale service and support through West Coast dealer, Ronco, and East Coast dealer, D&D Diesel Services, through which the XGTC100 was purchased. With Ronco receiving a significant appraisal from Boom Logistics’ West Coast Manager, Lester Fernandez, for its “outstanding” commitment to post-sale service and support, Justin said the service received from D&D Diesel and owner David Kapahnke was parallel with Boom Logistics’ experience, labelling the purchasing process as “very professional” after being guided holistically throughout the process, addressing any potential issues or concerns in full detail.
“We received a very good service,” he said, “from a very responsive team that were nothing but easy to work with.”