Two Australian suppliers held exhibition space at Hillhead this year: Precisionscreen and Australian Equipment Engineering. The two exhibitors said the show was “a great success, with a strong Australian presence attending their stands”.
Other Australian-based suppliers such as the Lincom Group and MSC Group brought clients across from Australia. Lincom CEO Roy Watterson said that they had brought 27 customers to Hillhead and would follow that with a tour of Powerscreen’s factory in Ireland.
Hillhead this year featured a record 459 exhibitors. There were more than 17,000 visitors to the show over the three days, up from 15,500 at the 2010 event. Many exhibitors mentioned an increase in intercontinental attendance with companies, with attendees not just from Australia but Africa and South America.
The show held in a disused quarry enabled manufacturers to exhibit machinery at three live demonstration areas at the quarry rockface where they could load, haul, crush and screen in view of eager quarrymen.
Caterpillar and Komatsu, which did not exhibit in 2010, returned this year with Caterpillar exhibiting its very impressive 300-tonne class 6030 hydraulic excavator.
Terex Finlay for the first time displayed its 684 inclined screen and Metso showed off its LT120 mobile jaw crusher and HP3 static cone.
At the rock face, a huge Stelex trommel screened, while further across Terex Finlay’s new J-1170 jaw crusher fed a 684 screen. Other manufacturers live on show included Sandvik, Powerscreen, McCloskey and Hyundai.
Hillhead will return in 2014, with dates to be confirmed.
Sam Veal attended Hillhead 2012 from 19 to 21 June, courtesy of QMJ Publishing.