With operations in Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania, Hazell Bros has a 71-year strong history of family-owned and operated business success.
Hazell Bros’ success is built on the strength of developing a team of the right people, acquiring the right equipment and refusing to compromise when looking fter both these critical assets.
In diverse and often extreme conditions, each piece of Hazell Bros machinery logs between 1500 and 5000 hours a year.
The latest equipment acquisition refreshes the business’s frontline fleet, relieving key machinery across its civil construction operations, equipment and industrial services and resources.
The new machines, delivered earlier this year, are playing a vital role across the Hazell Bros operation, and bump up the Hazell Bros fleet to 71 pieces of active Komatsu equipment. The new gear consists of seven excavators, including a 34-tonne PC300LC-8, a 36-tonne extra heavy-duty PC350LC-8 and a low-hour ex-Komatsu Rental PC850-8EO with about 2000 hours. Joining these traditionally powered stablemates is Hazell Bros’ first foray into Komatsu hybrids: 21-tonne HB215LC-1 and 36-tonne HB335LC-1 excavators.
These nine excavators are joined by six articulated dump trucks (three new HM300-2 and three ex-Komatsu Rental HM400-2s), a new GD555-5 grader and WA470-6 and WA200PZ-6 wheel loaders.
Hazell Bros director Robert Hazell has been there for most of the business’s 31-year relationship with Komatsu. He said a close partnership, understanding of business needs and a rounded approach to equipment ownership were key factors in the new Komatsu purchase.
“Komatsu excavators would make up the majority of our earthmoving fleet,” he said. “The product is good and with the service we have from Komatsu there is no reason we wouldn’t continue to grow our fleet.
“Our new machines are an upgrade. We have a bit of new work coming, and we are generally keeping the fleet at a low hour level.”
The relationship does not end with the supply of machinery, with finance and monitoring proving critical to daily operations.
“We do a reasonable amount with Komatsu Finance,” Hazell said. “They are good to work with. We also get pricing outside as well, so we are competitive, but they have always done the best for us.
“The work Komatsu has done with KOMTRAX has also been very handy and they have been really proactive in the way they present it to us. The team strives to keep us apprised of the latest innovations with regular contact, and let us know what is going on with our machines and operators.”
With a view to constant improvement, Hazell is looking forward to seeing the difference that the newly acquired hybrid machines will make to the business’s environmental impact and fuel costs.
“The world is a changing place and we all have to make sure we do our best for the environment,” Hazell said. “We are trying the hybrids out to see how they will work for the future of our company. Fuel burn is very important and something we constantly keep an eye on, even though the cost of fuel is lower than it has been for a while.”
Source: Komatsu Australia