John Deere is keen to show that its approach to quarrying looks beyond individual machines and takes in the whole operation.
Like any industry, the work undertaken in quarrying is not done in a vacuum. A series of steps and professions are involved in the process of extracting and processing materials, and then getting them where they need to go.
For John Deere marketing manager of construction and forestry, Karen Poulton, events like the recent Institute of Quarrying Australia (IQA) National Conference are a great chance to meet and mingle with some of the people in those industries.
“The IQA Conference was a great opportunity to meet our customers face-to- face and talk to others who are key in the whole production system, like transport, environmental management, safety, regulators and economists,” Poulton told Quarry.
“The conference gave us another opportunity to learn more about the industry and what Deere can bring, not just in equipment, technology and services, but what we can offer from a people-and- experience perspective.”
But as a global innovative manufacturing company that is very customer-focused and committed to providing excellence and success through its superior quality products, John Deere still sees such events as a prime opportunity to display is latest gear.
“(The IQA Conference) provided us with the opportunity to showcase quarry-specific products, technologies and support services offered by our two dealers, AFGRI Equipment and RDO Equipment, who were with us at the conference,” Poulton said.
The company is becoming a trusted and esteemed name in the quarry industry by manufacturing construction equipment that can make a difference in the operations of their prospective customers.
And John Deere does have some fantastic machines to put on show. Indeed, the company’s 844L Aggregate Handler Wheel Loader, the two-pass loader solution built for long shifts in a quarry, was a standout at the conference.
“More than 100 delegates took the opportunity to check it out,” Poulton said.
“Whilst power, capability, durability and reliability are a given, it’s the operator comfort features, such as the large ergonomic cab, great visibility, return to dig/return to carry, smooth EH (electro- hydraulic) controls and customisable settings that allow for smoother, almost effortless operation of the machine all day long.”
John Deere also has an extensive range of excavators, articulated dump trucks and dozers suited to quarrying.
“We hope we’ve provided a glimpse of the diverse range of construction equipment that can make a difference in their quarry operations,” Poulton said.
“When designing equipment we take a production-system approach, not a machine- in-isolation view.”
“We had lots of discussions (at the IQA Conference) about our dealer network’s customer and product support capabilities, their investment in training, highly capable technicians, great parts availability, remote diagnostics and sometimes resolution, backed by a dedicated team at John Deere, both locally and globally,” Poulton said.
“We are passionate about connecting people to our purpose.”
With this year’s IQA Conference running under the theme, Re-Think, Re-Source, Re- Engage, John Deere’s own approach to its business was very apt for what is the largest event on the quarrying calendar.
“At John Deere our higher purpose is, ‘We run so life can leap forward’,” Poulton said. “We develop solutions that help our customers shape the spaces that sustain people.
“At the conference we heard about the need to change the community’s perception of the quarry industry – the ‘what we do’ and ‘why we do it’.
“We’re excited about working with the IQA to help build a quarry industry national brand and collective narrative that helps the industry change the perception.”
Visit deere.com.au for more information on the John Deere product range.
This feature/product focus appeared in the May issue of Quarry.