Having a national presence in the Australian quarrying sector means being ready for anything, especially when the market forces you to adapt.
SMA (Screenmasters Australia) has an Australian-wide coverage in the quarrying and recycling industries. It is a recognised dealer of mobile and fixed crushing and screening brands, including Keestrack, SRHeavy By Metso, GIPO, CMS Cephor, Convir, Rockster and more.
What has been the biggest lesson from 2024?
One of our major learnings from the year is that the support we give to our customers is very much welcomed and appreciated. This is evident in our repeat order clients. Communication and presence are key to the success of any relationship, especially when things do not always go as expected.
We find the clients we grow with have a very open and honest way of communicating with SMA and we all benefit from that approach as it suits our business profile.
Our continued relationship with our existing clients has helped us. It has allowed us to support them with their needs and offer them some of the new machines we have introduced to the Australian market, including the Keestrack R5h and the K3h.
Because of the slowdown, the support from our existing client base has been essential to getting us through this tricky year. We’ve also learnt to diversify the business.
We’ve recently taken on the SRHeavy by Metso. Offering a genuine alternative original equipment manufacturer range of fixed crushers and screens, exclusively to Australia. SRHeavy offers significantly more competitive market pricing.
Embracing the SRHeavy range allows the business to leverage off its strong mobile foundations and provide the fixed sector with the same level of service and dynamics. It also allows the business to work in adjacent sectors across a diverse range of industries.
What is an industry trend you have noticed?
It has been a tricky year in the industry, with a market downturn, but it has also been interesting, as some markets have been slow and others have been thriving.
Queensland has thrived this year, and our yard has been quite busy. Victoria has been quiet when compared to previous years.
As a national dealer, we’ve been exposed to these different markets and as a result, this has seen us work closely with our long-term customers to mitigate the effects and find solutions to best suit their needs in the current climate.
In many cases, the Australian market is isolated from the global geo-political events or, in some cases, the impact is delayed but ultimately our industry is showing signs of a significant slowdown. As an example, the strong European quarry and recycling market has also slowed down considerably in the past year, and Australia is now beginning to “feel the pinch”.
We’re seeing that now, especially compared to the first few years after COVID, where everything was incredibly busy.
What is the main issue for the quarrying industry?
The big stand out issue is clear for everyone to see, there are fewer and fewer younger generations attracted to the industry. This will leave a great void in years to come.
It is not an easy industry to work in, and it is very difficult to find good mechanics and fitters with the right skill sets who want to work in a quarry environment. They’re proving more challenging to find.
We’re lucky enough to have many longstanding employees getting us through, but we are constantly looking for the younger generation to integrate them into our business as we continue to grow.
Experience is invaluable and we see the importance of passing this on to the younger generation. SMA mentors our younger people by placing them with our experienced staff to support, guide and learn from.
We’re always trying to look after our staff and provide them with the training they need to become the best they can be.
What innovations are you most excited about for next year?
We see the industry looking for electric equipment now and in the future.
Therefore, bringing in more mobile “E” equipment to meet these requirements and upskilling our staff in this area so we can best support our customers.
The electric Keestrack equipment has plug-in options that allow you to run the machine straight off the grid if you have power available on the site.
This will minimise fuel costs and the impact on the environment.
It is something we’re thrilled to bring to the Australian market.
What is the company looking forward to in 2025?
In 2025, we have a few new models coming out, which we’re excited about.
The Keestrack B7h, a large 70-tonne jaw, and the B5h, a mid-range 49-tonne jaw crusher. We’re also bringing the Keestrack K8, a 20×7 scalping screen, to the market. It is one of the largest scalpers available and capable of producing four products in one pass. We’ll be introducing more electric mobile crushing and screening equipment to Australia, with the Keestrack H6e, an electric cone crusher, and the K5 and K8 electric screens. We’re developing the SRHeavy By Metso brand nationally. As part of that, we’ll be releasing more fixed products, including VSI crushers, cone crushers, and impactors, next year. We’ve extended our exclusive Australian contract with Keestrack to an ongoing period, and we’re looking forward to continuing to develop their products in the Australian market.•
For more information, visit screenmasters.com.au
