Before AME introduced its Quick Tilt Hitches, earthmoving operators were forced to rely on fixed-position attachments, which meant frequent machine repositioning, slower job completion, and less precision on angled or uneven terrain.
The biggest successes often begin with nothing more than a small idea or a fleeting spark of inspiration.
With the right vision, persistence, and timing, that simple moment can ignite something extraordinary, growing far beyond what was ever imagined.
That’s certainly been the case for Tasmania-based specialist attachment business AME Tilting Quick Hitches (AME), which owes it success to a Eureka moment for founder Andrew Millwood.
Now run by his son Kurt, who’s the General Manager, the business has been renowned for decades for its pioneering range of tilt-a-buckets and tilt hitches.
These sorts of attachments, now made by other companies as well, may be commonplace today: but back in 1978, the concept was certainly ahead of its time.
Kurt picks up the story.
“My father started his own earthmoving business in 1978 after 13 years with the Department of Main Roads (DMR) in Tasmania,” he said.
“During his first year as an owner/operator, he had an idea for an attachment to allow the bucket to swivel on the end of the dipper arm to save time and produce a better finish.
“After coming up with the design and with the help of a local engineering company, the first tilting hitch was manufactured and put to work.
“The attachment was an immediate success and Andrew won a Productivity Promotion Council of Australia award in 1981 for his time-saving and revolutionary tilt hitch. He was also awarded a small business award for a grab he designed and built to erect hop poles.”
The grant provided the impetus for Andrew to start up a business to manufacture the tilt hitches.
In 1987 a workshop in East Devonport was purchased and A.M. Engineering was born, and soon began producing what was then known as the Tilt-A-Bucket.
While the initial response to this innovative tool was slow, Kurt said it quickly snowballed.
“With Andrew still juggling his earthmoving business, which had now grown to several excavators and trucks, he began touring the country attending field days and agricultural shows showcasing his new attachment,” he said.
“Pretty soon the Tilt-A-Bucket became well known as a “must-have” attachment in the earthmoving and civil construction industry.”
Now, more than 40 years on, AME has built many close relationships with earthmoving dealers and companies all over Australia, thanks to the implement.
“Many of our clients have been with us for the whole journey and there are AME Tilt Hitches still working with over 40,000 hours on them,” Kurt said.
“Andrew retired from full-time involvement with the company in 2010, and remains the sole owner/director. He is extremely proud to see the idea he had nearly 50 years ago used on machines all over Australia and become such a success, while working alongside his son.”
Kurt’s step to the management role was no surprise, having been brought up just as his dad’s earthmoving business was picking up pace.
“I first began my involvement in the company by hanging around the workshop on weekends and school holidays, usually sweeping floors and cleaning out machines such as lathes and milling machines,” he said.
“There were always race cars at the workshop, whether it was my dad’s or one of the employee’s, and that was where my real interest lay.
“Probably sick of me getting in the way, one of the older fitter-and-turners started showing me a few things on the lathe, and I found that I really enjoyed the machining side of things.
“After finishing year 12 and having no plans on what was next, I decided to take on a fitter/machinist apprenticeship within the company.
“After completing my apprenticeship, I stayed on as a tradesman, eventually becoming workshop foreman before taking over as manager in 2010.”
Kurt said that AME’s focus is still on the tilting quick hitches.
“We specialise in tilting quick hitches ranging from five tonnes all the way up to 50t,” he said.
“As our hitches aren’t mass produced, we can custom build to suit any host machine and attachment pick-up specs that our customers require.
“We are currently working on a design for smaller machines up to 5t which will allow us to break into the ever-increasing mini excavator market.”
Kurt said the reputation of AME tilt hitches was built on strength, durability and longevity.
“Our hitches can be fully rebuilt to as-new condition at a fraction of the cost to replace. This means there are AME hitches that are on their fifth or sixth machine,” he said.
“We are proud to be fully Australian owned and manufactured, and use as much Australian made products possible to produce our hitches.
“AME sells its products Australia-wide. We sell through dealerships or directly to the end user.
“We have recently started building hydraulic thumbs for smaller machines up to nine tonnes. Utilising our specialist equipment, we also build and repair earthmoving equipment and do hydraulic repairs for local customers.”
And AME prides itself on “doing everything in-house”.
“From designing, cutting out parts, fabrication, machining, building hydraulic rams to assembly and painting, it is all done under one roof,” Kurt said.
“Over many years, we have gained skilled staff that take pride in their work and enjoy producing top quality equipment with a reputation nationwide.
“AME isn’t a production line where an individual just makes just one or two parts: our skilled fabricators build each hitch from the initial cleaning up of parts off the plasma cutter, all the way through to the final assembly and painting.
“All design work is done here at AME. We are always looking to improve our products and welcome any feedback from our customers, whether it is positive or negative, as we continuously strive to produce the best quality equipment that we can.
“As a result of this, we carry a large range of parts on the shelf, or we can make the parts if not in stock, usually allowing us to provide same or next day dispatch.
“We can provide back-up and service via our network of dealers across the country. AME offers a five-year warranty on all our products.
“Due to our design, maintenance is minimal on our hitches. We recommend a daily visual check, bolt check and greasing of all moving parts.
“With its close proximity to the ports and multiple transport and shipping options, Devonport is the ideal place to be based and allows AME to deliver into Melbourne and beyond.”
Want to find out more about AME Tilting Quick Hitches? Call 0417 368 085, email admin@ametqh.com, or visit www.ametqh.com/