My first thoughts when driving onto the site at Fraser Coast Sand & Gravel was how impressively large the quarry was. The flat area was spread out across a vast space with only the seven or so yellow Case machines and stockpiles of material jumping out against the otherwise flat background. We’re in Hervey Bay; we flew up here to have a chat with Paul Youman – owner-operator of Fraser Coast Sand & Gravel – about how he has worked with Case machines for well over a decade.
We head around to the large back shed to meet Paul who’s finishing off his smoko with a cheeky smile and greets us with a welcoming Queensland grin. Paul has been the owner of Fraser Coast Sand & Gravel for 13 years and is still very hands on in the day-to-day operations of the business.
Paul strikes me as a good old-fashioned no ‘BS’ kind of bloke. He’s straight up and straight to the point, which for me when you’re doing business or in this case, an interview is exactly what you want. Paul’s a likeable fella and was more than happy to share his experience with Case Construction Equipment over the 13 years.
To start with, Fraser Coast Sand & Gravel has a sand quarry that supplies fine sand for concrete, blocks, pavers and asphalt. They also do brickies loam, fill sand and soils. They are one of the leading suppliers of this product for their area and Paul’s main focus in his day-to-day business is to try to keep everyone happy. Another service that Paul and Fraser Coast Sand & Gravel offer is providing machine hire for larger civil works. Paul has been involved in the industry for 18 years and brings a wealth of information to the table.
When I asked Paul about how Case Construction Equipment has worked in with his business over this time, he shared, “All machines basically do the same thing. They all have their different buttons and features, but at the end of the day, they all complete the same tasks. I love our Case machines because they have plenty of power yet remain very fuel efficient and on top of that they are a good-looking machine.
“We just purchased the new 821F from the team at Earthmoving Equipment Australia (EEA) who we have built up a great relationship with over the years, and we couldn’t be happier with both the new machine and EEA. My operators are incredibly impressed with the low down breakout force of the 821F, and the new air conditioning is up to the task of taking on the Queensland heat in summer. “The cab is a great size and the boys love the comfort, breakout force and dynamics of the machine. These guys spend all day in the machines and at the end of the day they can jump out of it, drive home in their car, say hello to their wife and kids and still be able to move.”
I couldn’t help but ask Paul about the more significant changes he has seen over the years with Case and he replied, “All the changes have been extremely positive. The new common rail fuel-efficient machines are a lot better than years gone by. They are more dynamic with smaller engines that produce more horsepower. Our CX250C Excavator has a 4-cylinder engine in it and is excellent on fuel with no compromise on power.”
I got a chance to ask Paul about his relationship with EEA and he shared, “Originally we were with McDonald Murphy Machinery and since this was taken over by EEA, they have taken care of us extremely well. They sponsor our race team and we look after them, and they look after us.”
Paul has lived in Hervey Bay for 25 years and in his spare time races a Trophy truck in the ARB Australian off-road series, so keep an eye out for the Hillbilly race team. When he’s not at work or racing Paul is on his small farm where he grows hay and enjoys life with his wife who is also his business partner.
It was a real treat to come up to Hervey Bay to meet Paul and see the new Case 821F. It’s a slightly slower pace than the rat race in Sydney, which I thoroughly enjoyed; good Australian people using great machines to get the job done.