Earthmoving Equipment Magazine caught up with owners Stephen & Teresa Holt of Hydraulic Steels Australia.
THE RECENTLY COMMISSIONED BRISBANE FACILITY
Having outgrown its existing three Brisbane warehouses, Hydraulic Steels Australia has now moved into its new site on Ashover Road in Rocklea. “This is a massive step forward for us that has been carefully planned over the last two years. We’ve finally moved into this specifically re-purposed facility,” says Finance Director Teresa Holt.
The new warehouse is indeed impressive – a massive 2200 square metres of floor space including capacious modern offices dedicated to hydraulic steels. “The move has given us the opportunity to innovate and upgrade our IT systems, which was an important component when we introduced our new stock holding and traceability systems. These assist with streamlining our operation,” says Teresa. “The racking system and layout have been rigorously laid out in order to maximise efficiencies. The steel is easier to get to so we can process it faster. We now have seven laser guided Everising Bandsaws, which means we are well positioned to grow into our newly expanded capacity.”
The new facility has also enabled the company to take on an expanded range of products. General Manager Brock Nason, formerly the manufacturing engineer at Drake Trailers, says, “The expanded capacity means that we have been able to introduce a range of new hydraulic special steels to complement our elite range of cylinder tube and chrome bar. The products include: 4140 Ground Bar; 1020 and 1045 Bright Steels; and a Hollow Bar range. Each of the products is stocked in a comprehensive range of sizes. These new products are available to assist customers complete all the major components related to a hydraulic cylinder. This really does mean that Hydraulic Steels Australia is your one-stop shop for all your hydraulic steel needs.”
Managing Director Stephen Holt is justifiably pleased with the progress that the family company has made in a difficult year. “We’ve been lucky not to have been affected too badly by COVID – probably because of the work we’ve put into our systems,” says Stephen. “We are recognised within the industry for the efficiency of our systems.” This seems to have strengthened their profile. Hydraulic Steels Australia recently partnered with European manufacturer Ovako and they have been awarded the distributorship of the iconic Chromax® brand.
“We’re really excited to have been made the distributor of Cromax® including Cromax® 482, in Australia and New Zealand. Ovako’s ongoing research and development has resulted in hard chrome plated products with excellent mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. Consequently, Cromax® bars and tubes have become acknowledged as the world’s premium steel product for hydraulic components due to their unmatched quality, engineered for the toughest Customers. Ovako’s Cromax® technology is trusted worldwide by a wide range of companies in industries such as earth moving equipment, materials handling, mining equipment, forestry machinery, agricultural equipment, industrial hydraulics and pneumatics.”
So what does all this mean for customers of Hydraulic Steels Australia?
Stephen is quite forthright: “Simple. Our product and service offer now far outstrips our much slower competitors.”