We’re lucky here at EEM to have the opportunity to catch up with some very interesting people in the earthmoving industry – multi-generational businesses where the younger generation has followed in the footsteps of their father and grandfather, and young operators who have grown up in trucks and operating heavy machinery.
Joel Taylor, operations manager at family-owned and run JMT Civil, a southwestern Sydney based civil and transport company, is one such young gun who has over 40 years of family experience behind him. Focusing on land clearing and vegetation removal, Joel was lucky enough to learn the ropes at a very young age from his late Grandfather, John Tripodi. John was a pioneer of the transport industry, who then diversified into the land clearing and tree recycling industry. John’s passion to work hard and provide excellent customer relations is what drives Joel to steer JMT Civil into the future and carry on the values that his Pop was well known and respected for.
JMT Civil was formed in February 2010, and since then has been specialising in land clearing, tree recycling, bulk earthworks, bulk haulage and heavy haulage. Today, with more than 15 employees Joel still enjoys jumping in an excavator, truck or operating the grinder to keep in touch with the industry.
When I chatted with Joel, he shared a little about his childhood and aspirations, “I was born into the industry, however I became hands-on involved in 2010. I probably shouldn’t mention what age I first operated an excavator, but it’s safe to stay I started young,” laughed Joel.
As Joel and I chatted one of his Volvo machines made short work of a pile of trees that had been felled and waiting to be broken up. There are impressive attachments for the tree clearing industry, and I couldn’t help but be a little distracted while we spoke as I kept getting transfixed by the hydraulic pressure and tree crushing power of the shears that were in action beside us. However, I was extremely keen to find out what drove Joel within his business. He shared, “Customer service is a big one for us, being shown the ropes by my grandfather I like to think that a bit of his old-school approach of respect, values and solid work ethic have also made their way into my current operations. We offer a personal yet professional approach.
I like to take a hands-on approach, but any member of the team is accessible to discuss potential projects. Modern, well-maintained equipment and a dedication to the highest level of compliance is our priority.
Modern Machines And The Safest Technology
As Joel had mentioned his fleet of Volvo’s it was the perfect opportunity to dig deeper in the area of equipment. “Well maintained and serviced modern equipment, which is engineered specifically for the task with all the safety features is exactly what I expect from Volvo. Our powerful equipment assists us in having projects delivered promptly. The additional safety features ensure that our operators are using the safest possible technology for the job, which is important to our clients and me. Our Volvo’s are reliable and efficient, our operators love the feel and comfort of the machine, and alongside CJD Equipment I have the peace of mind of knowing that if there are any rare occasions when things play up, there is a dedicated team of highly trained and qualified technicians a phone call away ready to get the machines back up and running as quickly as possible. CJD Equipment and Volvo have been a great combination for us,” said Joel.
I asked Joel about his relationship with CJD Equipment, he shared “Pop struck up the relationship with CJD in the late ’90s when he purchased his first machines, wheel loaders. Daryl McCarthy is our current service rep and he is readily available for a chat and is knowledgeable about the industry and the Volvo range.”
Visiting Joel at his Riverstone site was both Matt Dench (State Sales Manager, CJD Equipment) and Darryl McCarthy (Regional Sales Manager, CJD Equipment). Earlier this year Matt was promoted to his new position of State Sales Manager, which after 16 years with CJD Equipment is a well-deserved opportunity and puts Matt in the position of being around for half of the 30-year history of the working relationship between Volvo/CJD Equipment and JMT Civil.
These days the relationship with CJD Equipment is in the reliable hands of Darryl McCarthy who has done a great job of building on the foundations of the last 30 years. “I’ve been working with Joel and JMT Civil for the last three years and in that time they have purchased several excavators, including the Volvo ECR235C, EC220D and ECR355EL. The ECR355EL is the most recent and impressive purchase. The short swing radius has offered excellent stability, lifting capacity and power to the team at JMT. The short swing radius machine has been a great addition to their fleet providing tight access capabilities on land clearing sites. Along with the power, fuel efficiencies and operator comfort, this machine has been a game-changer for JMT,” Darryl said.
JMT Civil has been busy of late, currently working for Seymour White on the Mardi to Warnervale Pipeline, along with a Western Earthmoving project at Riverstone and a Simmons Civil project at Dural. With Sydney growing at such a rapid rate and new housing still going gangbusters, it looks like Joel’s Volvo fleet will continue to grow and be pushed to its limits. The sky is the limit for a team consisting of CJD Equipment and Volvo.