The new Sydney Metro — Western Sydney Airport metro railway will become the transport spine for Greater Western Sydney, connecting communities and travellers with the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport and the growing region. Playing a part in this development is Doolan Co, with the help of a fleet of Kobelco powerhouses.
One bright moment can often light the way to a lifetime of victories.
And so it has proven to be the case for Jared Doolan, who — upon the birth of his first daughter in 2010 — took the leap of faith to start up his own company.
Motivated by a desire to provide a better life for his family, Jared left a senior management role at Australia’s largest plumbing company to start up Doolan Plumbing, focusing on providing a complete tailored solution to commercial construction projects.
In 2024, the company transitioned into Doolan Co, now one of the largest commercial plumbing-based operations in NSW’s Hawkesbury region. Doolan Co has evolved to encompass three core divisions — Plumbing, Civil, and Maintenance — enabling the firm to offer integrated solutions across project lifecycles, from design and construction to building maintenance.
With more than 20 years of trade and construction industry experience — having worked his way up from site foreman, estimator, and project manager to company leadership — Jared has steered Doolan Co from a one-person entity to a multi-division powerhouse which now employs more than 150 staff.
We met with Jared at one of Doolan’s latest assignments: laying out infrastructure installations for the planned Orchard Hills Station in Penrith, scheduled to be completed and to open in 2027 on the Western Sydney Airport line.
“We’re carrying out the hydraulic services, building electrical pits and conduits, doing stormwater drainage and basically all the in-ground work,” he said.
Future projects include assignments for the Penrith Panthers Stadium, and Woolworths’ massive distribution centre at Eastern Creek.
“Building up the company has been a huge learning curve. We’ve always done our own in-ground services, but I guess over the past seven years or so, we’ve really pushed into that space and really grown our capacity with heavy plant machinery,” Jared said.
“When we started 15 years ago, it was just me and two others. Now we’ve got just over 170 in the team,” he said.
Commensurate with that has been the expansion in the size of the business’ fleet.
“I think we’ve got about 122 pieces of plant assets in our fleet, with trucks and the earthmoving machines,” Jared said.
The Kobelco connection
Of the equipment in the stable, Jared says the Kobelco brand clearly stands out.
“We used to use some other makes when we started out, but when we expanded into bigger earthworks-type stuff, we did a lot of homework and we really liked the Kobelco excavators,” Jared said.
“We probably have about 22 of them now, ranging from 1.7 tonnes up to the big 38t beasts.
“We love their power, fuel efficiencies and reliability. And we like the fact that no AdBlue is required.”
AdBlue is, of course, the diesel exhaust fluid that is automatically injected into the vehicle’s exhaust system to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions and help meet strict environmental standards. Kobelco avoids this by using internal engine and exhaust innovations rather than after-treatment chemicals, which means cleaner operation without the added system complexity.
As well, there are other clear benefits. Not having to buy the AdBlue just means one less consumable on the budget; operators don’t have to worry about the AdBlue tanks drying up and having to top up; there’s no need to be concerned about contamination or the fluid freezing in cold weather; and sourcing the product can be a problem in remote regions.
As we spoke, six Kobelco excavators were hard at work in the background, supervised by Doolan Co plant manager Blake Catlett.
“We have the Kobelco SK135SR-7 and SK225SR-7 machines out there, digging away effortlessly,” he said.
“They’re doing a great job at the in-ground services such as civil and stormwater pressure works, and final trim.
“They have an unbelievable power-to-weight ratio, which optimises efficient operation and maneuverability.
This ratio is carefully considered to deliver both power for digging and the ability to work in various terrains.
“They also offer comfort and are very easy to operate.”
Perhaps one of the greatest features is the excavators’ zero-swing design, where the upper cab and superstructure bodies do not extend beyond the width of the tracks when rotating.
“Due to a lack of room on this particular site, we needed powerful zero swing machines, and the Kobelcos fit perfectly,” Blake said.
The home of Kobelco
Doolan buys its Kobelcos from Sydney Trucks & Machinery, the heavy machinery specialist and leading Kobelco dealer based in the nearby industrial precinct of Smeaton Grange.
The partnership was instigated by STM East Coast territory manager Robert Thompson-Laing, who first noticed a LinkedIn post from the business in its Doolan Plumbing days.
“They impressed me with their professional outlook,” Robert said.
“I reached out to them, touched base and kept knocking on the door.
“I may have been in the right place at the right time, but ultimately Doolan saw what great machines the Kobelcos are.
“I was able to forge a relationship with Doolan, and they’ve gone on to buy more than 20 machines now from STM.”
Speaking at the site, Robert said Kobelco excavators were engineered for legendary reliability, with superior fuel efficiency and advanced hydraulics providing powerful performance.
“Kobelco is driven to build the industry’s highest quality Japanese excavators that deliver unbeatable value through market-leading design and technology,” he said.
“They know the importance of productive equipment, lowering operating costs and maximising up-time so customers can make more profit; that is why Kobelco excavators are made to be fuel efficient, productive and reliable.
“And the absence of AdBlue is just one less hassle to deal with.”
Robert said Kobelco was the clear market leader when it came to lift capacity breakout force, and boasted by far the best fuel efficiency.
“Our competitors still haven’t been able to come to market and match us in those features,” he said.
“The fact that we can save customers like Doolan on hourly rates for the work they’re doing is massive.”
Kobelco also prides itself on being backed up by an expert network of independently owned and operated dealers, and STM is no exception.
“We’re here any time Doolan needs us. We’ve got 10 service trucks with the spare parts warehouse at Eastern Creek,” Robert said.
“If there are any issues or any breakdowns, we’re able to get to the machines straight away, so that means little to no downtime.
“It’s a big plus for major metro projects like this station facility. We’re available seven days a week and it’s obviously a big asset and gives Doolan peace of mind that they can call on us when needed.
For his part, Jared has absolutely no complaints with the relationship with Robert and STM, and its level of backup.
“We really liked the guys after our first meeting and made the decision to partner up with Robert,” he said.
“They’ve given us really good after-sales service as well. If ever we have a problem with breakdowns, it’s only a few hours before STM gets us back on track again.
“I regularly get people messaging me about the Kobelco equipment. If you’re considering changing or you’re not sure which way you want to go, I’d definitely recommend ‘Go Kobelco’ and give the guys at STM a call.”