Komatsu Australia has opened a new customer support facility in Mackay, underscoring its commitment to the Central Queensland mining and construction industry – and its confidence in the long-term future of the region.
The new facility, at Bosso Road, Paget, was opened by Mackay Mayor Councillor Deirdre Comerford on May 1, 2014, just 10 months after the site’s ground-breaking ceremony on June 27, 2014 – which held as part of the opening of Komatsu’s new Mackay Mining Assembly facilities.
It is part of a nationwide expansion program currently being undertaken by Komatsu, designed to increase capacity and capability at the global mining and earthmoving equipment manufacturer’s sites around Australia.
Features of Komatsu’s new Mackay customer support centre include:
• Total covered area of 1800 sq m
• A parts warehouse that is close to double size of its existing Mackay facility, greatly expanding parts-holding capacity
• A service workshop able to handle the service requirements of ultra-class mining and construction class equipment
• A track press capable of servicing and overhauling tracks up to the largest size dozers and diggers
• Washbay
• Sales and customer support offices
• Fully trained technical staff across service and parts, integrated together on a single site
• 30 tonne capacity workshop crane
• Support from a fully equipped fleet of mobile service trucks
• Designed to the highest safety and environmental standards.
Equipment being serviced out of this new site includes Komatsu 960E ultra-class dump trucks – of which Central Queensland has the largest population in the world, said Dean Gaedtke, Komatsu Australia’s Queensland General Manager.
It also services and supports WA900 and WA1200 wheel loaders, and up to PC8000 mining shovels – as well as all other sizes of Komatsu mining and construction equipment.
“Our new Paget customer support facility is a major investment in our ability to better service our mining and construction industry customers throughout Central and North Queensland,” Gaedtke said.
“As far as we are concerned, it’s a real vote of confidence in the Central Queensland mining industry, and indicates that we believe there is a long-term, stable future for the region.”
Sean Taylor, Komatsu Australia’s Managing Director and CEO, said that over the past two years, Komatsu’s customer support capabilities have been significantly increased.
“This regional expansion program allows us to provide the highest levels of support and service for our mining and construction customers into the future – not only for Queensland, but right across Australia and New Zealand,” he said.
The company is currently engaged in a major expansion of its service and support facilities in Queensland – which now employ a total of 580 staff – and around Australia.
This latest facility in Mackay is one element of Komatsu’s largest-ever expansion in Australia, a program which started with the opening of its flagship mining facility in Wacol, Brisbane in 2012.
The 61,000 sq m Wacol facility was a $55 million investment incorporating Komatsu Australia’s Queensland head office, its national mining headquarters, East Coast Reman operation, oil analysis labs, plus mining, construction and utility assembly operations, as well as parts and service.
Other Komatsu facilities that have recently opened, or are under construction, include:
- Expansion of its Mackay Mining Assembly facilities (opened in mid-2013), which has increased mining assembly capacity by 75%, and now facilitates assembly of Komatsu’s largest truck, the 960E, which has a 330 tonne haulage capacity.
- Sherwood (Brisbane) training facility (opened in 2013)
- Expansion of its Perth Mining assembly facility (opened in 2013), increasing mining assembly capacity by 30% and doubling paint shop capacity. This site has also been developed to support the rollout of the world’s largest Autonomous Haulage Fleet, being deployed in the Pilbara.
- Construction of a new service and rebuild centre in Port Hedland, servicing Western Australia’s massive iron ore mining industry, and scheduled to open in late 2014.
- Construction of a new world-class Parts Distribution Centre in Perth with an area of 16,000 sq m (opening scheduled for late 2014); this project includes the purchase 47,000 sq m of land adjoining the existing Perth site, and takes Komatsu’s total site area in Perth to 127,000 sq m.
- Construction of a new Fairfield National Head office (opening scheduled during 2014) at Komatsu Australia’s existing Fairfield Assembly & Warehouse site; this project will include over 6400 sq m of office space and incorporate a new Brand Management Centre.