Case Study

Mikcon Civil Partnership With Kobelco

Mikcon has proved themselves as a standout performer when it comes to big projects like roads, rail, large-scale subdivisions and water/sewer/gas.

With an expansive portfolio of large and successful projects under their belt for some of the biggest clients in Australia – it’s no surprise Mikcon have quickly risen to the pointy end of the industry.

The company was only formed in 2007 but there is over two centuries of experience amongst it highly trained and experienced staff. One of the company’s key objectives is to make sure the absolute best training, management systems plant and equipment is on every project to ensure the safest, efficient and innovative work practices are in place for their staff and clients.

With projects encompassing a wide range of infrastructure and civil works, Mikcon fleet have had to evolve alongside the size and types of projects that have been undertaken over the last 12 years. Their fleet now consists of excavators ranging from 1.5 tonne to 80 tonne through to graders and articulated dump trucks.

One particular brand that has earned its way to the top of Mikcon’s list of excavators is Kobelco. Safety is an essential factor for everyone in the earthmoving game and Mikcon strives to maintain and continuously improve on their enviable WHS record by devoting significant resources to protecting their valued team members. Kobelco’s equally matched focus on providing high-quality machinery that offers optimum safety, visibility and technology has seen a fantastic partnership between the two companies.

I recently had a chance to talk shop with Mikcon Business Manager Brandt Oliver, and grab the inside scoop on behind the scenes at Mikcon. As I expected it was all systems go.

When I asked Brandt about his role and how business has been progressing, he shared, “My role as Business Manager sees me deal with aspects of the company like purchases, finances and efficiencies. My background and experience in accounting along with running businesses in South Africa and now Australia give me a unique skill set to help run a successful business. In the past year, Mikcon has experienced major growth with several large-scale projects around sewer and water, which has put us in a situation where we have been able to purchase great new equipment.

“Significant projects we have been involved in during 2018 have been at Frenchs Forest working on the hospital road upgrades around the new Northern Beaches Hospital.

NorthConnex and WestConnex projects have kept us very busy for some time. We are also involved in the Northern Road upgrade, which will run all the way through to the new airport and will keep us busy for five to 10 years.

“Our workforce varies from 80 to 120 people depending on how many projects we have running at any time. Currently, we have around seven projects underway with four of those being major projects.”

When I asked Brandt about Mikcon’s relationship with Kobelco and STM, he shared, “Mickey, the owner of Mikcon, has always been a fan of Kobelco machines. They look great and send a good message about the professionalism and quality of the machinery, which in turn reflects well on Mikcon. The performance of the equipment and after-sales service you receive is second to none. You only need to visit STM’s site in Sydney to appreciate how well set up they are to take care of the machines and their customer post-purchase. There is peace of mind to know that if a machine did experience an issue, a well-oiled set of systems and procedures swing into place to ensure the problem is rectified that day. Having that confidence in our machines has been part of the success of Mikcon and the jobs we undertake. At any point in time we have about 100 of these machines out in the field and when our operators are happy in their machines, they produce high-quality work, in more efficient times. Fewer mistakes are made with significantly less accidents. More spacious cabs providing a more comfortable work area with a powerful and easy to operate machine – it becomes a win across the board for everyone.”

Mikcon’s fleet of Kobelco excavators include the 1.7T for smaller projects; 5T, 14T and 25T, which are inside the tunnel projects due to their height and slew; and last but not least is the 50T. Mikcon have grown alongside STM as the Kobelco distributor for the last seven years and they have also experienced fantastic growth. STM’s showroom and workshop facilities are second to none. Their attitude of good salespeople and product selling the first machine and great post sales service selling the next five, it’s no wonder Mikcon have been so happy with their relationship with both Kobelco and STM.

[colored_box color=”yellow”]For more information visit http://www.kobelco.com.au/ [/colored_box]

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