Launceston’s Platinum Earthmoving is at the forefront of the technology revolution in Tasmania’s civil construction industry. Director Ben Pintarich explains why his brand-new Cat® 325 Next Gen Excavator is the perfect fit for his company’s diverse offering.
Together with his wife Emily, Platinum c0-owner Ben Pintarich has travelled and worked all around Australia. After getting his start in earthmoving in his hometown of Launceston, Tasmania, he has lived in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and Queensland, working across the civil and mining industries.
“I gained a lot of valuable knowledge and experience,” Ben says. “From operating large mining excavators and D10 Dozers, to eventually finding my niche in the civil space doing final trim GPS earthworks.”
As rewarding as all the earthmoving adventures were, Ben says he and Emily always envisioned a future back in Launceston.
“Our goal was to always settle back in our home town,” he says. “And in 2015, that dream came true when we started Platinum Earthmoving. We’re a company that specialises in bespoke final trim earthworks, and using my knowledge of GPS machine control to grow and evolve within the industry.”
As co-owners/directors, Ben and Emily have steered Platinum through the pandemic, and successfully grown the business despite industry-wide challenges.
“We feel blessed to have come out the other side with continued growth,” Ben says. “Above all, having a passion for our work and our clients has driven us to keep evolving the business – and the enjoyment of seeing projects come to fruition.”
Ben says Platinum covers all aspects of civil earthworks, from bulk and final trim to landscaping and road upgrades.
“We began our journey with large domestic builders and residential clientele, but we’ve also moved into commercial civil developments, as well as expanding our haulage fleet.
“Every day is different with curveballs and challenges arising constantly – whether it’s
adapting to meet client expectations, or dealing with the weather or changing workloads. But our main priority is always putting the customer first, and delivering efficiently and effectively.”
Technology leaders
The Platinum Earthmoving fleet currently comprises a range of Cat® Next Gen excavators ranging from 2-tonne to 29-tonne, as well as a 259D3 Compact Track Loader, a D6K Dozer, a 140M Motor Grader, a CB2.7 Roller, and a range of attachments.
“The CB2.7 Roller was the first purchase we made from our dealer William Adams,” Ben says. “Their sales specialist at the time, Brent Gillard, took customer service to the next level with his knowledge and professionalism. And it was his constant support that really got me entrenched with the Cat brand, and helped pave the way for how Platinum could evolve with the Next Gen models.
“Now we have Rob Flynn as our William Adams sales specialist, who we were lucky to have an existing long-standing professional relationship with. And that provides peace of mind for us, with the experience, knowledge, and support he delivers.”
Rob recently facilitated Platinum’s latest purchase, a new Cat 325 Next Gen Excavator – a 29-tonne compact radius machine with factory-integrated 3D technology.
Rob says the 3D-integrated Cat Next Gen machines are a perfect fit for the Platinum Earthmoving business, given Ben’s commitment to pursuing the latest construction technology.
“Ben has a very smart looking fleet, which he’s well known for in the area,” Rob says. “It’s a very technology focused fleet, which made the 3D-enabled Cat 325 a great option for him and the sort of GPS excavation jobs he specialises in.”
Rob says integrated technology was a big reason Ben made the move to Cat machinery, having grown up using a competitor brand.
“GPS technology is such a big part of the Platinum Earthmoving business, that Ben made the decision to make the switch to Caterpillar®,” Rob says. “Now, with a whole fleet of 3D Cat machines, he’s really leading the charge on that front in Tasmania. The local industry is playing a bit of catch-up with construction technology, and Ben is really revolutionising the way things are being done here.
“Cat 3D technology suits the Tasmanian landscape perfectly too, because of the contours of the ground here, and the diverse range of projects going on around the state.”
Precision versatility
Ben says he had his eye on the Cat 325 from the minute it touched down on Australian shores.
“With our diverse and often difficult site locations, we needed a superior, versatile machine to handle these environments with ease,” he says. “And the 325 ticks all the boxes for us.”
Ben adds that his operators have had nothing but positive feedback on the Cat 325 – from the features and the feel to the overall aesthetics of the machine.
“I’d say our overall favourite feature is the loading scales, due to the accuracy they enable for bulk earthworks,” he says. “On our current project, we’re loading out 20,000 tonnes of contaminated material. The loading scales allow our operator to load multiple trucks and trailers every day with precision, while easily adhering to weight limits and loading guidelines.”
Next Gen support
From reliable backup and support to seamless maintenance and warranty processes, Ben says dealing with William Adams and Caterpillar has been nothing short of a privilege.
“We’re a young, growing company, and the relationship we have formed with William Adams has given us the drive and support to take Platinum in the directions we’d always desired,” he says. “And with all the latest technology – and the experience to back it up – they are helping us continue growing our business into the larger civil earthworks space.”
Above all, Ben has relished the chance to discover first-hand why Cat equipment is so well regarded in so many industries around the world.
“For many years, I’d looked from afar and seen many large companies entrenched in Cat machinery,” he says. “And I’d always wondered what the brand delivered to cement such loyal and long-standing relationships.
“Now, multiple machine purchases later, it’s clear to me that it’s a real customer-first focus, as well as everything they and their dealers deliver beyond just the machines themselves, that makes the Cat brand exceptional.”
