JK Williams harnesses high-performance Liebherr machines to get the job done.
Family business JK Williams (JKW) draws on a rich history in Penrith and the broader Western Sydney area, with the distinctive blue and gold logo that adorns its fleet of civil construction and transport equipment a familiar sight against the backdrop of the Blue Mountains. It’s a logo that is instantly recognisable to many who live and work in the area, representative of JKW’s firm focus on old-fashioned hard work and commitment to quality.
Glenn Hartog, JKW Construction Manager, told EEM the business is this year proudly celebrating 65 years of operations. Founder Jack Williams established JKW in Penrith in 1958, and the business has over the years not only carved out a niche in the civil construction sector, but also established itself as a respected corporate citizen in Western Sydney.
Glenn himself draws on close to three decades of experience in the construction sector, having started out as a 15-year-old working during his summer holidays. He has been with JKW for over 23 years, and has held the position of Construction Manager for the past 11 years.
He noted that JKW’s history is one of perseverance and tenacity, with the tragic passing of its founder in 1979 seeing others step in to take the reins.
“Jack Williams sadly passed away after he crashed his light aeroplane,” he said. “Between 1979 and 1992, Leigh Hartog, Warren Barber, and Brian Turner ran JKW, and in 1992 Leigh, the current owner, purchased the business.
“In total, Leigh has been involved with JKW for 50 years, proudly maintaining the family business to date. A measure of JKW’s influence in the local sector is that we have completed over 80 per cent of residential subdivisions in the Penrith area.”
JKW’s commitment to its people and innovation underpins strong service offering
JKW has grown over the years to employ in excess of 200 people, and provides services across a number of key areas, including civil construction, infrastructure, residential and industrial subdivisions, bulk earthworks, property development, and slipform concrete pavements and roads works.
Complementing its broad range of capabilities, it maintains a strong focus on sustainability across its various operations, ensuring only best practice methods are used as part of efforts to control and minimise its footprint.
Glenn explained that first and foremost JKW’s commitment has been to its people, with its team “always onboard with us to navigate the current challenges and demands of today’s environment”.
“Investing in our fleet has always been important to us,” he added. “Every machine purchased is thoroughly researched and considered to ensure it will continue to meet our needs for many years to come.
“We are also always exploring new technology options from all aspects to ensure we can adapt and grow for the future. This includes sustainability impacts, and improved machine and operator performance.”
It is a broader approach that has seen JKW remain at the forefront of innovation in the industry, and which has been a substantial factor in its capacity to form long-term relationships with its client base.
We always ensure we fully understand the uniqueness of each project and often collaborate with the client and other project stakeholders to ensure the construction methodologies and design processes will lead to delivering a project to the highest standards.
This includes working directly for Transport for NSW (TfNSW), along with numerous Tier 1 contractors, on significant TfNSW infrastructure works, including the Northern Road Upgrade – Penrith, M4-M5 Link Tunnels, WestConnex, and NorthConnex.
JKW has also been delivering the Redbank project in North Richmond for over 10 years, which has included residential subdivision, road construction, and sustainability and Aboriginal heritage projects.
Other recent projects include delivering the surface and civil alignment works for the new Western Sydney Aerotropolis as a member of the CPB Contractors-United Infrastructure JV, The Gables residential subdivision in Sydney’s north west, the Kelso to Raglan Great Western Highway upgrade, and the New England Solar Farm in Armidale.
Liebherr machines provide reliability and fuel efficiency benefits
JKW runs a number of Liebherr machines – including an R 920 Compact G6 excavator, two R 924 G8 excavators, an R 938 G8 excavator, and a PR 736 G8 dozer – with Glenn highlighting machine reliability and fuel efficiency as being key considerations for the business.
Glenn told EEM that Liebherr’s level of product support has been exceptional, with a dedicated Liebherr specialist spending time with JKW, including going through a pre-start and operational safety video.
“Liebherr has been committed to providing us information and support, from the first point of contact through to the on-ground training and service,” he said.
“With regard to fuel efficiency, this ensures we can deliver on our sustainability targets, reducing our footprint and operating costs. Liebherr machines also have a longer service interval, which has supported our regional projects.”
As it stands, the excavators and dozer have been racking up plenty of operating hours, cumulatively totalling around 250 hours per week, and JKW’s operators have described the machines as being “comfortable and intuitive to learn”.
Moving forward, JKW’s Liebherr range is poised to accumulate plenty more hours in 2023 and beyond, with Glenn stating the business has a busy year ahead.
“Our workload and opportunities for 2023 are exciting for both our offices in NSW and Queensland,” he said.
Liebherr R 924 G8 excavator specs
Liebherr describes its Generation 8 crawler excavators as “a look into the future”, with the range sporting higher engine power, along with a heavier counterweight for higher bucket capacities, and designed for econimical fuel consumption.
In addition to this, other Generation 8 innovations include a boom concept with modified head for better boom forces and an optimised load curve, which is also designed to deliver fuel savings.
The R 924 G8 weighs in at an operating weight of 24.55t and runs a 129kW Tier 4 Final engine, featuring automatic idle-stop, and advanced features for:
- Safety – a ROPS-certified cab structure, panoramic visibility with no obstructions, a camera on the rear and the right side equipment, liftable console for easy and safe access to the cab, and emergency exit via the rear cab window
- Equipment – large choice of types and sizes of equipment, with safety check valves for hoist and stick cylinders, and guaranteed maintenance thanks to an optional automatic centralised lubrication system
- Undercarriage – a robust, reliable X-frame undercarriage, designed to be easy to secure with integrated eyelets, and enabling easy maintenance, with maintenance-free travel gear and track rollers with lifetime lubrication, and extra storage as an option
- Maintenance – service points accessible from ground level, with lateral access to the uppercarriage and large maintenance platform, while the engine oil, hydraulic oil, fuel and urea (diesel exhaust fluid) levels are visible on the display.
For more information, please visit: www.liebherr.com.au or call (02) 9852 1800