BOMAG light tandem roller range
|
|
|
|
|
|
BOMAG’s light tandem roller range is compact enough to give this Wellington civil engineering, building and drainage firm the edge on a number of different projects around windy Wellington.
Wellington is putting on a show as I arrive in town to meet Dave Dews from Dews Construction Limited.
After a decidedly wobbly landing that concludes with applause from several of my fellow passengers, I head up State Highway 2 towards the Rimutaka Hill in a Corolla hire car that appears to shunt sideways as fast as it moves forward as repeated wind gusts kick it in the ribs.
I don’t need to grip the wheel with a fevered brow as I pass yet another matrix sign advising of high winds on the hill ahead though, as Dews Construction sits in an otherwise idyllic pass just beyond Kaitoke before State Highway 2 starts its sinewy upwards path towards the Wairarapa.
Dave, an ex-pat Brit who ran a similar company in the UK and has been in New Zealand with his family since 2008, has based his growing civil engineering, building and drainage business at Kaitoke for the last three years.
"The idea of this site appealed as it was ideal for a clean-fill operation," Dave tells me.
"When we first took ownership all there was here was a little shed and a house that was almost falling down. We’ve done a fair bit of development work on-site since then though and we’ve really created a good base now, with plenty of workshop and administrative space.
"In fact we even ended up renovating the house and moving into it, although I think it probably would have been cheaper to demolish it!" he laughs.
The site is spacious; a fitting environment for this company of around 50 staff that has experienced a decent amount of growth in the last couple of years. Dews Construction completes a multitude of work from Wellington right up to Levin.
"We’re actually looking to establish a satellite yard on the Kapiti Coast as we’ve had a lengthy involvement with the NZ Transport Agency M2PP (Mackays to Peka Peka) expressway project.
"We’ve also been involved in Wellington’s Smart motorway project, which runs between Johnsonville and the Terrace Tunnel."
But roading work is only part of the picture for Dave’s company, which also works closely on drainage and hydro excavation projects with local authorities such as Wellington Water, has a kerb and channel contract with Upper Hutt City Council, as well as a traffic management division and also completes a variety of ad hoc civil engineering and maintenance work for Lower Hutt City Council.
Dews Construction has been a Porter Group customer for a long time now, but recently moved from purely hire gear to purchasing their first new machine through Porter Equipment; a BOMAG BW 120-AC light tandem roller.
BOMAG’s light tandem rollers are ideal for soil compaction and asphalt patching. Dave says he opted for the BOMAG BW 120-AC because it offers up a working width that is ideal for footpaths and fiddlier repair work.
In addition to many large scale projects, the company also completes a lot of residential work; in the hilly Wellington region it’s often a case of the more compact the machine, the better suited it is to working in the environment.
"I trained as a civil engineer in the UK and as a result have been working around BOMAG equipment all my life; it’s extremely popular over there. For me, the machine had already sold itself, but it’s the back-up service you get through Porter Equipment that really sealed the deal."
Dave’s team has only been running the BOMAG since November, so it’s box fresh. He has paired it with a mini paver too, ensuring the company is well set up for confined, smaller scale work.
"I like the idea of having one contact point for a variety of machines. I’m very brand-loyal, but I never want to be in a position where my brand loyalty is overriding the practicalities of a good back-up support service.
"Because Porter Equipment represents a number of different brands, it means they’re a one-stop shop for us as our company grows and our needs evolve."
Dave says that in addition to the compact size of the BOMAG BW 120-AC, he and his team also really value BOMAG’s compaction meter technology, which means over-compaction has become a thing of the past. Taking the guesswork out of the equation in the field also helps eliminate guesswork on resources and time during the tendering process; Dave says it’s a win-win for the company.
"We set up the company in the middle of the recession, so it has been a slow start. But we’re definitely feeling very positive about the opportunities that are now coming up for us here in Wellington," concludes Dave.
"And knowing Porter Equipment has our best interests at heart is important to us too. It’s a good relationship."
For the latest news and reviews, subscribe to Deals On Wheels magazine here.
Keep up to date in the industry by signing up to Deals on Wheels' free newsletter or liking us on Facebook.
.jpg)
