Relationship building
Luijten Landscaping is a company on a mission and says partnering with Porter Equipment late last year has helped put them on the right path with their choice of mini equipment
With a staff of 30, Luijten Landscaping has been working at the top-end of the landscaping game for more than 20 years, with numerous projects in the Auckland and Waikato regions on the go at any one time.
 |
|
The ASV RT-40 tracked loader’s top speed of 11.4 kph appealed to Luijten Landscaping
|
On the day of our visit, the company headquarters in Drury, South Auckland was abuzz with staff tending the nursery, showroom, and product testing areas—all part of the company’s drive to be more self-sufficient in what can sometimes be a temperamental market.
The pristine surroundings certainly aren’t what one envisages when landscaping places of business come to mind, as often they don’t even compare to the finished work turned out for clients, but Luijten’s home base wordlessly describes a professional organisation that has high expectations of its people and equipment.
 |
|
Brad Dreyer
|
It’s here that company director Greg Dreyer co-ordinates the many jobs being undertaken in any one day and who was one of the key decision makers in the purchase of a 1.8-tonne Hyundai R17Z-9A mini excavator and ASV RT-40 tracked loader.
"We had some entry-level units from another supplier and unfortunately, we felt they were letting us down with service and back-up," says Greg."As our business was growing, we weren’t keen to invest with them on middle of the range units, which led us to Porters."
The first machine arrives
 |
|
The Hyundai R17Z-9A has an operating weight of 1.8 tonnes
|
Greg says that subsequent conversations with friends who owned machines and had dealt with Porter Equipment led to further investigation, culminating in the arrival of the first machine—the Hyundai mini excavator. "For myself and fellow directors Robert and Ellis Luijten, it was a superb investment going from an entry-level digger to a Hyundai," says Greg.
With an operating weight of 1700kg, the Hyundai R17Z-9A was seen to be well-suited for the tight environments landscapers find themselves in these days and the smooth controls, with the operator saying the Hyundai works a lot more efficiently than their previous excavator.
A new phase begins
.jpg)
At this point, Luijten Landscaping entered a new phase with a solid supplier/customer relationship in place. "We were initially looking at buying just a digger, but as it ended up, we purchased two units in two months; such was the service we received," says Greg."The thing with Porters is it’s not just the guys in sales.
It’s their servicing; it’s the people in accounts. Porters is the whole package actually," says Greg."You kind of think it’s a bit of a tall story, but when you start dealing with them, they are all cut from the same cloth; they actually do what they say they’re going to do. It’s crazy for us," he says.
Another arrival
 |
|
3.5 psi ground pressure at operating weight
|
Moving on to the next job, Greg and his team were looking to hire a machine for a large job in Hamilton, which led to the purchase of the ASV RT-40 tracked loader. Having an operating weight of 1894kg, the ASV RT-40 exerts a mere 24.1kPa (3.5psi) of ground pressure at its operating weight and has a top speed of 11.4kph (7.1mph).
"We were going to hire a machine to move soil and we compared it with investing in a machine, as we also realised a tracked loader would be ideal for swimming pool landscaping, which we do a lot of," says Greg. "We were looking at speed of the units and getting stuff around, and the ASV is one of the quickest units we’ve used," he says.
A good relationship
 |
|
he ASV RT-40 has an operating weight of 1894kg
|
So, as Greg explains, their solid relationship with Porters and the reliability of the Hyundai and ASV machinery has enabled them to focus on the jobs at hand. "My son Brad has taken on the machines. He left school at 17 and he’s an operator of both units now," says Greg.
"Like all our people, he’ll gain qualifications as he moves through the company so if he or anyone else decides to move on and further their career, we know we have done our part to help them."One could also say, with the equipment supplied by Porters, we’re providing the best tools for the job to enable the achievement of that."
For more information, visit portergroup.co.nz.
Find machinery for sale in NZ.
Keep up to date in the industry by signing up to Deals on Wheels' free newsletter or liking us on Facebook.
.jpg)
