For Procut Earthworks, professionalism and pride in the job starts from the moment the gear arrives on-site
Regardless of size, there are a couple of distinct throughlines to Cam Thetford’s excavator fleet.
Yes, all are Kobelcos – that part is obvious. But the Waitoki-based civil contractor also loves a uniform colour scheme and the Procut Earthworks livery stands out proudly right across Cam’s line-up. No new machine reports for duty until it’s distinctly dressed.
“It’s always been important to me to showcase a particular look for the company,” Cam explains. “The machines are like a billboard for us out in the field, so we want to show a professional look. If we take that much care with our machinery, hopefully people see that this is reflected in the pride we have in our workmanship too.”
The other commonality is that the Procut Earthworks excavator fleet is serviced and supported by Kobelco’s after sales team.
“The support Kobelco New Zealand gives us is huge,” Cam affirms. “At the end of the day, it’s probably the number one reason why we’ve always gone back to them for our diggers. Anton de Graaf and the workshop team are always so contactable. They always have the right part on hand and there’s always a solution when we need it.”
Of course, that’s not to take anything away from the abilities of the machines themselves.
The Procut fleet consists of seven tracked excavators in total – five 14-tonne Kobelco SK140SRLCs, a five-tonne Kobelco SK55SRX and a 1.7-tonne Kobelco SK17SR.
Cam reckons that, for the company’s bread-and-butter work, his mainline machines are perfect tools of trade.
“They’re reliable, they’re stable and they have great tracking power. The 14-tonners are easily the most comfortable machines in their class that I’ve ever used.”
Right: All of the machines in the company’s fleet feature the Procut Earthworks livery
Prior to establishing Procut eight years ago, Cam worked for Bolger Digger Services, where he was first introduced to the Kobelco brand.
It was while working for Wayne Bolger that Cam started to appreciate the impressive performance of Kobelco machines; their superior digging force and drawbar pulling force, operating speed, their comfortable cabs and logical, multifunction controls.
Today, Procut Earthworks has nine staff with projects dotted around the North Auckland region. Work regularly takes them to Omaha, Warkworth, Matakana, Coatesville and beyond.
“We’ll go over the [Auckland Harbour] bridge if it’s really worth our while, but what with the growth being experienced in our neck of the woods, there’s definitely plenty of work on for us here,” he says.
The Procut team takes on a wide variety of projects, including all aspects of residential, farm and commercial earthworks, as well as truck and digger hire and transportation. House site preparation, retaining walls, water tank installations, driveway and foundation work are just a few of the services the company offers.
And with the Waitoki area being very popular for lifestyle block holders, drainage, land clearing, farm race and track construction and equine-specific ground preparation work are also regular activities for the company.
Cam’s impressive depot has grown right in his own rural backyard. Having completed the landscaping himself, he then employed brother Matt – who runs sister company Procut Construction – to help him build his equipment shed.
More than simply providing space for gear, the official Procut HQ building also houses one of the coolest Bedford truck bar conversions you’re likely to see (“Yeah, we’ve had some good staff brainstorming sessions in there!” laughs Cam). Up on the wall is a large Procut logo neon sign, rendered – of course – in the company’s official colours.
But as much as the paint job on the bodywork is important, it’s the right nameplate on the back of the machinery that is also crucial to Cam.
“We’re a busy team and we never want to let a client down. In order to make sure we deliver the best, we need good, reliable diggers that’ll do the job – whatever the job is,” he concludes.
“Kobelco diggers and the back-up support that Kobelco New Zealand provides gives us the ability to achieve that goal. We want to exceed expectations in whatever we’re doing, and Kobelco helps us make that happen. They’re good machines and they’re worth looking after for the long run.”
For more information, contact kobelco.co.nz
Images supplied