Outside Manitowoc’s new facility in Brisbane.
Some of the Jatco Engineering team. Left to right are: Jason Grothe, John Carroll and Steve Plumb.
Manitowoc’s Brisbane facility has a large workshop space.
To offer improved service to its customers, Manitowoc Cranes has invested heavily into its Brisbane and Sydney facilities in Australia, as well as appointing a new customer support agent covering Victoria. There is also a new vice president and general manager for Manitowoc in Australia, with John Stewart relocating from Singapore to lead company operations in the country.
The latest developments further strengthen Manitowoc’s Australian set-up, which already includes well-established and market-leading sales and service partners in Western Australia and South Australia. The recent investments mean that today the company has an estimated AUS$7 million in spare parts in the country, split between Manitowoc’s own operations and those of its dealers.
In Brisbane, Manitowoc Cranes has relocated and expanded its operations to further improve service to customers in Queensland, with the new location offering improved facilities and a more convenient location. The Brisbane facility is close to the airport and the Gateway Bridge, which enjoys high traffic volume and is conveniently located for customers wanting to collect parts. Following extensive refurbishments, the facility is now open for business and includes a large yard with an expansive workshop complete with an open area perfect for repairing and showcasing cranes.
Meanwhile in Victoria, the company’s new agent, Jatco Engineering, will offer improved support and coverage for customers across the state, while enjoying the support and expertise of Manitowoc’s other Australian operations when needed. Jatco Engineering stocks a range of Manitowoc crane parts and has 25 years’ experience in the industry. Its purpose-built facility is located in Wendouree, Ballarat and there are seven service technicians employed there, who work in fully fitted out mobile crane workshops. The site can offer ‘Green’ sticker inspections and is fully equipped to diagnose, repair, sandblast and paint products.
As well as relocating in Brisbane and bringing on a new partner to serve the Victorian market, Manitowoc Cranes has also invested in its NSW operation in Blacktown, increasing its parts store at the facility and continuing its commitment to provide ongoing training to its highly specialized technicians that work from there. The Blacktown facility itself is relatively new, with Manitowoc Cranes having relocated to the larger location at the end of 2013. The premises are well located with an expanded two level yard for setting up and testing cranes and equipment. Its workshop has a large overhead crane and central parts warehouse that can carry four times the stock of the old facility for vastly improved parts availability.
Back in December, Manitowoc Cranes also announced a new service agent in Darwin, DCMS. This appointment aligns with the new Customer Value Stream business principle in place at Manitowoc Cranes which dictates that all company operations must focus on delivering better value and improved return on investment for customers by offering local service on the ground.
Newly rebranded DCMS operates out of an expansive new facility in Winnellie, an industrial center 10 km from Darwin Central Business District. The company has four fully equipped service vehicles and runs normal business operations five and a half days a week, in addition to operating an after-hours call-out service. It also stocks a comprehensive range of Grove spare parts to serve customer needs.
The new appointments will support the company’s existing operations in Australia which include dealers WATM Crane Sales & Services in WA and RMB Service Group in South Australia. WATM is one of the best-known names in the Australian crane industry with over 30 years of experience providing Grove and Manitowoc cranes to mining, construction and industrial clients across the state of Western Australia. RMB, meanwhile, joined the Manitowoc family in 2012, but with its highly experienced team and a strong commitment to customer care has already has helped increase the population of Grove and Manitowoc cranes in the state of South Australia.