US-built high reach extends capabilities of Australian contractor.
Regular readers will recall that we recently featured a video of a high reach excavator equipped with a hydraulic hammer demolishing an Australian chimney. At the time, we had very little detail about the contract, the machine, or the company that had purchased it. But we can now put that right.
The machine belongs to Alex Fraser Group of Melbourne, it has a working height of 32 metres, and it is removing an obsolete boiler house and stack. The challenging demolition work was part of an ongoing project to build a new $650M hospital in Bendigo, a major regional center in the State of Victoria. The machine, based on a Komastu PC 650 was fitted with its demolition boom, tilting cab and hydraulically expanding undercarriage by Jewell Attachments LLC of Portland, OR late last year.
According to Sam McKellar, Alex Fraser’s General Manager of Demolition Division, the machine has been a welcome addition. “We brought this machine into our fleet to safely and efficiently enhance our capabilities. It was a major investment in the future of Alex Fraser Group, and it has certainly paid off. The versatility, power and control on this machine is fantastic.”
For Jewell it was also refreshing to get a new perspective on demolition work “down under.” Richard Currie, Director of Sales and Marketing for Jewell Attachments states, “As Jewell expands its business globally, it is always valuable to gain insight into means and methods in other parts of the world. Alex Fraser was an excellent partner to work with. Their attention to detail and long term view of what the rig’s capabilities had to be, really made this machine special.”
Established in 1879 Alex Fraser Group is one of Melbourne’s oldest companies. From its roots as a scrap metal processor, the group has diversified into one of Australia’s largest demolition, recycling and industrial service companies. With multiple recycling locations throughout Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales, and demolition services offered throughout Australia and New Zealand, the company is well positioned to take advantage of the region’s expansion. In 2010, Alex Fraser became a wholly owned subsidiary of UK based John Swire & Sons, ensuring future growth for the business.
