Two excavators from CASE Construction Equipment have enabled a Queensland sandstone company to increase its production almost 7-fold to meet massive Chinese export demands.
Capricorn Sandstone Quarries is a recipient of the prestigious Tom Burns Award for Emerging Exporters to China and Vietnam at the Premier of Queensland's Export Awards in Brisbane.
The company will soon be closing on sales orders for more than 20,000 tonnes of sandstone to be delivered to China within the next 18 months.
The impressive deal almost triples export demands for the Stanwell-based company that sent 7,000 tonnes to Shanghai and Beijing in the past 18 months.
Capricorn Sandstone Quarries Site Senior Executive Reece Gough says that their Case CX240B excavators have played a major role in their success.
Their first CX240B excavator bought in 2007 helped them produce 10,000 tonnes of sandstone while their second CX240B purchased in 2009 helped them increase production to 20,000 tonnes a year.
Reece says that their Case machines have been operating efficiently in the extreme conditions of the sandstone quarry, giving them reliable performance and outperforming other brands to offer great value for money as well as justify their investment in the equipment.
One of the Case excavators is mainly used to operate a three-metre cutting wheel for cutting sandstone. The other CX240B is used for cutting wheel and hammer work at the quarry. Both machines also operate with a grab and a bucket occasionally.
Reece adds that the Case excavators have been working 12-hour shifts for more than a year, clocking up over 8,000 hours of cutting wheel and hammer work between them. The excavators undergo regular maintenance and have had very little downtime.
Additionally, the company is very satisfied with the fuel economy of the Case excavation equipment.
Reece purchased the CX240Bs from his local Case dealership, Milne Bros Equipment in Rockhampton.
Reece appreciates the friendly, accessible service and advice provided by Ron Milne and his team in addition to the backup service from Case.
Capricorn Sandstone Quarries will be investing in additional Case machines to meet their future requirements and upgrades.
Nationally, Capricorn Sandstone Quarries has supplied its sandstone to Queensland and New South Wales governments, local councils and commercial construction companies for heritage restoration and new building projects.
The company now exports its product to China, South East Asia and the Middle East.
The quarry also won the Trade Queensland Emerging Exporter of the Year award at the Capricorn Tourism & Economic Development and Ergon Energy Business Excellence Awards recently.
