54 | TRANSPORT INDUSTRY Heavy Machinery Services (Taranaki) T T Hugh de Lacy Meeting region’s machinery needs Ross Allen: “Nothing is too big or too small or too old or too new, from Hitachi’s UHOs to the latest ZX-7s.” 32 Crooks Road, Auckland Proud to be a key partner and supplier to Heavy Machinery Services Dismantling a 20-tonne Hitachi excavator, transporting it down-hill by flying fox cableway to the northern tunnel site of the Mount Messenger by-pass, then reassembling it on-site was all in a day’s work for Stratford-based Heavy Machinery Services (Taranaki) Ltd. Breaking the excavator down into manageable parts for the 1.1km cableway was no problem to Heavy Machinery Services whose six staff regularly carry out complex tasks in the field and in the workshop. Servicing machinery ranging from mini-machines to 70-tonne loaders in the wider Taranaki region as the authorised Hitachi service dealer since 1981, Heavy Machinery Services works from a home base on Monmouth Road, Stratford, and it was the go-to company for the challenging Mount Messenger operation. The market the company works in demands versatility, and founder-owner Ross Allen says its longevity is based on its providing “skilled, high-quality workmanship and timely support to our customers, and this has earned us a loyal clientele.” Ross says that as well as servicing all new Hitachi machinery, the company has aligned itself with “the best suppliers, who supply the highest quality products and services”. “We stock Genuine Hitachi parts, Donaldson Filters and Valvoline oils. “Anything not in stock can normally be supplied the next day.” “The Hitachi brand has been very good for us: their product and our expertise have meant our customers have been loyal to us for many years – customers we regard as a partner in our business, and we can offer life-time value to each other,” he says. The advance of heavy machinery technology has made the company’s work more complex. “You need to be a specialist now because computerisation is here to stay, and to deal with it our qualified technicians have also done intensive training with Hitachi and (their New Zealand sales agent) Cable Price.” “We are hydraulic machinery specialists and do most of our own machining, and repair hydraulic rams and other hydraulic systems. “We also have a large freezing works as a customer, solving their hydraulic problems, manufacturing hydraulic systems and other components. “The Hitachi brand has been very good for us: their product and our expertise have meant our customers have been loyal to us for many years – customers we regard as a partner in our business, and we can offer life-time value to each other.” “Nothing is too big or too small or too old or too new, from Hitachi’s UHOs to the latest ZX-7s. “All brands of earthmoving machinery are welcome.” Ross started his working life as a knife-hand at Borthwicks Freezing works before joining the Army as an ammunition technician – he was the top recruit in Basic 116. He joined Cable Price in 1975 as an adult automotive diesel mechanic, specialising in the diagnostics and repair of Hitachi’s hydraulic excavators, and when Cable Price closed its New Plymouth workshop he worked for Blackwood Hodge in its heavy machinery workshop in Tasmania. He followed that with two years working as a Field Service Engineer for the same company in Papua-New Guinea before coming home and starting up Heavy Machinery Services with earthmoving contractor Jack Looney in 1981. Twelve years later he bought Jack out and moved to the current premises on Monmouth Road. Ross was well-known on the speedway scene, firstly riding solo bikes, then going on to win national titles in the TQ midget cars. Ross has many interests, including pistol shooting, rally-car driving and collecting military equipment, of which his outstanding example is a 12-ton 1942 American Stuart army tank that he restored to complete operating condition over 15 years, and which he drives and displays as often as he can. He is also restoring two historic TQ midgets, and has restored and drives an equally historic Pontiac-powered midget at Stratford Speedway. To keep fit Ross does competitive race-walking in the little spare time he has away from Heavy Machinery Services.
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