| 67 CIVIL CONTRACTING DC Equipment Tasman Civil carries out all aspects of civil construction from three waters infrastructure to medium-sized earthworks projects. Tasman Civil Making forestry work safer DC Equipment has achieved that and is exporting forestry safety around the world. T T Hugh de Lacy The over-arching goal was to make forestry work safe, to the point of being able to remotely harvest and deliver logs to the truck loading site by pushing buttons from the safety of a cab, and DC Equipment has achieved that and is exporting forestry safety around the world. From leaving school at the age of 14 and going straight to the forest as a contract post-cutter, Dale Ewers went on to owning a silviculture crew with his brother, before starting up his first logging business, Moutere Logging, at the age of 23. He now runs eight logging crews out of his Brightwater, Nelson, headquarters. This growth came during a period when the forestry industry was the most dangerous in the country, and Dale set himself the goal of creating machinery and systems that would get people out of harm’s way during the dangerous process of felling and collecting logs, especially those on steep hillsides. Dale and wife Christine, the owners of Moutere Logging and DC Equipment, which between them employ around 160 staff, developed their logging systems through three major stages involving both companies, with the aim of working in perfect safety at a distance from where the logs were falling and being retrieved. “In 2012, we set written targets of what we wanted to achieve over the following 20 years with the two companies, and the core goal was to reduce or even eliminate accidents and incidents in the forestry industry,” Dale says. “The two companies have worked hand in hand in reducing our accident rate by around 90% over the past 12 years. “The New Zealand industry has benefitted directly from our machines, but today we also sell about 50% of our factory output overseas through distributors in North and South America, and in the case of our winches, of which we’ve built close to 300, 60% have been exported.” The first machine DC Equipment’s built and marketed was its Falcon-branded grapple carriage, released in 2011, allowing logs to be retrieved from slopes by an operator sitting in a protective cab on the hill-top. That was followed a year later by a winch assist that hooks onto the log-harvester, allowing it to work down slopes in a way that has reduced the manual input by 80%. The third stage was a machine that both grabs and fells trees without touching the ground, and all controlled from the safety of the operator’s cab. In the prototype stage for market release in 2026 is an 11-tonne unmanned felling machine that walks its way down the hill while emitting 60% less greenhouse gas and 75% less soil compaction – existing machines weigh about 40t. “Worker safety was the driving force behind everything we did, and detailed planning was what delivered it,” Dale says. “Right from the start we planned for 20 years out, with specific goals set for every couple of years, and we’ve reached those goals and nailed them. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” FORESTRY Proud to support DC Equipment. Talk to us today to experience the difference of an award winning accounting firm — Xero Large Accounting Partner of the Year 2021. P. 03 545 6565 Ext. 732 mmca.co.nz 3 Murphys Rd, Springlands, Blenheim | +64 3 578-9329 www.scottconstructionmarlborough.co.nz Proud to be the Main Contractor for Ngati Kuia Trust Contact John Tovey: johnt@scml.co.nz to discuss your next project or join our team - construction positions available now Commercial and Residential Building Specialists 2017 & 2019 Gold Winner RMB NZ Commercial Project Awards
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