News and media - press releases: M&D makes construction a paying proposition

On Track recently had the opportunity to meet with Murray and Dickson Construction, a company that has managed to defy industry trends by enjoying significant growth over the past five years.

The company has used Komatsu products over the last decade, and is delighted with the price and performance of two recently acquired PC350 LC-8 excavators, one of which is currently engaged in a major pipe laying project in Alberton, south of Johannesburg.

CEO Rukesh Raghubir explains that a major driving force behind the company’s expansion is that it offers a comprehensive package of services, including civils, construction, pipes, road building and earthworks to enable maximum participation in different facets of a project, both locally and cross border.

"We are active in the domestic public and private sectors as well as in a number of infrastructure creation projects, including oil and gas developments, across Southern Africa. We are currently exploring opportunities in the SADC region, and have invested a significant amount of capital in the continual upgrade of our fleet of civils and construction equipment," he says.

This includes the two Komatsu excavators which proved to be very competitive in respect of price related to specification benefits, in an industrywide product survey and procurement process.

Chris Porter, Murray and Dickson’s vastly experienced head of roads and earthworks, makes no bones about the fact that the aftermarket experience is a key element in supplier selection.

"It is essential to have confidence in a supplier’s ability to support its equipment. For example, let’s take an excavator that stands idle for the need of a replacement part. In the big picture it is not just this machine that is incurring down time, but the 10 or more trucks that it is supposed to load. The shortage of just one component can cost us thousands an hour and impact on our ability to meet crucial deadlines."

Komatsu have shown their commitment to delivering world class after-sales service to its customers by building a state-of-the-art centralised Parts Distribution Centre in Isando. This centre uses highly advanced systems in computer-driven warehousing technology to ensure parts are available whenever they are needed.

The Komatsu PC350 LC-8 is winning new friends in the field, and according to M&D Pipe’s Site Manager Kyle Peinke, his crew is enthusiastic about the excavators’ performance.

"It"s a great machine and the commissioning process and training supplied by Komatsu was good. We had absolutely no hassles. The guys love it, especially our top operator who has more than 30 years of pipeline experience. This is someone who really knows his equipment."