TERRA NEARS HALFWAY MARK OF HUGE 789 CONVERSION TASK Terra Cat technicians are almost halfway through the mammoth job of rebuilding this round of OceanaGold’s mining trucks and converting them from 789Cs to the more fuel efficient 789Ds.
WORK UNDER WAY TO REVAMP PUBLIC SPACES AT TERRA SERVICE CENTRES
The first of the huge machines was delivered back to Macraes Mine in August, with the third leaving the Christchurch branch at the end of November. Terra’s 789 rebuild project manager, James Westerman, said the entire rebuild process – from receiving the trucks to putting them back on the road – has gone smoothly since approvals were confirmed in March. “It’s been a real team effort,” he says. “We have eight techs, two apprentices, two welders, one part-time welder, a leading hand, service advisor and a project manager all working on this project, and we’ve been able to turn them around ahead of schedule.” “The great cross-team collaboration between the project, parts, distribution, and the Component Rebuild Centre all contributed to the success of the first three rebuilds. It really has been a ‘win together’ project.” Terra Cat has a fourth 789 under rebuild currently, with more expected next year. OceanaGold Macraes Operation General Manager, James Isles, said choosing to rebuild the trucks rather than purchase new machinery was a “no-brainer”. “Rebuilding these hard-working trucks with Terra Cat rather than buying new machines from Australia or the US not only saves us over $1.5 million, but it also helps to keep heavy machinery expertise and jobs here in New Zealand,” Mr Isles said. “It’s a smart decision for our regional and national economy, for our communities, and for sustainability.” As part of the rebuild, Terra is converting the trucks from 789C powertrains to 789D powertrains to improve the uniformity of OGL’s fleet and improve fuel efficiency.
In the South Island, our Dunedin branch has been listed for lease, but Terra Cat CEO Chris Heaton says Terra has no intention of leaving the city. “The Teviot Street site currently houses both Terra Cat and TWL, and the aim is to relocate to two separate fit-for-purpose sites within Dunedin,” he says. “We’re gauging if there is any interest in the market to take over the lease, so we can then relocate elsewhere if required. Regardless of the outcome, our Dunedin team will continue to be available to deliver the high-quality service you expect from Terra Cat.” In Palmerston North, the landowner of the Terra Cat property has listed the site for sale. However, this has no implications for our operations as Terra will continue to hold the lease for the foreseeable future. “We’re proud of the strategically placed presence that Terra Cat has across the country so that we can best support our customers,” says Mr Heaton. “We remain committed to maintaining our presence in each location and providing our customers with the high quality customer experience that they expect and deserve.”
Over the coming months the lobbies of all Terra Cat’s service centres will be refurbished to make them more appealing when people visit. Terra's Napier service centre (pictured) was the first cab off the rank to receive an upgrade, and it’s expected that all locations will have their facelifts completed by the end of March. At the same time, Terra’s Auckland branch at Wiri is currently undergoing a large renovation project to improve both the public area and staff workspaces. The extent of the work means all staff except parts, distribution and service have temporarily relocated off-site, as contractors make a raft of upgrades to the office, showroom, lunchroom and toilets. This project will also be completed by the end of February. Terra Cat is currently undertaking a project to ensure all its locations around the country are welcoming for customers.
Initially, each of the trucks arrived in a different state for rebuild. For the first two trucks, many parts had already been removed and used on OceanaGold's production fleet. “There was no engine in the first rebuild. As part of the work, the chassis was fully stripped and crack- tested, and the torque tube was replaced, the front of the frame was extended to convert the truck from a 789C cooling package to 789D,” Mr Westerman said. The second truck arrived with an engine, which was replaced as part of the rebuild and conversion, and was returned to Macraes in its reconditioned state at the end of September. The third and fourth machines arrived as fully running and driving trucks making the process much easier to manage. Truck four is expected to be returned to site at the end of January. Underpinning these rebuilds is Terra Cat's relationship with OceanaGold. It takes a strong partnership with trust and common goals to make a project of this scale successful.
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