CJD supply Re:Group with the Volvo EC950E Excavator

After servicing the civil construction industry for some 15 years AK Evans was acquired last year by Michael Still, who had been involved with the business for some time, leading to a period of significant change for the company. 

The strategic decision was made to complete a re-branding and, in doing so, commence a new journey in the life of the business. From late-July the former AK Evans is now Re:Group.

Re:Group is a new company with a new identity. It has re-established itself to its loyal clients and the broader mining industry as a dynamic, full-service, civil construction, mining, labour resourcing and equipment hire company.

A key partner in this period of transition was CJD Equipment. Founded in 1974, CJD Equipment is a highly regarded and long-standing national distributor of civil construction equipment and trucks. 

It has a broad product portfolio consisting of familiar industry brands including, Volvo, SDLG, Kenworth and many more. 

“CJD really came alongside myself personally through the transition, as we acquired AK Evans and as we’ve gone through some pretty substantial change, including the rebranding,” Re:Group managing director Michael Still told Quarry.

“They have been incredibly accommodating as far as ensuring product support is there for us, parts support is there for us, that the new fleet that we’ve been acquiring over the last 12 months is delivered on time and in full.”

“All the way up to their managing director, Alan Barnett, who has taken the time to really understand our business, the transition we’ve been going through, but then supporting our growth.”

Re:Group’s growth phase has been significant. “We’re doubling and tripling our business,” Still said.

“CJD have been right by our side, they have come on this journey with us and believe in what we are doing, which they’ve clearly done, and really supported us through the transition.” 

Re:Group is a company with three key offerings to the resources sector including: a full-service civil construction, mining, equipment and labour resource; a heavy haulage and transport resource with experienced, safety-first operators; a renewables resource providing site preparation, construction and installation services for large-scale solar and wind farm projects across Australia. 

In terms of equipment hire Re:Group has an extensive fleet of excavators including, 35 tonne, 48 tonne and 95 tonne Volvo machines supplied by CJD.

In addition to the excavators Re:Group has a fleet of Volvo wheel loaders also supplied by CJD, including the smaller L90H loader through to the highly versatile and fuel-efficient L150H loader.

CJD has also supplied the company with its fleet of Volvo articulated haulers, including A40G and A60H machines which are reliable, durable and fuel efficient.

“Our fleet is a full complement of Volvo excavators, Volvo loaders, and Volvo haulers,” Still said.

“We chose Volvo CE because as a brand, they’re very innovative and I find that Volvo has a strong focus on innovation. 

“We’re keen to partner with OEMs such as Volvo that push what we believe is possible, and bring that to life in their products.”

“We’re a significant purchaser of Volvo CE in Australia, due to our buying power and the size of our fleet, so we get really good support from CJD and Volvo at all levels.”

CJD has maintained a 30-year relationship with Volvo which has allowed the company to offer a strong product range and be regarded within the industry as a reliable, authorised dealer of Volvo machinery.

With CJD representing Volvo CE for so many years, it has placed the company at the very front of manufacturer technology and equipment developments within the resources sector. 

Volvo’s prime aim has been to develop products and services that increase on-site productivity, with machinery and equipment that produces low energy consumption, ease of use and durability, successfully offsetting unplanned repairs and maintenance.

Volvo CE’s corporate core values are safety, environment, and operator comfort.

At Re:Group, the major excavator of choice is the mighty Volvo EC950E, the largest model in Volvo’s range of excavators. 

Introduced into the market in 2016, the EC950E is powered by the Volvo D16 6-cylinder diesel engine, producing 446kw at 1800 RPM power and 2650 Nm of torque at 1350 RPM.

It produces high torque at low engine RPM, translating into good fuel economy and excellent productivity. 

The machine has a heavy-duty design, robust operator protection, reliability, stability and features wear-resistant components with easy service access, including ground level servicing and grouped grease banks, which ensure safety and minimal downtime while on-site.

The upper area of the EC950E is easy to access, with handrails and footsteps ideally positioned to provide secure three-point contact, resulting in increased safety and accessibility for the operator.

With the Volvo EC950E offering so many features Re:Group is confident in its investment. 

“We had a need to provide an excavator for a long-term project. It was going to be out there for five years as a minimum and so we really needed to find an excavator that was going to be versatile with the capacity to do more as the mine project developed,” Still said.

“We really felt with the EC950E that it provides capacity both now and into the future, that the EC950E was capable of handling extra load further and further into the project.”

There were many reasons why Still and his team believed the EC950E offered the best long-term solution for the client.

“We felt that the hydraulic system on the EC950E meant that we would have faster cycle times, essentially load more haulers on any given day,” Still said.

“The other reason is that the operation that we placed the EC950E into is free dig, it’s not a drill and blast operation, so the excavator with its superior breakout force – in comparison to other products by other equipment manufacturers in the 100-tonne excavator category – was why we chose the EC950E,” Still added. 

As Re:Group continues to grow its strong ongoing partnerships with CJD and Volvo, they continue to place a premium on providing its clients with the most cost-effective, versatile and reliable solutions for their construction equipment needs.