TRACK & WHEEL — NEWSNEWS — TRACK & WHEELMan and Hitachi: what a teamIn the heart of a parched andsun-scorched Manawatu lastMarch, the unmistakable sound ofHitachi excavators rumbled on for twodays at the Central District Fieldays, tothe backdrop of long-time commentatorNeil ‘Turbo Tonsils’ Ritchie across the PAsystem as he enthusiastically informedan intrigued crowd on the finer details ofexcavator control.Regional events from Northland toSouthland were held over the past fewmonths, leading up to the national finals.Over 120 operators, many for thefirst time, experienced the silky-smoothcontrols and appreciated the accuracyof precision hydraulics from a number ofHitachi excavators ranging in size from 1.7tonne to 12 tonne.Once again, in a nationwide display ofexpertise, the National Excavator OperatorCompetition saw the Hitachi Zaxis ZXseries in the hands of New Zealand’sbest machinery operators. Using Hitachimachinery, they demonstrated their skillsvia tasks such as painting with a brushattached to the excavator’s bucket andpouring tea from a tea pot, excavating andloading their way to this year’s nationalfinals.The ‘One Day Job’ has always createda level of apprehension amongst thecompetitors, demanding more than justraw operator talent in the form of design,methodology statements, theory test and aSchedule of Quantities (SOQ).Competitors are given an assignmentat the pre-event driver briefing, withhomework. Tests are scheduled for thefollowing morning. The client brief wasto design and build two decorative pondsto fit a 6m x 6m area at the entrance of adrive way. With one pond elevated abovethe other, t<strong>here</strong> was a requirement toinstall a sump in the upper pond for afountain, which was fed via a connectingpipe from a pump house in the lowerpond. The upper pond was also requiredto be installed with a pipe to return waterback to the lower pond.Judges from the New ZealandContractors’ Federation, organisersof the National Excavator OperatorCompetition’(NEOC), always try to throwthe odd twist into the competition to keepthe finalists on their toes. After all, thecompetition is about thinking laterally,requiring everyday skills to solve unusualproblems using an excavator and howbest to fully utilise the equipment todeliver a cost efficient job. On day one thejudges started as they meant to continue,asking for two rectangular ponds of fixeddimensions and with a 45-degree batter tobe connected by a Humes Farm Boss pipe.It sounds simple enough, but with only20 minutes to complete the task, judgeswere looking for operators to recognisethe efficient method was to dig one largepond, install the pipe, and back fill overthat pipe to re-create two identical ponds.Those who recognised the opportunityfound they had sufficient time to completethe rest of the course, thus scoringthemselves a strong points advantageheading into day two.Amongst all the activity, many entrantsfailed to notice the warning signs forboth the Vector Transmission gas lineand the Chorus cable across the park,t<strong>here</strong>fore losing valuable points whenthey commenced excavationwithout seeking a location service orplans — a mistake that could havemajor consequences had it been a realgas pipeline!To be the overall winner, theentrants needed to display a blendof skill at the controls, mechanicalunderstanding and a well thought outapproach to work through thoughtfulplanning, pricing, documentation,safety and a series of technicalinterviews with the judges.In another twist, the finalists weresurprised the morning of day twoby Senior Sergeant Warren Newburyof New Zealand Police (CVIU)requiring a breath test from them.Fortunately, after the pressures of dayone, all the competitors had optedfor a truly professional early nightrather than a night on the town. Thepenalty for a failed sample was clear— disqualification.Top honors this year were takenout by the finalist who demonstratedclean digging lines and a completedround on day one, plus an impressiveperformance in the ‘One Day Job’event. It was ultimately consistency inperformance that placed James Luxof Bay of Plenty Fulton Hogan in firstplace overall, in what was his secondvisit to the NEOC finals. Second placewent to Taranaki’s Matthew Harebfrom M Hareb Contracting, withHawke’s Bay’s Steve Galbraith fromGair Contracting rounding out thetop three.Our congratulations go to James forhis professionalism and endurance insuch a high calibre of competition.With the 2013/14 competitionsheld at the National Fieldays atMystery Creek, Hamilton, regionalrounds will be held throughoutMarlborough, Napier, Canterbury,Auckland and Whangarei by the endof this year. The remaining roundswill take place in early 2014 with thenational finals to be held at CentralDistrict Fieldays at Manfield inFeilding in March.For more information on howyou can get involved in the 2013/14competitions, contact your nearestbranch of the New ZealandContractors Federation or visit theirwebsite at nzcontractors.co.nz •NZCF president Joe Edwards presents toNEOC winner James Lux, Fulton Hogan Bayof PlentyBlair Duncan (left) from the Otagobranch of Maungatua Contractingand defending championHASTINGSis movINGAfter more than 22 years, it’s timefor a change. <strong>CablePrice</strong> Hastings branchis boosting its commitment to thegreater Hawke’s Bay region in the formof a new multi-million dollar, all-in-onefacility on the corner of Omahu Road andChatham Road. This purpose-built site andbuilding will accommodate everythingfrom administration and sales to partsand service, all on one very high profilecorner site.While many other businesses in t<strong>here</strong>gion may be either downsizing orrelocating to other regions, <strong>CablePrice</strong> isproud to show its continued commitmentto its loyal customers and the Hawke’s Bayregion by making an investment of this size.“While our current location has servedus well, we now need a new, more modernfacility with better exposure. Somethingthat gives us room to expand our businessby caring for our customers, and to takethe services we offer to the next level,” saysJoe Gradwell, <strong>CablePrice</strong> Hastingsoperations manager.This new building will be much largerthan the previous building. The workshopwill be state of the art with seven 30-metrelongdrive-through bays — six for trucksand buses and one for equipment, plus anextra three half bays fitted with additionalin-ground steel reinforcing to providefor heavy machinery. Continuing withthe <strong>CablePrice</strong> trend of recent years, theworkshop will also feature two skylifts inplace of the traditional open pit. Anotherspecial feature will be under-floor heatingmaking for a much better workingenvironment. Something Joe’s sure thetechnicians will appreciate.Given how busy Omahu Road, this newsite has been designed with a one-wayheavy-traffic flow, meaning all trucks willenter via Chatham Road and exit ontoOmahu Road.All this is due to take place late August,with the new site fully operationalimmediately after. In the meantime,<strong>CablePrice</strong> Hastings will continue tradingfrom its existing branch, with businessas usual.<strong>CablePrice</strong> Hastings’ new address willbe: corner of Omahu Road and ChathamRoad, Hastings. Its existing phone and faxnumbers will remain unchanged. •6 <strong>CablePrice</strong><strong>CablePrice</strong> 7