Macs.made

21/10/2024

First time seeing an excavator with a ripper arm so it was pretty unreal to see it attached to a 6015. Wicked stuff for a commercial development in Las Vegas town

13/10/2024

Check out the latest upload to my YouTube

Kuru Contracting Limited logging operation on the East Cape

Kuru Contracting Ltd harvesting crews in full swing during my visit some months ago!

02/10/2024

Young people don’t want to work”
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Meet Brody, 25
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Brody’s been operating excavators full time for around 5 years now, having previously completed most of his drain laying ticket. He decided, after getting a shot on a machine, that being inside an air conditioned cab listening to the radio was much better than being in a trench
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He said he’d been fortunate to work with some experienced people who were able guide him and share their earthworks knowledge, otherwise he’s pretty much self taught
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The long hours on site and travelling from home don’t bother Brody, he’s just happy to be able to do the finishing work on the TNL project in Tauranga. “It’s pretty cool to be able to see the job change from a paddock to a road. The progress I see in a work is really rewarding”
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Brody’s first shot in the earthworks game started much earlier than 5 years ago though. His first introduction to heavy machinery was on his grandfathers farm outside of Whangārei at the age of 7
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“I wasn’t dumb, I was actually quite smart at school and did really well academically. School just wasn’t for me. I thought playing on the digger down the farm was the coolest thing in the world and that’s all I wanted to do”
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I asked him what he would be doing now if he didn’t have that introduction as a kid. He shrugged his shoulders and said “I don’t know”
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Terra Cat

30/09/2024

Some bonus forestry content while out on another shoot in the sunny Coromandel
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Forestry contributes around $6.6 billion dollars annually to New Zealand’s economy. That’s right. Billion. Around 1.6% of NZ’s GDP. It also employs over 35,000 people
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Most of this contribution is completely out of the publics eye, or under the cover of darkness, long before most people even think about getting out of bed
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We all know how the media feels about forestry at the moment. But how about the good stories? The stories of people spending their lives in the bush planting, processing, or transporting timber so we can have somewhere to live?
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Most of these people spend their spare time hunting and fishing in the very same place. Their connections with the land run deep
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All that timer down at your local trade store you go to on the weekends for some DIY, has more than likely been handled multiple times by these very same hard working people
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That new fence you put up, or the furniture you use, yup you guessed it. Chances are handled by these hard working people, much the same as Mahuta Logging Limited pictured here
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Eltec Forestry NZ Ltd Shaw's

15/09/2024

“We don’t do that, we like to keep a low profile” and “why do we need that, will we get more work?”
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The two most common answers from people after I’ve given my elevator pitch. Very valid also
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Does a company stand to win more work after investing in their social media? Do they need to be attractive to potential employees in this current climate?
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How’s this for a thought experiment
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As it currently sits, the majority of people appointing the work (property developers, NZTA and local councils) are baby boomers. In saying this, us millennials are maturing in our careers and gen Z’s are making their way into the workforce as well
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Now it’s very common for people to have their social media’s vetted these days when applying for a vacant room or even for a job. An inside look into someones character with a few clicks
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It doesn’t then, seem much of a leap, to say that when millennials dominate the workforce, people awarding work will also browse companies social media’s come tender time
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Had me thinking the entire drive back from the Coromandel tonight. But what would I know? I’m just a bloke that likes taking pictures of diggers
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Oh also here’s some pics from Brandt NZ open day yesterday
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29/08/2024

“Young people don’t want to work anymore”
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Meet Samuel, 18
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Samuel started working full time as a machine operator two years ago. This was after he discovered, through school appointed work experience, that classrooms weren’t for him
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He enjoys the skills that he has been able to transfer into his passion of off roading and gaming, like taking his time and quicker reaction speeds. He chuckles that the healthy pay packet also helps with his often expensive hobby
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His journey into becoming an operator started many years prior, coming to work with his father (pictured below)
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Samuel used to come along in his school holidays and play on machines (don’t tell worksafe). This gave him a great insight into the possibilities and potential career pathways.
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But what are we doing to attract kids, like Samuel, that don’t have parents in the industry? Cause you can be rest assured he won’t be able to bring his kids along to work with him in the future
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Komatsu New Zealand McPherson Contractors Ltd.

26/08/2024

Does it get any more dramatic than this? I’m not sure it does
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25/08/2024

Check out my latest YouTube upload featuring Goodman Contractors contribution to State Highway 1 Mangamuka Gorge slip repairs for CLL Solutions and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi

The team cutting, shaping, carting and dumping a slip on NZTA State Highway 1 for CLL solutions

23/08/2024

Last month I had the pleasure of being shown Murphy Civils works on the Ōpōtiki Harbour Development project. They have been on site for nearly 4 years and you wouldn’t notice
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They are taking extreme care in preserving the pristine in which they are working
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Works include constructing two massive break waters (more on that later) excavating the soft ground and dredging with two custom made amphibious excavators
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Still can’t get enough of looking at the 26m triple piece long reach attached to the Volvo EC250e

14/08/2024

Stingfellows Civil and Engineering
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I’ve been following Stringfellows and their work for a while now. The first time I saw them was over 10 years ago when they were doing a shoulder widening project on SH1 south of Sanson
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I remember seeing their shiny Cat gear and wandering who’s that. I’ve kept an eye on their social media since and always looked forward to the next update
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Four months ago when I started my media business and I knew I wanted to work with them. I called them up, proud as punch of my new venture, imagining it would go well. It was a no.
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Fast forward to last week I was working with them, shooting their new truck and meeting some of the awesome team. I even had the chance to sit down and chat with company director Simon and Byson from .contracting
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It just shows, if you keep your head down, and trust the process things can work out. Well, sometimes.
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On a side note, how cool is their new transporter!?

12/08/2024

29/07/2024

Was good to catch up with some of the team from Kelsey Construction last week
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They were putting in forestry roads and skid sites in the picturesque Coromandel Peninsula
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I was fortunate enough to talk briefly with Hamish Kelsey, one of the managing directors and he shared some of his plans for the future
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It’s encouraging for our industry to see young blood harnessing technology and doing things a little differently. Watch this space!

28/07/2024

The guy she tells you not to worry about vs you
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21/07/2024

Inside the latest top secret mission on the moon for inter planetary life. I was lucky to get undercover the collaboration between

16/07/2024

-CHANGE-
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Since staring my own media business I’ve realised that I’m not trying to sell a product I’m trying to sell change. A change from the status quo, a change from how things have always been done
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There’s no doubting the construction, forestry and quarrying industries like many other industries are facing people shortages
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With aging work forces and increased work loads as our aging infrastructure and increased population puts a strain on housing, roading and the need for natural resources. How are we going to attract more people? The next generation.
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Henry Ford famously said “If you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got”

09/07/2024

Kuru Contracting Limited Nuhaka limestone quarry operation
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It was impressive to be apart of their pre start and hear the comradery between the team on site and how happy they all were
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It’s easy to see why everyone was so happy given the picturesque backdrop of their workplace
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Within 5 minutes of it being finished machines were rolling, crusher and screen unfolded and walked into position , excavators feeding said crusher and wheel loaders taking finished product to its respective stockpile