EXARO

Exaro provides superior service with Kobelco

With a focus on delivering superior earthworks and civil contracting services, Exaro Contracting likes to build strong relationships within the industry. The company recently purchased a Kobelco SK140SRLC-7, not just for its productivity, reliability, and fuel efficiency, but for the excellent service and support that comes with it.

In business for just over a decade, Exaro has focused on quality, reliability, and honesty to quickly grow from a one-man band to a team of around 20 dedicated operators.

Based in Silverdale on Auckland’s North Shore, Exaro provides earthworks and civil contracting services to the Auckland and Northland regions. The company was set up by Nick Griffin, who followed his civil engineer father’s footsteps into business.

Mentored in the early years by his father, Nick has replicated his leadership skills and strong ethics, building a team of specialists that focus on quality, reliability, and fostering honest relationships within the industry.

“I’ve been working in the industry since I was 15. I’ve always loved machines and construction, it’s a passion of mine,” he says. “Dad and I would talk about various projects and the industry in general for hours.”

Nick bought his first excavator at the age of 24 and set out on his own and hasn’t looked back. His mission is to constantly deliver high-quality, timely, and reliable services and he says he is committed to excellence and continuous improvement.

“At Exaro, we always strive to do things better, safer, and more efficiently, with as little impact on our environment as possible. Keeping ahead of the game means we can deliver superior services.

“Advancing our plant, equipment and people gives rise to improved problem solving and quality of services.”

To that end, Nick recently invested in a new Kobelco SK140SRLC-7 excavator as a part of his routine replacement programme for Exaro. Kobelco is the leading supplier of heavy machinery in Australia and is steadily growing its market share here in New Zealand.

“When I was living in Australia, I worked for a number of companies that ran Kobelco gear, and I liked them. I then trialed a Kobelco before making this purchase and was really impressed with how smooth and quiet it was.

“Kobelco has a reputation for reliability, low fuel consumption, and low total cost of ownership. This, and the excellent relationship I have with Kobelco and the service they provide, made it an easy choice.

“A key decider was their willingness to trade in an old machine of mine. Anthony [Ireland, national sales manager at Kobelco New Zealand] was very willing to get things going and has been very supportive throughout the process.”

Nick says he’s very relationship driven. The business prides itself on a family-oriented approach, taking personal care in every job it undertakes.

“We like to give our clients a personal touch; respect and integrity are core values for the team. And we get the same from the Kobelco team. Their sales rep Luke Larsen has a good relationship with my mechanics, and the whole Kobelco team has been nothing but supportive and very responsive.”

Nick likes to take care of his team too, so has a strong focus on safety in the workplace.

“Having a healthy and safe work environment is a priority.

“Our workers are like family, so we ensure our guidelines and safe work practices are followed, and that the team feels well supported in their overall mental health.

“We like to help our operators as much as we can when it comes to safety around heavy machinery too – this Kobelco excavator has an AI collision avoidance system, fitted locally,  that prevents accidents in the machine’s blind spot.”

The BlindSight system notifies the operator to a person or other programmed object in the alert zone via flashing LEDs and an alarm sound, while also alerting the person outside that they are in a hazardous area. The AI technology means BlindSight can detect a person without them having to wear a tag.

Other features on the SK140SRLC-7 make it particularly suited to a lot of the infrastructure construction work Exaro undertakes. Nick says its reduced tail swing makes it ideal for working in tight spaces.

He is also impressed by the machine’s drawbar pull and hydraulic performance.

This strong drawbar pull gives the machine excellent traction and travel capabilities, especially on steep or rough terrain. Combined with Kobelco’s independent travel system, which allows simultaneous movement, lifting, and swinging without power loss, it makes the SK140SRLC-7 a standout performer in demanding jobsite conditions.

Kobelco’s focus on efficiency and productivity means their excavators offer power and reliability, without compromising operator comfort and machine operability.