Since its inception, Vermeer has grown from a one-person operation to an international organisation that manufactures, distributes, sells and services a huge range of machinery. With over 110 dealerships worldwide, sales in excess of $US1 billion per annum and more than 2,000 manufacturing personnel, Vermeer continues to grow from strength to strength.
Today, Vermeer’s range of trenchless machinery is used on countless job sites across Australia and New Zealand. With machines that save time, save labour and offer superior performance in a wide range of applications, it’s little wonder they’ve proved so popular.
Vermeer’s machines combine innovative technology, hard-working designs and years of industry experience. The company’s products are backed by a worldwide support network that is among the best in the industrial trade.
Global strength with local support
Vermeer has the infrastructure to put people and machinery anywhere in the Asia Pacific region.
With dealerships strategically located in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Indonesia, Vermeer Australia is positioned to look after clients’ machinery requirements, bringing the best that Vermeer has to offer Down Under. The company has in recent years invested significantly to grow its presence in Australia, with the introduction of a Townsville dealership and expansion of operational resources across the east coast of Australia.
In addition to providing some of the highest quality equipment available in the market, Vermeer delivers top quality parts and service. Genuine Vermeer parts are manufactured to exacting specifications to help keep equipment running trouble free. Vermeer Australia also carry a huge range of consumable supplies and accessories from market leading supplies like Baroid Industrial Drilling Fluids and Sherrill Tree Care arborist supplies.
Vermeer workshop technicians undergo a continuous training program, designed to keep them up to date with the latest Vermeer machinery, and with their modern, crane equipped workshop facilities, no job is too big or small.
Pioneering trenchless technology and applications in Australasia
Peter Pullan has been Vermeer Australia’s Managing Director since 1989, bringing a comprehensive range of HDD rigs to the Australian market over the years.
In 1993 Vermeer Australia introduced the company’s HDD equipment into the market, when the Vermeer Navigator was imported.
According to Peter, some of the earliest projects Vermeer supplied equipment for were among the most rewarding.
“Looking back I think the early Optus telecommunications work was some of the most rewarding,” says Mr Pullan. “The industry was in its infancy and every day people were learning new procedures and techniques. The equipment was also developing rapidly at this stage – when the 24×40 and 16×20 hit town they just took off.”
Some of the main developments Mr Pullan has seen in the industry over the years relate to improvements in HDD technology. “Drill rigs are getting bigger without a huge increase in footprint. Also, drillers’ skill levels continue to improve and there is a thirst for knowledge amongst the professional drillers out there.”
Another exciting development introduced by Vermeer was the Vermeer AXIS guided boring system, a pit-launched trenchless installation method designed to achieve pinpoint, on-grade accuracy while eliminating some of the difficult steps associated with other installation techniques. A wide range of product pipe, sizing specifications, and other jobsite requirements can be met with the versatile capabilities of the AXIS system.
The AXIS system has been utilised in a number of Australian applications where it was chosen to meet keyhole pipeline installation requirements.
“Overall, the HDD industry has become more professional. The bores themselves have become longer, larger diameter and/or more complicated and requiring an even greater degree of precision, while drillers for the most part have risen to the levels of professionalism required by the clients.”
All in all, the future looks bright for the trenchless industry, according to Mr Pullan.
“I think we will see strong growth, particularly in auger boring and HDD, which are now becoming part of every designer’s tool kit.”