If we examine the moment a business finds its niche, it’s not uncommon to trace it to the time it landed one key account from which everything else subsequently springboards.
For High Access Group, a family business headquartered in Heidelberg West, that moment arrived when it won its first contract with the City of Melbourne.
From initial lighting repairs and installations to Christmas decorations it has, over the past 15 years since, grown into a serious enterprise now with three core divisions: Electrical Cabling Services, High Access Equipment Hire, and Lighting Design and Manufacturing.
The business was formed over 20 years ago by brothers John and Michael Newton.
They remain the sole owners of the business today. Operations kicked off with the purchase of a single scissor lift which led to a Nifty-Lift elevated work platform (EWP).
That in turn led to the acquisition of several Mazda BT-50s carrying EWPs and eventually horizontal directional drills and vacuum excavator trucks.
There are 200 trucks in the fleet and over 350 pieces of equipment in total. High Access recently took delivery of a DiggerVac 7000 from Vacuum Truck Supplies – its first – after a thorough search.
The team had been even prepared to import something from overseas, going as far abroad as Germany. Most of the products that they had viewed during this reconnaissance, however, were considered generic.
There was, ultimately, a non-negotiable in the planning process. They needed a cassette boom specifically providing an extra 13 metres of reach.
“At the end of the day, extra reach makes a huge difference for operators on site,” said Civil Foreman, Luca Di Paolo.
“We definitely needed that little bit extra.”
When High Access was informed by VTS that they had fitted a cassette boom on a new 6×4 truck, the team dropped a deposit on it as soon as they saw a photo.
“When the truck arrived, we were over the moon,” said Luca.
“We’ve done over 80 hours on it at the moment and haven’t had any problems.”
The DiggerVac 7000 sits on a Volvo FE 350 6×4 platform. Typically, vac trucks don’t enjoy a short wheelbase like the one offered here. It’s proven to be a key feature for the tight points of access that prevail upon daily operations for the business.
“I’ve had people comment on how well everything has been fitted onto the chassis,” said Luca.
“It’s really great in tight spots. The overhang at back is maybe less than a metre, a much shorter wheelbase compared to some of the other trucks out there.”
He added, “It’s a good thing VTS put that vacuum body on that truck.”
Simplicity is important. VTS, according to Luca, excel in this area of their engineering and end-user experience.
The remote control consists of four main functions: water on, vac on, boom out, extend boom. That’s it.
It’s one primary reason Luca treasures the new truck.
The hydraulic-driven controls are another. He prefers intuitive systems to sensor-overload. In this case Molex fully rebuildable ball valves are standard on the inlet and dump mechanism.
These key wear items including filters, and seals are well within reach making them easy to replace for time and cost savings in the workshop.
“A truck doesn’t need to be overcomplicated and VTS understands this,” said Luca
“A vac truck only needs to suck and do water and use the boom. That’s essentially all I need it to do. It’s good that they’ve kept it simple by choosing not to overcomplicate the whole truck. That’s one thing we really like about it.”
VTS, unlike some others in the space, don’t make the mistake of over-burdening the operator with unnecessary technological systems according to Luca.
“At the end of the day it costs a lot more money to have something that is more complicated,” he said.
“Some trucks have far too much going on.”
What he particularly likes about the VTS offering is the deference to vehicle structure and the way it is used to support the design. Being compact promotes efficiencies around operation and access.
The manoeuvrability, as such, doesn’t preclude it from fitting down the many little laneways found in the city of which Melbourne is renowned.
“Honestly, it’s one of the best on the market because you can’t get a truck that is 7,000 litres with 3,500l for water on the size of truck it is,” Luca said. “There’s nothing like it on the market in that size.”
The DiggerVac 7000 features a belt driven Jurop Helix blower for strong vacuum performance.
For NDD (or hydro excavation) work, it is fitted with a UDOR pump delivering 17 LPM at 300 BAR, paired with a 13mm x 30m spring retractable hose reel. Add in the fully hydraulic 6-inch suction boom which is paired with a 5mm 304 stainless steel barrel.
There’s another factor important to the new partnership: support. High Access, has its origins like VTS in Mansfield, the unofficial capital of Victoria’s High Country. Providing support, especially when it is local, means a lot for both parties.
Dealing with VTS for aftersales has been a positive experience according to Luca.
“Warranties these days for some of the bigger companies no longer mean what it once did,” he said.
“That’s what we’ve encountered in the past on some of the machines that we have bought. VTS, on the other hand, has been really good because they have backed their product. They are there to support it. They are not selling a product and forgetting the customer afterwards which has been another plus for us.”
High Access Group’s growing civil division also operates two horizontal directional drill rigs — a Vermeer D20x22 S3 and a TRACTO 130ACS — supporting council infrastructure projects and lighting upgrades across Melbourne. It’s part of a fleet it intends to grow.
At present its civil work is orientated primarily around ongoing council projects with a focus on lighting upgrades for suburban football grounds.
This largely consists of works on conduits, poles, footings, and cablings augmented by the occasional Tier 1 contract.
“We’ve got a few big jobs with the big players at the moment. That’s something we are looking to boost,” said Luca.
“We’re always growing somewhere. Getting into the vac truck market was a stated goal, and we did and it’s been very good to date.” High Access Group operates four separate facilities in Heidelberg West. Luca calls the location a “good in-between.”
The main site is devoted to its hire division.
There’s also a building that houses equipment designated for modification. It contains spray booths and maintenance bays. Some of the older trucks are rebuilt here.
“We’re quite well covered with our Heidelberg West site,” Luca said. “All the main concerns of our business are represented and looked after there.”
Another niche, from which it has seen some success within its hire division is the self-drive cherry pickers that can be operated on a standard driver’s licence.
Being easy to set up makes them great for smaller jobs and moving from site to site.
A theme also emerges. Flexibility is crucial to a business that thrives in delivering multi-purpose solutions.
As a combination unit that handles hydro excavation and non-destructive digging, the DiggerVac satisfies this objective within High Access Group as it matures as a brand within the civil segment.
“We like working with good, solid companies and Vacuum Truck Supplies is just that,” said Luca.
“They’ve been exceptional and we’ll continue to support them.”
For more information, visit vacuumtrucks.com.au
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