ISSUE 4 SUMMER 2006 WWW.HCME.COM THE MAGAZINE OF HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY (EUROPE) NV WORKING TO THEHIGHEST STANDARD >

THE MAGAZINE OF HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY (EUROPE) NV Ground Control is published two times a year and is circulated among 90,000 readers. Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV, Siciliweg 5, 1045 AT Amsterdam, The Netherlands Telephone: +31 (0)20 44 76 700 Fax: +31 (0)20 33 44 045 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.hcme.com Editors:Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV:Raymond Hendriks, Marcel van der Eng Coordination: Somacon, www.somacon.nl Design: RBP, www.rbplimited.co.uk Photography: Glenn Blackburn, Imagen and Simon Robinson Translation: Yamagata www.yamagata-europe.com...

The relative success of a business may be represented by its annual cycle of growthand development. This is invariably measured in financial and statistical terms for ease of reference by management, investors and other stakeholders.There is no doubt that the rapid expansion of Hitachi Construction Machinery(Europe) NV (HCME) will be viewed favourably by all concerned. It is no coincidence that the Japanese construction giant has announced the opening of its extension tothe existing factory in Amsterdam (see P.30-31).It has also recorded two other impressive landmarks. The 10,000th Hitachi Zaxisexcavator...

SED is the UKs national event for the construction industry. This year the well-attendedexhibition was held at Rockingham Motor Speedway in Northamptonshire. The distributor of Hitachi Sumitomo cranes, NRC, used the event as the platform tolaunch the Hitachi Sumitomo SCX800-2HD. The 80-tonne hydraulic crawler crane washonoured with the exhibitionҒs Award for Excellence in the cranes and access division.The awards were presented to the most innovative new products introduced to the UKmarket during the past year. Each category was judged by an independent panel ofindustry experts. The awards are...

axis Finance offers flexible financial solutions to help customers with the acquisitionof Hitachi construction equipment. The one-stop shop approach adopted by ZaxisFinance is tailored to meet the all-inclusive needs of the European construction industry. After successfully offering innovative financial solutions to Hitachi customers in therest of Europe, it was time to roll out our financial programme in the Nordics,Ӕ explains Thomas Bohlin, the Zaxis Finance Sales Manager for this region. This was particularly important as Hitachi is the market leader in the mid-rangeexcavator sector in these...

THE SECOND ISSUE OF GROUND CONTROL (SUMMER 2005)FEATURED A LOOK AT THE WORLD OF HITACHI ON A GRAND CORPORATE SCALE. AS WELL AS BEING A LEADING MANUFACTURER OF CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT, HITACHI IS ALSO RENOWNED FOR BEING THE LARGEST ELECTRONICS AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER ON THE PLANET > he brand is probably most strongly associated with its range of consumerelectrical goods. However, Hitachi also incorporates high technology powergenerators, innovative transport systems and cutting-edge IT solutions into its vastproduct range.Hitachi Europe Limited (HEL) was formed in 1982 and is responsible...

DURING THE 20 > TH CENTURY MANY IRISH PEOPLE EMIGRATED. THEY LEFT THEIR COUNTRYBEHIND IN SEARCH OF A BETTER LIFE FOR THEIR FAMILIES. A CLASSIC EXAMPLE IS THE CAREY FAMILY FROM COUNTY TIPPERARY IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND. SINCE ARRIVING IN ENGLAND, THE FAMILY HAS SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISHED ITSELF IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. GROUND CONTROL VISITED SOME OF ITS JOB SITES TO FINDOUT HOW THE BUSINESS HAS DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS. TO CONTRADICT THE OLD IRISH FOLK SONG, ITҒS A LONG WAY FROM TIPPERARY > he Carey Group is a family business that was set up over 35 years ago. The three brothers, Pat, John...

Also, the quality of Hitachi construction equipment cannot be matched. The majority of our plant fleet is Hitachi. All of themachines that are working in Ireland are Hitachi and we are always placing orders for new recruits.ӔThe Carey Group has a machine replacement policy of five years. So, the condition of each excavator is monitored on a regularbasis. One of its Hitachi Zaxis machines has already clocked up over 10,000 hours and has only had to have routine serviceinspections. All used machines are then traded back to HM Plant.Safety is paramount as Sean explains. The Hitachi Zaxis models...

he quality of Swiss craftsmanship is renowned around the world. The countryҒsprecise watches and gorgeous chocolate are just two examples of the pride thatits people take in their work. The countryside is unspoilt and even urban areas areremarkable for their general cleanliness. All of these attributes are apparent whenvisiting the nations official Hitachi distributor for the first time.Jean-Marc Probst is the Managing Director of Probst Maveg. He is friendly,outgoing and immaculately dressed, setting the scene for a tour of the companyҒsimpressive facilities. As it unfolds, Jean-Marcs attention...

that operators will like the machines when they test them. The better performanceҖ through features such as the advanced hydraulic system will hopefully continue to give us the edge over the competition.֓The new mid-range excavators will supersede our best selling models, such asthe ZX225US. We have supplied this machine for various applications. There are no dominant sectors in the Swiss market and our customers cover a broad range ofconstruction activities.No construction companies have a fleet of more than 15 excavators. Rentalcompanies only deal in small numbers with machines of less than...

PROBST MAVEGS BUSINESS STRATEGY IS OF COURSEBEST INTERPRETED IN THE REALITY OF A JOBSITE. SO, GROUND CONTROL TRAVELLED FROM LYSS TOARVIGO, NEAR THE DEALERҒS OSOGNA DEPOT, TO PUT IT TO THE TEST. > This is the setting for a spectacular quarry managed by Alfredo Polti. ProbstMavegs highly valued customer bought two ZX500LCHs for general usage in 2004. The machines endure the toughest working conditions, but this is whereHitachi excavators excel.There is a strong relationship between Probst MavegҒs Regional SalesManager for the Ticino and Graubnden areas, David Frapolli, and AlfredoPoltis Director,...