Squeaky clean and hard at work
Materials handling has been made more efficient for Molenaar Zand en Grond, a Dutch materials yard, after introducing its first Hitachi ZW180-5 wheeled loader.
Parent company, the road construction, drainage, sewage and groundworks contractor A. Molenaar, bought the233 Hitachi ZW180-5 in November for its materials yard subsidiary. The machine is now loading a steady stream of trucks and trailers at Molenaar Zand en Grond BV’s stockyard at Bergambacht, east of Rotterdam.
The Hitachi ZW180-5 was delivered by the Dutch Hitachi construction machinery dealer1139 HCME Domestic. A. Molenaar will use the machine for its own road projects for about half the time and hire it out to other contractors and private customers in the region.
Molenaar Zand en Grond’s ZW180-5 has a 3m3 bucket and pallet forks. “We rented a ZW250 for three months before deciding to buy,” says Andre Molenaar. “This gave us added confidence in our first Hitachi ZW-5 model, which we chose due to its size, loading capacity and ability to drive on the road. This is the perfect machine for the site, as it has the ability to load everything from trailers to trucks, and is easy to maintain.”
The Molenaar Zand en Grond site is beside the Lek River upon which incoming materials are delivered by boat. But all of the outgoing sand and soil is loaded onto trucks.
“The emphasis is on sustainability with 80% of the distance covered by the materials on water and only 20% by road,” owner Andre Molenaar said. “This is a difficult area to access for deliveries by truck and so this is also a fuel-efficient system.”
“We estimate that fuel consumption of the 5 model range is 17-18% lower than its predecessor. The auto-shutdown is also vital in this respect, for example, when operators are frequently climbing in and out of the cab.” He also said the machines have excellent handling and spacious and comfortable working environment are all important factors.
A. Molenaar was founded in 1941 by Andre’s grandfather and his three sons are the fourth generation of the family to work in the company. The firm’s first Hitachi excavator was an EX150LC, purchased 25 years ago. Since then, the company has purchased 28 machines from HCME Domestic. The ZW180-5 is the first medium wheeled loader in the fleet. It is also the first example of this model working in The Netherlands.
“Hitachi machines are well designed and look stunning,” said Andre, who is also an operator. “We work with our machines for around six years and keep them in excellent condition, so they retain high resale values. Our customers also like to see immaculate equipment on their job sites.”
He also said HCME Domestic stands behind its products through excellent service, offering a favourable total cost of ownership and placing an emphasis on creating solutions when needed.
Parent company, the road construction, drainage, sewage and groundworks contractor A. Molenaar, bought the
The Hitachi ZW180-5 was delivered by the Dutch Hitachi construction machinery dealer
Molenaar Zand en Grond’s ZW180-5 has a 3m3 bucket and pallet forks. “We rented a ZW250 for three months before deciding to buy,” says Andre Molenaar. “This gave us added confidence in our first Hitachi ZW-5 model, which we chose due to its size, loading capacity and ability to drive on the road. This is the perfect machine for the site, as it has the ability to load everything from trailers to trucks, and is easy to maintain.”
The Molenaar Zand en Grond site is beside the Lek River upon which incoming materials are delivered by boat. But all of the outgoing sand and soil is loaded onto trucks.
“The emphasis is on sustainability with 80% of the distance covered by the materials on water and only 20% by road,” owner Andre Molenaar said. “This is a difficult area to access for deliveries by truck and so this is also a fuel-efficient system.”
“We estimate that fuel consumption of the 5 model range is 17-18% lower than its predecessor. The auto-shutdown is also vital in this respect, for example, when operators are frequently climbing in and out of the cab.” He also said the machines have excellent handling and spacious and comfortable working environment are all important factors.
A. Molenaar was founded in 1941 by Andre’s grandfather and his three sons are the fourth generation of the family to work in the company. The firm’s first Hitachi excavator was an EX150LC, purchased 25 years ago. Since then, the company has purchased 28 machines from HCME Domestic. The ZW180-5 is the first medium wheeled loader in the fleet. It is also the first example of this model working in The Netherlands.
“Hitachi machines are well designed and look stunning,” said Andre, who is also an operator. “We work with our machines for around six years and keep them in excellent condition, so they retain high resale values. Our customers also like to see immaculate equipment on their job sites.”
He also said HCME Domestic stands behind its products through excellent service, offering a favourable total cost of ownership and placing an emphasis on creating solutions when needed.
