Why so many hands in a quarry belt swear by one brand

Dawn is the time of silence. But not in Talegaon, located on the outskirts of Pune in Maharashtra State. Here every morning, as the first rays of the sun break out, the quarry belt of this industrial hub comes alive with the roar of heavy machinery. The pace is hectic, the action frenetic and the atmosphere electric. “It’s been like this ever since local authorities imposed the rule,” says Sanjay Patil, Owner of Kamdhenu Earthmovers. He is referring to the new time rule which grants permission for all quarry operations in the belt - including blasting, loading and transportation – only between 7am and 11pm. “It effectively means we get less than a day,” says Vinayak Harpale, Owner of Pallavi Constructions. “That puts huge pressure on both man and machine to operate with clockwork precision to protect margins,” adds Satish Kalwade, Owner of Khandoba Stone Crusher. They are echoing the twin challenges faced by all contactors in the quarry belt of Talegaon - tight deadlines because of restricted timings and stretched margins on account of intense competition. “Impossible to manage, without Volvo!,” declares Satish Patil, Owner of Shree Constructions.

Kamdhenu Earthmovers, Pallavi Construction, Khandoba Stone Crusher and Shree Constructions are among several contractors in the quarry belt that own and operate Volvo Excavators. Kamdhenu Earthmovers own a fleet that includes one each EC480DL, EC480 and EC380, two EC300 and eight EC210DL excavators while Pallavi Constructions own three EC210DL, two EC210BLC and one each EC290, EC300DL, EC380DL machines. “We are the first in Maharashtra to use Volvo EC480-size excavator for this application,” says Sanjay Patil. Shree Constructions has been operating Volvo excavators for years now and owns two EC380DL, four EC210DL and one EC210B Prime excavators. “Our EC210B Prime has already logged in 14,000 hours and still going strong,” beams Satish Patil. Khandoba Stone Crushers are new owners and are pleased with the shift to Volvo Excavators. “Far better in speed and performance than what we were using earlier,” reveals Satish Kalwade.

Rising to the challenge
All four contractors concur there is no match to Volvo excavators, especially when it comes to quarry applications. “You know how it is with quarry work,” says Sanjay Patil, “All rough and tough - higher vibrations, greater wear and tear... anything less than a Volvo could prove costly!.” He believes the sturdy construction of Volvo machines assures longer life and robust performance in quarry mining. Vinayak Harpale finds his Volvo Excavators consumes less fuel without compromising on productivity. “I actually get 25% more work done with my Volvo spending 5% less fuel. Doesn’t that make good business sense?”

Satish Kalwade is delighted with the support provided by local dealer, Team Engineers. He says, “My machine is quite new and yet they are providing support as if it has been there for years!” Satish Patil of Shree Constructions is clearly satisfied with the overall performance of Volvo Excavators. “The productivity is way more, the fuel consumption way less, the machines are really rugged and maintenance support just perfect. Is it any surprise Volvo remains our trusted partner over so many years?!”

Champions of the quarry
The contractors in the quarry belt of Talegaon have their work cut out every morning. It’s a difficult job in the pits – to dig in, haul and transport material to distant factories all in a matter of hours – day in day out. But they are tough and ever willing to rise to any challenge. They have mastered the ability to deliver, no matter the odds. They have the expertise, the experience and the people. “And above all, we have our Volvos,” they sign off in a chorus.