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Uptime Matters: Brendan Puglia’s Move to WesTrac Pays Off
After dealing with constant breakdowns and the cost that comes with them, Brendan knew he needed something better. With WesTrac behind him, he’s spending less time worrying about machines and more time getting work done and growing the business.
For Brendan Puglia, earthmoving isn’t just a job, it’s a family legacy. He grew up around machinery, watching his father and brother forge their own paths in the industry. Despite going in a different direction early on in life, the pull of the work was too strong.
“Mum didn’t want me going into earthmoving but I ended up in a machine anyway.”
Today, he runs West Blade Civil, a growing operation delivering everything from house pads and drainage to car parks and roadworks across Western Australia.
At the heart of Brendan’s business is the passion and pride behind his work. He’s built West Blade Civil on reliability, presentation, and doing the job right the first time. But in the early days, that was easier said than done. His first machine – a non‑Cat model – broke down constantly, and when it failed on a remote job in Broome, the costs and delays were brutal.
“Getting parts up there was expensive and slow,” he said. “I’d be waiting weeks. And if I’m down, I’m losing money.”
That experience shaped the way he thinks about value.
Those early breakdowns changed how Brendan looks at machines. For him, it’s not about buying cheap, it’s about staying up and running, knowing support is there when he needs it, and trusting the people backing him. It’s about knowing that when something goes wrong, he’s not on his own.
That experience is what pushed him to look at WesTrac.
His first experience with the team was through sales rep Trevor Hearn, who helped him transition from his unreliable machine into a Cat 255 Compact Track Loader.
“Trevor got the quote to me, sorted finance, and I had the machine pretty quick.”
“It got me rolling again fast.”
The quick turnaround meant he could get back on site, keep commitments to customers, and rebuild momentum.
But what really stood out wasn’t the machine, it was the way WesTrac treated him.
As a small business owner, Brendan admits he wasn’t sure what to expect walking into a large dealership. He assumed the focus would be on big mining customers, not operators like him. Instead, he found the opposite.
“WesTrac made me feel like I wasn’t just a number.”
“WesTrac actually care about you.”
That care showed up in the moments that mattered most. When Brendan experienced teething issues with an older machine early on, WesTrac and Caterpillar® acted quickly.
“WesTrac rebuilt my trust,” he said. “They got me into a new machine and back working. Since then, they haven’t let me down.”
Support has become the backbone of his relationship with WesTrac. Whether its field service arriving on site, parts ready within minutes at a branch, or the convenience of the Cat Central app, Brendan knows there’s always someone ready to lend a helping hand.
West Blade Civil Relies on Cat Central
“Having WesTrac everywhere in Western Australia makes me feel comfortable.”
“If I break down, I know I can get a part straight away, not wait six weeks.”
That reliability doesn’t just keep his business moving, it also impacts how his customers see him. Turning up with clean, modern Cat equipment shows professionalism and capability.
“When my customers see me rock up with a bright yellow Cat machine, they know I’ll get the job done properly,’” he says.
As West Blade Civil grows, Brendan is already planning the next steps — more machines, more capability, more opportunity. His new smart grader blade is just the beginning.
“I want to grow,” he said. “And I’ll be buying more Cat gear for that.”
For Brendan, the relationship with WesTrac comes down to trust – knowing the machines are reliable and the people behind them genuinely want his business to succeed. “They get me up and working quickly,” he said.
“WesTrac look after me. And they’ll keep getting my business.”
When asked to sum up WesTrac as a partner, he doesn’t hesitate:
“Support is everything. WesTrac trust us, we trust them; that’s how the successful relationships work.”
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WesTrac is one of Australia’s leading Caterpillar dealers, supporting industries with world‑class machinery, technology and service. With a focus on safety, innovation and customer success, WesTrac helps businesses build, mine and operate more efficiently. Our team is committed to delivering reliable solutions that keep projects moving.
