The Divall’s legacy began in 1969 after Johnny Divall purchased Lone Pine, a property in Carrick near Goulburn, NSW.
Sons Mick and Andy then purchased the Carrick quarry in 1991 and established the Divall’s Earthmoving and Bulk Haulage business.
Over the past 50 years, the family business has seen significant growth, now employing over 300 people and offering a vast range of civil works and baulk haulage products and services to local government and industry.
A key component of the Divall’s success story is the focus on investing in technology, as well as finding new methods and equipment to continuously improve operational efficiency, accuracy and safety.
Divall’s also readily invests in training employees to ensure the group maintains a highly skilled team of expert operators. The organisation provides unique mentorship initiatives and programs for next generation operators to learn from their more experienced coworkers.
Powered by a fleet that includes over 59 Cat machines, the Divall’s business has a longstanding relationship with Caterpillar and WesTrac.
“We’ve got confidence in the product and exclusively have Cat dozers in our fleet. We have Cat graders, rollers and compactors. The Caterpillar and WesTrac teams do a great job for us, we can’t wait for the next 50 years” Andy Divall said.
With the focus on new technology, Divall’s has invested in various Cat Next Gen machines to take the business another step forward.
Divall’s was one of the first Australian companies to purchase the Cat D6 XE high drive electric Dozer soon after the model’s global launch in 2019.
Divall’s Manager of Plant Operations Daniel Morris said the D6 XE’s power, inbuilt earthworks and GPS systems, as well as the added operator comfort, have helped improve output and reduce costs.
“We’ve had six D6s all up, and every one of them has been amazing,” Daniel said.
“We’ve got good hours on them and they haven’t let us down. The D6 XEs have improved our productivity and reduced our fuel consumption – they tick all the boxes.”
The Cat XE range is the premium offering across multiple machine classes, signifying the next generation of machines designed to improve system efficiencies, operator productivity and assist businesses to achieve greater sustainability outcomes. The XE models enable greater precision for operators performing their work through enhanced design, inbuilt software and systems.
Caterpillar data shows that on average, the Cat D6 XE electric drive dozer provides up to 35 per cent overall improvement in fuel efficiency. That is without compromising on performance, with constant power to the ground, greater agility and faster cycle times. And that results in reduced overall maintenance costs as well as improved operator safety and comfort.
“The system is phenomenal and is easy to use,” Daniel said.
“The added improvements to operator visibility from the cabin and reduction in machine noise have created a safer working environment and reduced risks.”
In addition to the operational and safety benefits, the improvement in fuel efficiency provides companies a feasible pathway to reduce their carbon footprint and ultimately achieve greater sustainability outcomes.
The development of the Cat XE technology forms part of Caterpillar’s wider commitment to providing customers with innovative solutions that help customers reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition, the new model has special appeal to one of the owners.
“Andy Divall was intrigued by the D6 XE’s electric drive system,” Daniel said.
“He’s passionate about the electric vehicle movement and has a bit of a dream about electric trucks and the future of our industry.”
WesTrac offers a range of Cat XE machines to serve a broad array of construction and mining applications. That includes offerings across the dozer, wheel loader, compact track loader, skid steer loader and underground loader range.
And that’s something that Divall’s is looking at closely.
"We are looking to get more Cat equipment that will continue to grow our next generation fleet and build on the same outcomes we’re seeing from the D6 XE,” Daniel said.
The Divall’s team also invests in WesTrac’s S•O•S fluid sampling service, complementing the preventative maintenance regime to ensure the fleet stays in optimum condition and providing advanced notice of potential issues before they become a real problem.
“The fluid sampling service is a key part of our proactive maintenance process,” Daniel explained. “It ensures we keep on top of any equipment issues before they cause any major breakdowns or problems.
“It’s a small investment to make when you consider the potential impact and costs associated with a breakdown during a project. The loss of time and potential impact to our reputation with our customers would be very costly.
“The sampling process is very easy and the service WesTrac provides is second to none.”
Divall’s is also set to remain in good hands into the future, with Jack Divall, son of Andy, having recently been awarded the best equipment operator in NSW at the WesTrac-hosted Caterpillar Global Operator Challenge.
Cody from Jamieson Civil has been an operator for over 13 years. He has since grown his own business to have 11 employees and eight machines. He explains the factors that have led to his success.
