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Western Australia’s best operator named in Global Operator Challenge
Open Pit Supervisor Max Harris from Boulder has been crowned Western Australia’s best Cat® machinery operator following the nail-biting State Final of the Caterpillar® Global Operator Challenge on Friday 7 March.
The 32-year-old, who works with Northern Star, outperformed 10 other finalists in a series of three challenges, designed to test the skill, accuracy, and agility of competitors.
Max took out the title of State Champion and won an all-expenses-paid trip to Japan, where he will put his skills to the test against international operators at the Asia-Pacific Regional Final in October.
From there, only three operators will be selected to travel to Las Vegas in March next year to compete against the world’s best operators in the Caterpillar Global Operator Final held at CONEXPO 2026.
WesTrac WA General Manager of Construction Cameron Callaway said the WA final, held at WesTrac’s Perth Branch dig pit, involved a variety of different challenges and required skills across three different Cat machines.
“The tasks performed by competitors included digging a trench, loading and carrying material over an obstacle course, and navigating a tight course, which all had to be completed with safety front-of-mind,” Cameron said.
“All of the operators, who have come from various companies across WA’s mining and construction industries, completed these tasks with remarkable precision, however there could only be one State Champion.
“Congratulations to Max and on behalf of the entire team at WesTrac, we wish him every success as he heads to Japan to represent Western Australia.”
This year the 2025-26 Global Operator Challenge coincides with two major milestones, Caterpillar’s 100-year anniversary of providing industry-leading equipment globally and WesTrac WA commemorating 35 years as a Cat dealer.
As WesTrac CEO Jarvas Croome explained, today’s event provided the perfect platform to celebrate the two milestones by showcasing the latest and most advanced Cat equipment alongside the best operator talent in the industry.
“Today’s Global Operator Challenge showcased just how far Cat machines, tools, and technology have evolved over the past century,” Jarvas said.
“On behalf of the entire WesTrac team, I’d like to thank the participating operators, and the businesses involved, for bringing a vibrant energy and atmosphere to the WA Final.
“We are exceptionally proud to have hosted this renowned industry event for the second time at our Perth Branch and we look forward to cheering on our State Champion in the Asia-Pacific Regional Finals.”
The Global Operator Challenge was launched by Caterpillar in 2019 with WesTrac participating for the first time in 2022. This year, WesTrac will also host the New South Wales Final at its Tomago headquarters on Friday 28 March 2025.
Learn more about the Global Operator Challenge by visiting www.cat.com/operatorchallenge.
Authorised Images
- Image 1 – Max Harris celebrates his win at the WA Caterpillar Global Operator Challenge final
- Image 2 – The 11 finalists from across the state after a big day of competition
- Image 3 – A view of the three challenges at the WesTrac Perth Branch dig pit
- Image 4 (L-R) – WesTrac CEO Jarvas Croome, Northern Star Open Pit Supervisor Max Harris and WesTrac GM Construction Cameron Callaway
As one of the largest authorised Cat equipment dealers in the world, WesTrac provides customers with a wide range of mining and construction equipment as well as comprehensive whole-of-life management solutions designed to make owning and operating equipment as easy, profitable and safe as possible. With more than 4,500 staff, WesTrac is focused on long-term customer relationships and a dedication to customer service, safety, quality and the environment.
To achieve this, we commit to building better together through collaboration and collective action. Helping customers achieve their own ESG objectives to reduce emissions through product advancements and technology solutions. This shared goal of a sustainable future for all is why we are focused on Responsibility, Advancement, Community, Inclusivity, Development and Solutions, as a means to deliver long-term positive success for the environment, customers, team members, stakeholders and the wider community.
Community development and support is an important part of the WesTrac philosophy, and we are proud to support local activities, events and charities in the regions we are based. As part of SGH Ltd, WesTrac also has strong alliances with other leading Australian businesses, including Seven West Media, Boral, Coates and SITECH.
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