Austrack Founder and Managing Director Michael Benson takes time out to speak with The Australian Pipeliner about his company’s relentless pursuit of excellence in service.
If you want to know the heart and soul of a company you will generally find it most clearly expressed in its founder. That is undoubtedly the case with Austrack Equipment where founder and managing director Michael Benson leaves his unmistakable stamp on the company.
Michael Benson, like the company he founded, is busy, determined and customer-focused with a can-do attitude that permeates everything he does.
He started his career in Ireland and operated machinery before he’d even left school.
When he arrived in Australia a quarter of a century ago, no one could have foreseen the circuitous route he would take to end up as the driving force behind Austrack Equipment. Over the last almost fifteen years he has developed the company into one of the most dynamic equipment hire companies servicing a range of sectors but always with an emphasis on pipelining.
On arrival in Sydney, it wasn’t long before he found his way into pipeline construction. Quickly Michael moved from machine operator into ever more challenging and demanding roles: supervisor, field operations manager, and construction superintendent. Always with a home base in Brisbane, pipelining took him to every corner of Australia.
“All the while in those frontline roles I was learning what pipelining was all about,” he said. “I was also learning about operating in the harsh Australian environment, in remote bush locations where the terrain was challenging, where machine reliability is critical, and where machine breakdown is sometimes catastrophic and always costly.
“The pressure of getting pipe in the ground can be relentless, keeping ahead of the build program, ensuring key project deadlines are met, managing the complicated mix of men and machinery in a shared purpose that delivers hardship and reward in almost equal measures.
“During my time in pipeline construction I have worked on major pipelines all over Australia. I spent time on the Burdekin Dam and pipeline in Queensland and on the Sugar Loaf water pipeline in Victoria. I have worked on the Sino iron ore project near Karratha in WA’s Pilbara. I have worked on gas gathering activities in the Surat Basin.
“When the time came to do my last fly-in fly-out, when the last section of pipe had been hammered home, when the compaction testing had all been passed, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to set up a heavy equipment hire company that would bring a very particular expertise to service pipeline contractors. The knowledge I had gained from machine operator right up to construction manager I could now use to assist pipeline contractors to get the best equipment to complete their projects.”
Benson recalls his first staff hire, Donna Owens, whom he had already worked with on a number of pipelines. Donna is now Austrack Equipment General Manager which will give an insight into another of the qualities highly valued in the organisation that bears his stamp: loyalty.
“In truth it wasn’t really a hire at all. I had a plan and an idea of how it might be achieved and Donna agreed to come along for the ride, and I am very pleased that she did.
“At first we operated out of a small yard in Eagle Farm with machines numbered on the fingers of one hand. Believe me, it wasn’t hard to keep track of everything. Our premises were not exactly a hole in the wall, but it was a modest beginning, certainly.
“Donna was a perfect fit for the business. I knew equipment and what worked and what was needed to build pipelines and Donna knew computers, invoicing, accounting, contracts and all of the endless paperwork necessary to survive and grow. And grow we did.
“The original two eventually became four and we were on our way.”
Now Benson looks out over the 12,000m2 yard in Pinkenba, Brisbane that is complimented by satellite yards in Mackay, Toowoomba, Rockhampton and more recently Perth. The original handful of machines now numbers more than four hundred and there are close to another one thousand attachments.
Benson is a modest man and a plain speaker. In talking about the Austrack journey from where it began to where it is now, it is noticeable that he studiously avoids use of the word ‘I’.
When he talks, it is about the team and the critical power of collaboration in getting the job done.
He does, however, credit his hiring of staff who have been out on pipelines working, as an important part of the success of the company.
“Look, it makes good business sense, having staff who understand the environment in which our customers operate,” he said. “People who have done the job and lived the life themselves, giving them a unique perspective. We pride ourselves in our responsiveness and customer focus.”
Apart from a uniquely well-credentialled workforce and the sheer number and range of yellow iron beasts that Austrack has available to keep its customers supplied, there is one other business decision that has fuelled the company’s growth over the last few years. The development of its SafeVac Lifting Systems vacuum lifting attachment has been an unqualified success, and added manufacturing to Austrack’s core role.
Benson said the introduction of the vacuum lifting attachment has been a driver of Austrack growth since the first unit was rolled out three years ago. It was a big decision at the time to get involved in design and manufacturing,
But customer response has proved that decision is sound.
“We have now released three models, and we are really well-placed to provide vacuum lifting attachments for all pipe sizes, weights, and materials,” he said.
“Our SV200 unit fitted onto a Hitachi ZX170 wheeled excavator is perfect for polyethylene work and we already have a number of units operating on gas gatherings in Queensland’s Surat Basin. Going forward with gas production likely to ramp up again, I believe our SV200 combination will be a great choice for contractors. It is the perfect combination of speed and maneuverability both essential elements when PE is in use.
“And all of our units carry the Australian Made logo and Australian patents with world-wide patents pending.
“The move into vacuum lifters has allowed us to broaden our customer base, which now includes all of the Tier One pipeline contractors.
“That makes for exciting times at Austrack.”
Pressed on the future and what it looks like for Austrack, Benson said: “I am confident we are well-placed to continue to grow, but we take nothing for granted.
“We are only as good as our last job. ‘Everything begins and ends with our customers’ is not just a cute phrase, and ‘we make it happen’ is a promise we always intend to keep.”