GOOD old customer service is a rarity these days but if the stellar rise of MHM Contracting is anything to go by, service is definitely not lost on their mining customers.
The company started operations in April 2018 and has grown rapidly in that time.
Its operation now has a head office in Applecross, WA, and workshops in both Port Hedland and Perth.
MHM is active on 21 mine sites across WA and that number is expanding as new customers begin to appreciate the company’s work ethic, loyalty, transparency and honesty.
According to business owner, Michael Higgins, the company started out being customer-focused.
“We have continued that ethos since our inception,” he said.
“All our staff are hand-picked to ensure they put the client’s needs ahead of all else and focus on doing the best job possible, rather than just dollars and cents.
“Customer loyalty is very important because often contractors come and go and are not necessarily there to see the job through to completion.
“With us, we stay until the job is done – once we take on a job for a client – we stay until it is done and always strive to put a machine back into service as safely and as soon as possible to minimise downtime costs. That is why our motto is always ‘Make It Happen’.”
Maintenance planning and component tracking
Apart from end-to-end maintenance services for all excavators and drilling equipment – surface and underground – MHM also handles back end operations.
Maintenance planning is a significant aspect to any mining operation, as time spent scheduling services and shutdowns helps to streamline the process and allows the mine to stay fully operational by keeping critical equipment in operation while others are offline.
Basically, MHM plans the job in advance to ensure time on site is productive.
Breakdown response
MHM is also regularly involved with trialling new components and systems on behalf of clients.
The aim is to continually improve the life and reliability of these extremely costly machines by constantly keeping up with new technology in the market.
This testing is not limited to clients because MHM Contracting also constantly tests and acquires new tooling for itself, to help keep its own efficiency levels high.
This directly translates to jobs that are completed more safely and efficiently.
MHM is self-sufficient on tooling and consumables, which is backed up by its critical parts stock.
It also has its own industry-leading technical support in-house, which really sets it apart from current industry standards.
Perhaps the most time critical part of the job is breakdown response.
When a machine goes down unexpectedly, production can be significantly impaired or can even grind to a halt.
Every minute that passes is costing the mining company or contractor twice – once for lost earnings and secondly for idle labour and machine time.
Due to the close proximity to clients in the North West and Goldfields of WA, MHM prides itself on their rapid response time.
Literally, as soon as the phone rings, one of its 16 field service units is dispatched, and once the issue is shared with that crew, they will stay until it is resolved, which is backed up from Perth by technical support.
This is how the company has built such a solid reputation in such a short period of time and why existing customers have kept the company on site to help manage their maintenance and shutdown operations.
MHM is very different to labour hire; once it becomes aware of a customer’s issue, it owns that issue until there is a resolution.
The right people
MHM operations manager Mick Dunsire has more than 30 years experience in mining, and he shares Michael’s attitude towards business and clients.
Mick has helped to build a team of highly qualified, OEM trained and motivated staff at MHM, who are highly invested in the machines they maintain.
An added bonus from assembling the right team is higher levels of safety.
Staff who feel a sense of ownership and pride in their job, work smarter and safer, and this is reflected in MHM’s superb safety record.
The workforce remains injury-free on hours worked to date – more than 60,000 hours spread amongst 11 customers.
Shutdown planning
MHM takes its level of planning a little further than most by ensuring that all parts are on site well beforehand.
The staff are briefed on the whole procedure and supplied with complete parts listings and all MHM-supplied and operated tooling is on site a week in advance to eliminate the risk of delays caused by transport and logistics.
All the administrative work and checklists are completed with the client before MHM’s staff arrive on site.
Furthermore, all MHM’s customers can see their tooling schedule and availability; just another facet of the company’s efforts to be totally loyal, transparent and honest with customers.
It is refreshing to find a company willing to take on maintenance, repairs and shutdowns with a sense of pride and responsibility for the job – a company that will stick by its clients and customers until the job is done.
It is the people that stand by you in the hard times that you remember and with a ‘make it happen’ philosophy, MHM Contracting will be there through fair weather or foul.
Source:
MHM Contracting
www.mhmcontracting.com.au
