EQUIPMENT FOCUS
LENDING A (SECOND) HAND TO THE MINING INDUSTRY ALBION AUTO AUCTIONS IS A LONG-RUNNING SUPPLIER OF NEW AND USED VEHICLES FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY. AUSTRALIAN MINING SPEAKS TO COMPANY HEAD MARK HODSON.
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lbion Auto Auctions is a business that runs in the blood. A family enterprise run by father and son team Colin and Mark Hodson, it has been supplying expert automotive solutions for over 40 years. The company began operations in the prestige vehicle line, but has since expanded massively over its five decades to encompass many needs of the Australian mining industry, from light truck infantry and dual cabs, to a push into real estate through sister business Bushflower Property, which specialises in FIFO camps, laundries and ablution blocks among various leasing opportunities. The property development side of the business is not limited to the mining industry. Bushflower owns residential and commercial developments in mining towns such as Middlemount and Blackwater (including various industrial blocks). It is currently developing large-scale supermarket and various fast food outlets for inclusion in a new $25 million shopping complex in North Rockhampton, Queensland and also has shopping complex interests in Blackwater as well, among several other projects in Brisbane. “It does get quite busy,” said Mark Hodson, laughing. One of Mark’s more high-profile industry-related acquisitions is his snapping up of BHP as tenants; the company has been making use of one of Bushflower’s buildings as a local headquarters in Blackwater for almost a decade. Albion likewise maintains a high profile, providing vehicular needs for a bevy of notable industry clients, including Anglo American and Rio Tinto. Albion has to maintain a great degree of flexibility, as every client is different, with each mine working to different operational health and safety standards. Albion has to be adaptable and amenable to the needs of different sites, an exacting process. Mark Hodson, the younger half of the father-son duo at Albion, estimates used vehicles to make up around 70
per cent of the company’s sales to mining companies. “Since the downturn there was a lot of cost-cutting going on and the first thing to pull back on were the new vehicles,” he explained. “So Rio and Anglo came to us and we have been able to provide several more mining companies ever since then.” Albion can provide internal OH&S and boarding checks as a personal service as per the operator’s specific safety requirements, including ROPS (rollover protection systems). Newer models of Hilux already carry a fivestar ANCAP safety rating and do not need these checks— but for the older models often available at Albion’s
auctions, this service is essential to ensure maximum safety compliance. “We’ve got two mechanics on hand who put the vehicles up on hoists and give them a full once over — they need to be right before they go to the mine site, and we keep vigorously applied checklists,” Hodson explained. “Being used vehicles there are things that can go wrong of course, but we make sure when they leave our premises that they’re 100 per cent safe.” Albion maintains consistent quality checks for each vehicle it sells, providing meticulous cleaning and detailing services, and thorough mechanical checks — all vehicles
WE’VE GOT TWO MECHANICS ON HAND WHO PUT THE VEHICLES UP ON HOISTS AND GIVE THEM A FULL ONCE OVER — THEY NEED TO BE RIGHT BEFORE THEY GO TO THE MINE SITE, AND WE KEEP VIGOROUSLY APPLIED CHECKLISTS.”
ONE OF ALBION’S LAND CRUISERS READY TO BE AUCTIONED
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have to be roadworthy before being considered ready for sale. While the Toyota Hilux is a popular choice for operators, Albion’s most popular product by far is the Toyota Land Cruiser. Albion supplies mines with new and used vehicles but the latter is becoming an increasingly popular option, Hodson said, due to industry cost cutting. “New vehicles, especially the Land Cruisers, can be expensive; when you start adding the mine spec onto them, the cost can be through the roof,” he explained. “If a mining company can buy something that’s only two to three years old with the mine spec already applied, and for 50–60 per cent of the new price, they’re definitely going to go for it, especially as new vehicles purchased at the same time as our near-new ones, after three to four years at the mine, are worth the same to resell.” AM