Page 31 - HUB-4 Magazine Issue 90

Crushing & Screening
Buying a crusher –
‘People are the big thing’
Anthony Ryan of McHale Plant Sales states: In
days of yore, when dealing with courtship,
marriage, and a happy life thereafter, a word of
cautionary advice that grandmothers were wont
to pass-on to their offspring was this: ‘Marry in
haste and regret at leisure’.
To a love-struck young man or his adoring young girlfriend, it
was a chilling warning enough to dull anyone’s ardour.
Recognising that there is often truth in these old sayings, one
wondered if the same wisdom would apply to quarry owners
and aggregates producers seeking to purchase a crusher with
the promise of a happy life to follow.
To satisfy this curiosity, Hub-4 spoke to Anthony Ryan, director
at Metso crushers distributor McHale Plant Sales in Tamworth.
Hugely accommodating and always willing to give of his
experience and knowledge to those who would ask, Ryan
confirmed that long and lasting relationships are quite normal
throughout the crushing and aggregates community.
His main recommendation is that all intending buyers would
invest ‘serious time’ conducting research into the equipment
one wishes to purchase, and having done so, ‘spend even more
time on what is arguably the more important point, that being
‘to study and enquire into the nature and character of the
people from whom they wish to make a purchase, and into the
culture and personality that guides their business practices’.
Stressing that ‘people are the big thing’, Ryan believes that
once the right machine is chosen, the next matter of greatest
importance is the ‘culture of flexibility’ that exists on the
supplier side.
“Customer support and service are big issues. Knowing that
no machine will run forever, and that somewhere along the
way a component will fail and need replacement, every buyer
should spend time getting to know the supplier/distributor into
whose care he is about to place his trust, his expectations, and
a considerable investment in financial terms.”
“A customer facing an interruption in production and ‘revenue-
sapping’ down-time will have one priority above all others: to
get his distressed crusher up-and-running as soon as
possible...even if it means leveraging his supplier into going
the extra mile to secure a solution.”
To avoid downstream difficulties, Ryan fervently believes that
customers should ease pressure on themselves by doing
everything possible to ensure they buy from a supplier willing
to take on board their customers’ goals as though they were
their own.
“Look for an energetic and supportive partner strong enough
to have the full support of, and power of influence over, the
manufacturer whose products they represent” he urges.
“Be happy that they maintain ample spare parts to meet most
eventualities and, in extreme situations, the capacity to source
and supply them without delay.
“Check too their culture in relation to on-site service support;
their understanding of speed and the importance of fast
response times; and if they have a ‘round-the-clock’ work
mentality and a ’can do’ culture of flexibility” he advises.
“Secure access to the ‘higher-ups’ on your supplier side and
gather those vital ‘call me if you need me’ contact numbers.
“Avoid those working to a strict 9am - 5pm timetable where
your after-hours contact is limited to a ‘sorry our office is
closed’ message minder.
“Welcome those who place value on being a ‘friend of your
business and a lynchpin in your success’ - people who would
drive through the night to get a customer out of trouble
This quest for flexibility should relate also to other aspects,
Ryan suggests. “Mindful that top quality crushing and
screening equipment comes at a premium price, buyers should
seek-out a supplier with the flexibility required to structure a
capital expenditure proposition that promises affordability
built-in at all points,” Ryan adds.
“From purchase price to trade-ins, with rent-to-buy and other
tailored options, a well-funded distributor not ‘hide-bound’ by
rigid corporate rules and procedures can often be better
placed to ‘talk turkey’ with customers who are keen to get on
with ‘doing the business they do best’ without the drag and
fear of a burdensome funding arrangement fixed to their
business like a ball and chain” Ryan added.
www.hub-4.com Jan/Feb - Issue 90
| p31 |