My
My name is Patrick Buniazet and I have worked for Delmonico Dorel for 18 years. The family-run company was established 20 years ago and is based near Chanas, close to the River Rhone. It has 160 employees and owns four quarries in the surrounding region.
Materials are delivered from its quarries up to 20km away to the six-hectare stockyard in Sablons. They are then sold to construction companies. Sales account for 29 per cent of the business; quarrying 39 per cent.
I have worked at the stockyard in Sablons for 12 years. Up to 56 different types of materials are kept here, including salt and aggregates. I use a Hitachi ZW310 wheel loader to load trucks and barges on the river.
HITACHI
Delmonico Dorel owns six Hitachi ZW310 wheel loaders; two at this site and four in other quarries. This model is two years old and already has 4,000 hours on the clock. The average is 1,000 hours a year, so this proves how much we rely upon it.
The company also owns two Hitachi LX290 wheel loaders, and Hitachi ZX500 and ZX280 excavators. Delmonico Dorel has been a customer of official Hitachi dealer Teramat since 2003. President Bernard Delmonico has known Teramat Sales Manager Gilles Reynard for 30 years, so the relationship between the two companies is very strong.
Experience
I have been driving the ZW310 for two years. It is much more comfortable than the previous LX model, and is quick and easy to manoeuvre.
The machine has a good loading capacity – the bucket can carry seven tonnes – and is highly productive. For example, it can load 1,750 tonnes on to barges in eight hours. The engine is powerful, particularly when driving uphill with a heavy load.
We usually work 12 hours a day, so I appreciate the comfortable cab, especially the air conditioning in summer. It is also spacious and has good visibility, which is very important for safety on this busy site.
Overall, the ZW310 is the right machine for the job here at Sablons. It offers the perfect combination of balance, power, speed and size.
FRANCE > ZW310 > QUARRYING