Proform is an earthmoving civil contractor in Perth, carrying out projects in both regional and metro areas of Western Australia.
As Dale’s business has grown, so has his Cat fleet, which in recent years has included the acquisition of a Cat 315 GC Excavator and a Cat 259 D3 Compact Track Loader.
While working on a 2,500 square metre car park, Dale realised only using a bucket made trimming off difficult and he needed to look for an alternative to make the job more efficient.
Determining a dedicated motor grader was probably going to be too big for most of the jobs Proform typically works on, Dale turned his attention to the Cat GB124 Grader Blade, which has helped transform his Cat 259D3 compact track loader, giving him the function of a full-size grader with the manoeuvrability he needed.
“We did a job for the Shire of Mundaring on a public access way. We had to re-sheet the gravel because over the years, it just eroded away,” Dale explains.
“The Shire got us to do it because we had the small machine to get in there where a bigger grader couldn’t, and they were really happy with it. So, it’s made it a lot easier for me to make my clients happy and it has transformed the business.”
Cat Smart Grader Blade attachments are an industry first bringing intuitive joystick control, a dedicated display screen within the machine’s own advanced display, and blade cross slope and rotation control, to D3 Skid Steer Loader and Compact Track Loader platforms.
This smart blade comes Grade Control ready, so with Laser, GPS or UTS added, it helps guide the operator to accurately grade planes, slopes, contours and complex curves providing blade vertical height and horizontal positioning guidance, enabling control of the blade relative to a design loaded into the grade control system. Automated blade control takes the guesswork out of what the grade should be, allowing operators to achieve design plans faster.
Dale says the added capability provided by the Cat smart blade technology has helped make his job that much easier.
“I simply press a button to set a two per cent grade on it, or whatever mainfall I want, double click the left lever and it flips across the other way so I can reverse it. It just makes it that much quicker and easier to get a nice finish,” he adds.
“I'm not out on the laser level and that sort of thing as much. It's actually got me out of the excavator and into the track machine more because I just enjoy it so much.”
While there are a number of third-party options for grader blade attachments on the market, Dale explains it was an easy decision to go with the Caterpillar option from WesTrac.
“We ended up getting the Cat attachment because we knew it was going to be good quality, and the service we get from WesTrac is great,” he explains.
“When I speak with people I know who have aftermarket grader blades that aren't from Caterpillar, they just can't get them to do the same functions and talk to the machine as well.”
WesTrac sales representative Phil Dowson helped walk Dale through the purchasing process to help him decide on the best solution to meet the growing needs for his business, while delivering the best value.
“Phil always made sure there was time for me, I went down there, and he walked me through the different options and helped me decide what would be the right purchase for me and my business,” Dale says.
“I looked at the blade and he happily accommodated me to talk about the different functionality, how much it was going to cost, and he was very informative about it.”
Another advantage of buying through WesTrac is the support Dale continues to receive beyond his initial purchase.
“On a regular basis we will go visit Proform to do a face-to-face check-in and catch up,” Phil explains.
“We want to ensure he is getting the most out of his purchase and address any issues he may have now or in the future and re-enforce the partnership WesTrac enters into with all of our customers.”
Dale indicates that the quality and reliability of Cat equipment, combined with the unparalleled service provided by WesTrac, will see him stick with Cat machinery as he expands his fleet in the future.
“I've used other machinery companies and the service just isn't the same,” Dale notes.
“If Caterpillar have a machine that I want, I gravitate towards them now. I know the backup is there with WesTrac and the resale on the equipment is just brilliant. I haven't lost money on a Cat machine yet; I always sell them for the same price or if not more. And, with WesTrac’s used department on hand, I have no worries getting rid of older gear when I want to upgrade.”
To find out more about Proform Civil and the work they do visit - https://www.proformcivil.com.au
When Dale Weerts launched his business Proform Civil in 2014, he was a civil engineer providing design work, but it wasn’t long until he started tendering on construction projects that he turned to WesTrac to help his business grow.
