More than a career: Five mates, three decades and one remarkable journey

In the early 1990s, at Liebherr-Australia’s first facility in Western Australia on Ferguson Street in Kewdale, this small team laid the foundations for what would become five remarkable careers.

This is a story of five friends – comrades, colleagues, and true Liebherr product ambassadors.

It all started on the workshop floor with three first-year heavy diesel mechanic apprentices – Daniel, Peter, and Luke. Martin joined the team after his service in the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) as a senior heavy diesel mechanic and acted as a mentor to the team. Tim, an experienced workshop leading hand, supported builds, technicians, and ensured maintenance and repair work was completed safely, efficiently, and to factory standards – most importantly, guiding and supporting the team.

What makes this group unique isn’t just their long-serving tenure. Together, they represent close to 140 years of combined service and collaboration at Liebherr-Australia. Over three decades, they’ve grown alongside the business, they’ve trained one another, reported to one another, led teams, supported key customers, and stepped into new opportunities as the business expanded.

When asked what it feels like to work at Liebherr, their responses were almost identical:

‘It doesn’t feel like going to work. It feels like going to be with mates… and getting a job done.’

Each began at their respective mechanical trade level on the workshop floor. Today, their careers reflect the scale of opportunity within Liebherr-Australia:

Daniel - Operations Manager, Western Australia (29 years)

• Daniel has worked across multiple regions and roles throughout Western Australia – Perth, Newman, and Kalgoorlie. He has had a significant influence in supporting the Kalgoorlie and Newman branches as area supervisor and continues to be an integral leader as operations manager of the branch in the mining capital of Australia, Perth. When not playing a key role within the Perth team, Daniel enjoys water sports, caravanning, cooking, and spending time with his family.

Tim Broderick – Customer Support Representative (35 years)

• Tim has been instrumental in introducing flagship excavator classes to the Western Australian market, including the R 991, R 992, R 994, R 984ME, R 9250, R 995, R 996, and the R 9800 – just to name a few. When he’s not working on Liebherr excavators, you’ll find him trackside – building, racing, and living his passion for speedway.

Martin – Commissioning Officer (29 years)

• Martin supports key mining operations and commissioning projects across the state. “I found my fit with Liebherr-Australia. It’s the camaraderie, shared knowledge, and friendliness of the teams that make it feel like home,” he says. Martin enjoys family time, travelling, and camping.

Peter Eaton – Customer Support Representative (22 years)

• A trusted advisor to long-term customers, Peter has built his career across product support, customer support and technical roles. He played a key role in introducing the ultra-class mining fleet, the R 9600, in Western Australia, and has contributed to other regional milestones since his time as an apprentice. He enjoys golf, the AFL (Australian Football League) and being outdoors - along with spending time with his family and toddler, who keep him busy outside the Liebherr world.

Luke McKay – Customer Support Manager (21 years)

• Progressing through multiple technical roles and now in a leadership position supporting a key Western Australian customer, Luke has transitioned through nearly six roles, gaining experience across various teams. He enjoys family time, supporting his kids’ sporting activities, working on the tools and helping with his father’s business. Outside of work, you’ll find him enjoying Perth’s white sand beaches,camping and smoking meat.

Together, they’ve worked across more than ten teams and over 15 roles, demonstrating what’s possible through long-term careers shaped by internal mobility, technical excellence, and trust.

When reflecting on why they’ve stayed, the answer goes beyond longevity:

“It’s the friendships. The people we’ve worked with for so long – and our shared love for the product.”

Over three decades, they’ve witnessed extraordinary technological transformation. The machines they started on bear little resemblance to today’s innovation-driven fleet.

‘The product I started with compared to what we have now — it’s like walking through a museum. Being part of that journey with friends makes it even better’ says Law-Davis.

‘We’re best in class. From the excavators we commissioned back then to today’s technology – it’s just a marvel.’ Tim adds.

They’ve seen the evolution of safety standards, digital diagnostics, automation, and electrification. They’ve supported customers through industry cycles, site expansions, and technological change. And through it all, they’ve remained proud ambassadors of Liebherr engineering – built on quality, innovation, and reliability.

In the early days, before modern PPE standards and structured systems, the most important safety measure was looking after one another. That mindset hasn’t changed.

‘It doesn’t feel like family – it is family!’ Law-Davis concludes.

This is evident in how they continue to support one another. Even across different roles and reporting lines, they draw on shared experience, collective knowledge, and decades of trust.