A new chapter for old friends

The latest chapter between Liebherr Brasil LTDA and J. Mendes Group – one of the most recognised businesses in Brazil in a number of industries, including mining, agribusiness and aviation – began in September 2024. At that time, J. Mendes Group was in the midst of an expansion and was looking to increase the scale of its operations by incorporating larger machines into its fleet. J. Mendes Group shared its plans with Liebherr Brasil and after some discussions it was decided that the 150 t class R 9150 mining excavator, with its reputation for impressive productivity and fuel efficiency – as well as its standard bucket capacity of up to 9.6 m3 – would be the perfect solution. Well, three of them to be exact.

‘The entire commercial and technical team at Liebherr assisted us in our decision to acquire the R 9150. After extensive studies and discussions, we were able to identify an efficient solution that positively impacted the productivity of our operations,’ says Vinicius Nogueira, supply director, J. Mendes Group.

The start of something new

Liebherr Brasil delivered two of the three R 9150 excavators in mid-2025. The third machine is currently scheduled for delivery in early 2026. All three of the R 9150s will become part of J. Mendes Group’s fleet at the company’s iron ore mine, Ferro+ Mineração, located in the Ouro Preto and Congonhas regions of Minas Gerais. Because these are the first excavators of their kind to enter Ferro+ Mineração, Liebherr Brasil has needed to ensure that these machines, and J. Mendes Group’s onsite personnel, have the support they need to keep these excavators running smoothly every shift.

‘To ensure the success of this new stage, we have put together a 24/7 support structure with qualified personnel and parts availability to guarantee the highest uptime for this new fleet,’ explains Jair Machado, divisional commercial manager for mining equipment, Liebherr Brasil. ‘Our technical team will provide both preventative and corrective maintenance while our Guaratinguetá branch will supply J. Mendes Group with the spare parts needed to ensure the physical availability and productivity of the machines.’

A partnership for the ages

Over the course of the past two decades, J. Mendes Group’s mining fleet has included more than 50 Liebherr machines: 26 wheel loaders with tipping loads of 20 t, two 40 t crawler dozers, 23 excavators with operating weights ranging from 37 to 65 t, and, of course, the three brand-new 150 t class excavators. But none of this would have been possible without the successful delivery of J. Mendes Group’s first Liebherr machine, an R 944 B excavator, more than 20 years ago.

‘This first deal was the outcome of a successful demo involving several people from both Liebherr Brasil and J. Mendes Group,’ says Machado.

Eventually, the formidable performance of that first R 944 B led J. Mendes Group to add an L 580 wheel loader to its fleet in February 2005 – which was the first in all of Brazil at the time – and impressed the customer with its durability and efficiency. The rest, as they say, is history.

‘We are very proud to have cultivated such a solid and successful partnership for over 20 years. It’s more than a commercial relationship – we have built a bond based on integrity, simplicity and mutual respect,’ says Daniel Poll, commercial director, Liebherr Brasil. ‘May there be many more decades of success and collaboration.’

Nogueira seconded these sentiments, praising Liebherr Brasil’s dedication to quality support and creative solutions for J. Mendes Group’s operations.

‘Our partnership with Liebherr Brasil over the past two decades has been built on trust, expertise and a shared commitment to excellence. Their reliable support and innovative solutions have played a crucial role in the growth and success of our operations. We look forward to continuing this strong collaboration for many years to come,’ concludes Nogueira.

Story originally published in Groundbreaking magazine 2 | 2025

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