Liebherr lands in Hawaii

The 150-tonne excavator was delivered to Hawaiian Cement’s Halawa Valley Quarry in O‘ahu. Halawa Valley Quarry is capable of producing more than one million tons of aggregates and manufactured sand per year, which is then provided to businesses throughout Hawaii as well as to Hawaiian Cement’s three concrete plants. Hawaiian Cement is also part of the Knife River Corporation – one of the largest construction materials and contracting businesses in the USA – which has operations in several mainland states. Hawaiian Cement‘s Halawa Valley site has been in operation since 1939 and was one of the quarries used by the US Navy during World War II.

Powerful performance

As Hawaiian Cement is the only cement provider in Hawaii, onsite productivity and fleet cohesion are vital for its day-to-day activities. This is one of the major reasons why the company chose to work with Liebherr and its R 9150 excavator. As the primary digging equipment at Halawa Valley Quarry, the new excavator has helped to increase productivity by providing a better pass match for the haul trucks in the existing fleet. With the R 9150, the customers’ haul trucks can now be filled in three passes, rather than the four that were previously needed.

“Because of the R 9150’s class-leading payload capacity and its increased fuel efficiency, we believe that this excavator will be a fantastic asset to help Hawaiian Cement meet its expanded productivity targets,” says Nathan Goerke, Regional Sales Manager, Southwest, Mining, Liebherr USA.

First-class support

For Hawaiian Cement, one of the most critical deciding factors for working with Liebherr was the company’s reputation for providing exceptional customer service. “Because we’re located on an island, responsiveness is critical to our success,” says Sean Haggerty, Vice President of Support Services, Hawaiian Cement. “There is no such thing as ‘next day’ for us in Hawaii.” From the outset, the Liebherr USA team impressed Hawaiian Cement with its technical knowledge, professionalism, and ‘get-it-done’ attitude. “Working with the Liebherr team from the conceptual phase through to design, build, and commission was nothing short of exceptional,” explains Haggerty.

Liebherr USA will continue to support Hawaiian Cement with ongoing training and development for onsite personnel, focused on the operation and mechanics of the R 9150. This training will be provided by a mixture of onsite Liebherr technicians and remote monitoring services to ensure the health of this excavator for years to come. “We are excited for our new partnership with Hawaiian Cement which will allow us to demonstrate the high quality of Liebherr’s equipment and support services to the local area,” continues Goerke.