HEATH Davies is general manager of Mecalac Construction Equipment UK. The firm has added a number of new products to its portfolio over the past 12 months and opened a new manufacturing facility in Coventry.
The site will be responsible for manufacturing the new ‘industry-defining’ REVOTRUCK, which has been described as combining a revolving cabbed dumper with off-road trucking capabilities to make material transport ‘smarter and safer than ever before’.
Heath recently told Project Plant about new innovations, the evolution of site dumpers over the decades, and having the last laugh on a grumpy Army sergeant…
Q) What’s your background? How did you break into the plant industry?
A) With significant experience in operations management, continuous improvement and programme direction roles, my career has seen me work across a number of exciting industries. I’ve worked at businesses including Jaguar Land Rover, Radical Sports Cars, Timet UK and Trelleborg AB. Most recently, I was transformation programme manager at aerospace leader Meggitt. Mecalac has therefore been my first dedicated role within the plant industry. I must say, however, that the people, passion and progress make it a really exciting industry to be part of.
Q) What does your current role at Mecalac involve?
A) As UK general manager, my role is multifaceted. As well as leading our Coventry manufacturing operations, I’m responsible for growing market share, optimising profitability and perfecting the customer experience for construction professionals nationwide.
Q) What are some of the latest product innovations from Mecalac and what can we expect to see from the brand in 2024?
A) Over the past 12 months, we’ve announced a number of exciting new additions to the Mecalac product portfolio. Alongside launching a trio of plug-in electric machines (the E12 excavator, ES1000 swing loader and EMDX site dumper), we’ve unveiled our new Mrail-Series of specialist rail-road excavators (comprising the 106Mrail, 136Mrail, 156Mrail and 216Mrail). Most excitingly for the UK market, our all-new REVOTRUCK site dumper is nearing production.
Combining a revolving cabbed dumper with off-road trucking capabilities, REVOTRUCK makes material transport smarter and safer than ever before. Thanks to its unique chassis and central oscillation, operators can safely receive a load before rotating the entire cab at the touch of a button to face the direction of travel with no visual obstructions.
The nine-tonne load capacity variant is powered by a Stage V-compliant 74hp Perkins turbocharged engine, delivering 380Nm torque @ 1,380rpm and featuring a DOC and DPF as standard to minimise environmental impact.
Alongside stylish design and state-of-the-art in-cab technology, operators benefit from unrestricted access to all four corners of the cab. This means you can enter and exit the machine quickly and easily, regardless of the position of the operator station. The rotation of the cab gives optimum visibility for the operator, reducing downtime for tricky manoeuvres, while three steering modes (2-wheel, 4-wheel and 4-wheel crab) and the tightest turning radius on the market make it the perfect earthmoving solution for tight job sites.
Q) What impact do you expect the company’s new manufacturing facility in Coventry to have? What prompted the move to new premises?
A) While we’d been located in Prologis Park for many years, the site no longer suited our future requirements. We therefore took the decision to relocate to a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility just a few miles down the road, which now houses our entire global site dumper and compaction roller operations.
Fitted with the latest production line technologies, the 81,000 sq ft facility is modern, purpose-designed and perfectly suited to our product mix. What’s more, it’s by far the most environmentally-advanced development in the Mecalac group, featuring air source heat pumps, internal and external LED lighting, a rooftop solar array, rainwater harvesting technology and an increased number of EV chargers installed in the car park.
Alongside our existing product portfolio, the site will be responsible for manufacturing our brand new REVOTRUCK product. We’re expecting this machine to revolutionise the safety and efficiency of earthmoving on site.
Q) 2023 marked the 70th anniversary of Mecalac’s site dumper range. What have been some of the biggest milestones and changes seen in the firm’s dumpers over the past seven decades?
A) It’s fair to say that site dumpers are now almost unrecognisable compared to the models that were manufactured back in the 1950s. While they’re still primarily used to move material from one side of a construction site to another, they now include features, functionality and safety-critical technologies that you were previously far more likely to spot in a car than on construction machinery.
In the past few years alone, for example, we’ve introduced and expanded the market’s most celebrated cabbed range – MDX, as well as launching our game-changing REVOTRUCK model.
Q) How has Mecalac responded to increased environmental considerations? Have customers embraced your electric machine options?
A) We’ve always been hugely proud of our efforts to minimise noise and tailpipe emissions on construction sites. Working with our trusted engine partners, our site dumpers have continued to embrace the market’s most efficient and environmentally friendly technologies. As a result, we’ve always been one step ahead of regulations, meaning our customers have access to state-of-the-art equipment that guarantees minimal environmental impact and a low carbon footprint.
When it comes to our plug-in electric range, comprising the E12 excavator, ES1000 swing loader and EMDX site dumper, customer demand and industry buzz has been bigger than we’d ever imagined. Indeed, construction professionals continue to prioritise solutions and equipment that set the global standards in environment performance.
Q) How important is the Scottish market to Mecalac? Do you see scope for growing this further?
A) The Scottish market is, of course, an important focus for the Mecalac brand. We’re very fortunate to work with a number of dealers across the country, which enables access to our products for hundreds of construction professionals. The Scottish market will remain a strategic priority for the Mecalac brand and, as such, we’re committed to working closely with customers, operators and our dealers to ensure we continue to offer products and technologies that suit the specific requirements of the marketplace.
Q) Career highlights?
A) Earlier in my career, I worked very closely on the project to develop particle accelerator equipment with CERN – the European Organisation for Nuclear Research. This was, ultimately, the extended team helping to prove the Higgs Boson theory.
More recently, I managed the successful launch of the Radical SR10 sport car – a pretty impressive feat during their height of the Covid-19 pandemic!
Q) What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
A) Firstly, always be useful. Secondly, only worry about the 1m space in front of you.
Both of these witticisms really help to focus the mind and carefully prioritise. In managerial roles, this is so important.
Q) Any funny anecdotes from your career?
A) Many years ago, while serving in the Army, I was sent on a very late night guard by a grumpy sergeant. Later that day I had the pleasure of watching said sergeant get tangled up in his sleeping bag and fall off the top of his tank. The saying ‘what goes around comes around’ comes to mind!
Q) How do you relax when you’re not working?
A) I enjoy an early morning gym session (well, when the machines are quiet!), as well as playing golf and watching Coventry City Football Club. Play up, sky blues!
