NSW-based electrical contracting business, MD Industries, has added a new M-16U Huski Construction Equipment mini excavator to its fleet. It says that the excavator has helped it complete its jobs in the trade.

MD Industries director and project manager Matt De Bono started his electrical trade 20 years ago and self-started his current business, which he describes as “multi-disciplinary”, 15 years ago.

“Because we cover so many areas, we can wrap it up as a package: do all the excavations, trenching, footings, the civil works, concreting and of course the electrical side of things. We also provide 24-hour every day quick response,” he says.

“At the moment we’re focused on building a network of electric car-charging stations throughout New South Wales. When it’s complete, and it’s due for completion by June 2021, you’ll be able to find one every 150km, all the way to the state borders.”

Given the regional nature of the network, MD Industries faced logistical challenges in terms of transporting a 2.5-tonne excavator to job sites, as Matt explains: “We go to some pretty far-flung places and it was just too big, heavy and expensive for towing. We were hiring excavators in rural areas but the further we went; it was getting harder and harder to find machines. We were travelling an hour just to get a machine and then an hour back.”

A key feature of the M-16U Huski mini excavator is its exceptional power. Matt considered buying the smallest mini excavator in the Huski range but liaison with Huski construction equipment area sales manager – construction Peter Bower revealed the business could choose a higher-tonnage machine without compromising its transport requirements.

“The new 1.6 tonne Huski is in a different class to our larger machine but for the size of it, it is very powerful and more so than the 1.6-tonne equivalent from another brand. It performs very well, having excellent break-out force for its size,” Matt says.