Already known for its workshop and haulage capabilities, Dixie Holdings has invested further into helping its hire division grow
In more ways than one, Dixie Holdings is a business on the move.
Already well established as being an equipment dealership which specialises in customising machinery for sectors including agriculture and earthmoving, it has also devoted plenty of resources of late to bolstering its haulage division.
Aiming to provide a ‘one stop shop’ for every aspect of the ordering process, the most recent area to have received attention is its hire sector.
While Dixie has always offered equipment hire, the company recently employed Will Gardner as its general manager of plant to ensure this department has a dedicated manager at the helm.
Not only does this create a single point of contact for customers, it means Gardner can focus solely on helping the hire division grow by leaning into the resources and networks which Dixie has already developed across the wider business.
“The key where we differentiate ourselves is that a lot of businesses are just hire only – you hire the machine and that’s it,” Gardner says.
“What Dixie offers is a turnkey solution, which takes a lot of that third party time away.
“We’re able to offer the machine, can complete in-house spec requirements ourselves and then deliver the machine to site.
“We can take care of the transport, the installation on site and then the ongoing maintenance and service through our partners throughout central, north and western Queensland.
“I think another crucial part is that wider support. From the initial support, it’s then the on-site support and management of the equipment.”
Family business
Dixie Holdings – originally known as IJ McDonald and Sons – was formed in the 1970s by Geoffrey McDonald, whose son Tom is currently the company director.
The family-owned business, based at Woongoolba between Brisbane and Gold Coast, has nearly a half-century worth of experience and relationships to draw upon when offering this “turnkey solution” to customers needing equipment.
It is these long-term relationships which Dixie puts a lot of time into developing and nurturing, both with customers and suppliers, knowing it will reap rewards in dealing with any challenges which may arise.
“Dixie utilises our network of industry partners, which is important because the more remote you get, the harder it is to get things done,” Gardner says.
“Because Tom has had such a good network and long-term relationships with these guys, generally speaking it’s not too much of a turnaround time to get a machine fixed, regardless of where it is.”
Flexibility and adaptability are words which come to mind when describing how each facet of Dixie Holdings’ operations come together.
For example, Gardner highlights Dixie’s willingness to move machines from its sales fleet into the hire business should a customer request a specific machine – including customisations – for a long-term hire.
This enables the customer to get their desired machine quicker, while Dixie’s skilled workshop team can ensure any requested modifications to the unit can take place before the haulage team begins delivery.
To cite one example of this, Dixie Holdings took a call from a Perth-based hire business it had previously dealt with.
The request was for a Cat D9 Next-Gen dozer fitted to full mine specifications, including automatic GPS, fire suppression, isolators and emergency stops.
Destined for a mine site in WA’s Pilbara region, the clincher was that the machine needed to be modified to the client’s needs and delivered to Perth within three weeks – no easy feat when Dixie is based in Brisbane.
This was a challenge which Dixie willingly took on though, and excelled in.
“It’s very hard to get that kind of spec requirement done in three weeks, but it can be done,” Gardner says.
“We have the ability to find late model machines that might not be available in the market and might not be in our fleet, but we can go out and purchase these machines or convert a sale machine to a hire machine at a moment’s notice.”
Customer focus
It is this willingness to adapt to meet customer requests, combined with only using quality equipment and providing backup service to match that is standing Dixie Holdings in good stead.
While still new to the company, Gardner knows this aspect well – having been a client of Dixie’s during his previous roles at other hire companies.
“I think what’s been good is I’ve been on the client side to Dixie where it was a smooth process,” he says.
“The machine itself had some problems, which were just unlucky circumstances, but it was never too big a problem to be fixed.
“Tom had it fixed very quickly compared to what most people would have.
“Dixie looks at the long-term relationship and working with the client so, if there is a problem, then let’s resolve it, let’s fix it and let’s move on to the next job.”
Backup service is also paramount for any hire machinery, but particularly when it will be headed to such remote locations.
Dixie’s strong networks around the country has it well placed to meet ongoing customer needs, wherever they might be located, and by extension help to support these long-term customers.
“There’s nothing worse than having a machine broken down on a remote job for two weeks because you can’t get a part there,” Gardner says.
“There’s such a big network now that we could get a part, regardless of how it got there, but it would be there in a day or two.”
While Australia’s harsh conditions can push even the most reliable machinery to its limits, the best way of ensuring minimal problems is by using quality equipment and conducting modifications to a high standard.
“The key is we only run good equipment,” Gardner says.
“Sometimes it might not be late model, and a good example is we’ve got a 2011 Cat D8T dozer going out on hire, but it’s been fully rebuilt from the ground up, so it’s a zero hour rebuild.
“It might not be late model, but it is late hour.”
For Dixie Holdings, second hand does not mean second rate – with these modifications ensuring machinery is functioning at its best.
In some instances, farmers even prefer some of the older models due to their simplicity, Gardner says, with a rebuild getting their favoured machine back to an as-new standard.
“Some people don’t like the newer equipment and that is particularly key for the farming side,” he says.
“Some of the farmers might want an older 16H grader over a 16M, but they want a reliable H.
“You’ve got to rebuild that H and put a few dollars into it to get it reliable, but then it covers what the client wants and you’ve covered that need for reliability.”
Having been brought in to nurture customer relationships and streamline the hire process for customers, Gardner is excited about the growth potential for Dixie’s hire division.
“You don’t want customers to wonder who they need to call at Dixie Holdings for the hire – I’m the hire person,” he says.
“My pure role in this now is to drive the hire and this also gives it time to be focused on and given the right drive that it needs.
“Everyone knows Dixie is a sales and haulage business and does the manufacturing, but the hire side has somewhat fallen under the radar, so it’s just making that front of mind for a lot of people in the industry that Dixie Holdings is a leading hire company.
“Over the next two to three years, with the current and future projects in Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory, we can see our hire fleet growing exponentially off the back of some repeat clients and new client work out there which are targeting that late model, reliable equipment.
“With hire in the agriculture sector, civil, mining and even gas and rail – the jobs don’t go forever, so I think trying to entrench ourselves in those longer-term relationships is important.”.
Dixie Holdings is located at 1343 Stapylton Jacobs Well Road, Woongoolba and its product range is online at www.dixieholdings.com.au
Will Gardner can be contacted on 0437 791 685.