For Graham Wippell, Peppercorn Quarry was never meant to become thebiggest operation in Queensland. It was, in his words, a practical way todiversify a large rural property and make use of a resource already underfoot.

“The Peppercorn property in total covers 8700 acres, but the quarryonly sits on about 20 to 25 acres,” he says. “It’s just about diversifying outa bit from grazing and other activities. We’ve got a good supply of gravelhere, so we decided to give quarrying a go and it’s been very successful.”

Now in its second year of operation, Peppercorn Quarrysupplies white rock product to Council for local road-making work aroundBalonne Shire, approximately 460km inland from Toowoomba.

Graham says the Peppercorn aggregate meets Main RoadsType 3.2 and Type 4.2 roadbase specifications, with product used on countryroads and beneath highways. Some material goes down as gravel road base, whilehigher-order applications may ultimately sit beneath bitumen. It’s a lean,hands-on operation that takes a measured approach to supply.

“I have a licence for 100,000-tonne, but I don’t want todo any more than that anyway,” he says. “I’m not a big-time operator but I’m probablyas efficient as any other quarry. There’s just me and an occasional volunteerhelper here, but we work hard for clients.”

In order to ensure client commitments are met, PeppercornQuarry relies on machinery with enough capability to handle the job withoutdemanding a large support crew. On site, Graham’s Porter Equipment-suppliedfleet includes a Hyundai HX350L excavator, Hyundai HL970 wheel loader, SandvikQI341HS impactor and Sandvik QA335 screen.

Together, the four machines form the backbone of a mobilecrushing and screening spread suited to the quarry’s road-base production.

The Hyundai HX350L excavator and Hyundai HL970 wheelloader appealed to Graham for straightforward business reasons: warranty,finance and support.

“I went for Hyundai primarily because of their warranty,which is very good. Porter Equipment also offered good finance at the time too,so that won me over on the brand.

“My thought is that if a machinery supplier offers a solidwarranty on their gear, then they must stand behind its abilities on the job.Hyundai gear has proven to be very reliable over the years for plenty ofoperators, so there’s something in that. I’m not all about the brand name onthe side of the machine: reliability is first and foremost for me.”

For Porter Equipment Australia, Graham’s fledgling quarryoperation presented the opportunity to help a relatively new quarry operatorput together a plant set that would suit the material, the output target andthe size of the team.

Jason MacDonald, Porter Equipment Australia’s NationalCrushing and Screening Manager, says that while Peppercorn Quarry isn’t amassive operation, he knew it was still vital to Graham to get both the bestvalue for money and the appropriate equipment for the job.

“We worked with Graham to make sure he got the bestset-up,” Jason says, pointing to areas such as mesh selection and crushersettings relevant to the aggregate being pulled from the site.

“Our team was with Graham through the machine selection process,which including taking him to see comparable equipment operating in the fieldbefore any key purchase decisions were made. The aim was to ensure his crushingand screening package was fit for purpose rather than over- or under-specified.”

“Both the impactor and screen are very good machines, andthe set-up works beautifully for us,” Graham affirms. “They’re easy to startup, operate and, compared with other crushers and screens I’ve seen, they’requiet when running too.”

Peppercorn Quarry’s Sandvik QI341HS impactor and Sandvik QA335screen are also both mobile tracked machines, giving Graham flexibility to movethe plant where it’s needed around the quarry. That mobility suits an operationwhere the work front, stockpile areas and material preparation can change, andwhere the small crew needs to keep handling each step as efficiently aspossible.

“It doesn’t matter about the size of an operation,”continues Jason. “If Graham has clients like the local Council relying on him,he still needs his equipment to work consistently. It’s up to us as the Hyundaiand Sandvik distributor to work with him to make sure the gear’s achieving whathe needs it to achieve.”

The support during the purchasing process has continuedafter delivery. Jason recalls a screen mesh choice that looked right on paperbut didn’t perform as well with Peppercorn Quarry material. Replacement meshwas ordered, and a field support technician returned to site and changed itout.

For Graham, the willingness to keep working with thecustomer after the machines arrive on-site is one of the biggest advantages ofdealing with Porter Equipment.

Graham says Andrew Lawson, Territory Manager for Brisbane Southand West Queensland, has also been instrumental in ensuring he had all thenecessary information before purchasing his Hyundai machines. And making sureeverything has been running smoothly since.

“I haveto hand it to Andrew: he’s also been fantastic to deal with. You’vegot to have a good man to give you good advice and not just talk you into amachine for the sake of dollars,” he says.

Another attribute Graham appreciates for his operation ishaving one point of contact and one supplier across multiple critical machines.He says investing in Hyundai and Sandvik equipment through Porter Equipment hassimplified servicing and reduced downtime concerns.

“You’re dealing with one company and, if you’ve chosenright, then you’re expecting one consistent level of service,” he explains. “Ifa technician is on site for a first service, they can look over our other gear atthe same time. We’re reasonably remote here, but that’s not an issue. Parts allcome from Brisbane and it’s only an overnight service. Generally speaking,anything we need can be ordered for the next morning.”

Graham says Jason has been particularly proactive, evenchecking in while away. “He sent me a text the other day to say, ‘I’m on leave,Graham, but if you have any problems, don’t hesitate to ring me.’”

For a small operator protecting a major capitalinvestment, that service culture counts.

“I like to look after my gear. It’s too valuable to treatcasually,’” Graham concludes.

Peppercorn Quarry may not be chasing output records, butit’s building a sustainable niche by producing reliable road-making materialwith a fleet matched to the job.

WithHyundai earthmoving equipment, Sandvik crushing and screening plant, and PorterEquipment Australia’s guidance and backup behind him, Graham has found aformula that helps keep Peppercorn Quarry productive.