Réné Apprin & Cie SAS has invested in two large Hitachi excavators for its quarry near Saint Jean de Maurienne in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. Local dealer Teramat supplied a new ZX470LCH-5 in 2015 and the latest ZX490LCH-6 model with a three-year/5,000-hour extended warranty a year later to Carriére du Rocheray, which dates back to 1880.
The latest acquisitions are used for breaking (the ZX490LCH-6 with a hammer attachment) and loading the materials (ZX470LCH-5) respectively. Réné Apprin & Cie SAS expects that each machine will be operated for less than 1,000 hours per annum.
Business benefit
“The biggest benefit that the large Hitachi excavators bring to the business is undoubtedly their reliability,” adds Pierre-Olivier Apprin. “This is very important to us, as well as how fast and smooth they operate in the quarry. The Hitachi machines are strong and durable, and have the capacity to handle large rocks.”
Réné Apprin & Cie SAS extracts up to 250,000 tonnes of granite-based materials each year, with a licence that currently runs until 2034. The rock is hard and abrasive, and used in the top layer of the sub-base for road construction projects as well as the production of asphalt and concrete. The company delivers its materials to the local production facilities of both the Bouygues Group (asphalt) and the Vicat Group (concrete).
Excellent support
Pierre-Olivier Apprin is the sixth generation of his family to run the business that began at the turn of the 20th Century. “We’ve had a positive experience with the ZX470LCH-5 and our team in the quarry really like this Hitachi excavator. When deciding to buy the second machine, we also opted for Hitachi because we preferred to have one brand of equipment. We also appreciate the excellent after-sales service supplied by Teramat.
“I believe that it is important to have regular contact with our suppliers and I have a close working relationship with Teramat’s M. Mailland-Rosset. He was another factor in buying the latest Hitachi excavator, as he is a very good communicator – especially if we need an immediate response.”