This week was a significant one for us at Monadelphous, as we officially unveiled the newest and biggest crane to join our fleet, marking our single largest capital investment in the business, at a ceremony held in Port Hedland, Western Australia.
Our Chair, Rob Velletri, and other members of our executive and senior management team were joined by Tadano’s President and CEO, Mr. Ujiie, and Executive Officer, Mr. Ted, who travelled from Japan, along with representatives from BHP and members of the Monadelphous team to commemorate this milestone.
Built by Tadano, we named the giant of our fleet 'Rubino' which is proudly displayed on the Monadelphous Red painted cab, honouring the legacy of our much-loved former Chairman, John. It’s a larger-than-life crane – just like the man himself – and we were very proud to unveil the crane with members of the Rubino family who joined us in Port Hedland.
John’s early vision for Monadelphous was to invest in our own crane fleet, giving Monadelphous the ability to self-perform and reduce reliance on the external hire market. Our tradition of naming cranes dates back to 1996, when John negotiated one of our early contracts with BHP. That venture led to the acquisition of our very first large crane, which we named ‘Susie,’ in honour of the wife of the crane’s operator Brian – and so the tradition was born.
‘Rubino’ stands as a testament to our commitment to innovative solutions and service excellence. With its remarkable specifications, the Tadano CC88 has an impressive load capacity of 1600 tonnes, capable of lifting the equivalent of three Boeing 747 airplanes at a radius of 42 metres. With a total of 1,155 tonnes of counterweight, it can lift more than any other crane currently in Australia, making it a true powerhouse. Despite its incredible size, the crane maintains remarkable agility and ease of handling, thanks to Tadano’s innovative engineering.
Commissioned for the BHP Car Dumper 3 project in Port Hedland, Rubino will play a pivotal role in support of our operations, positioning Monadelphous to leverage new opportunities and deliver to our customers.
A big thank you to everyone involved in supporting this newest addition to the Monos’ family. Your expertise, commitment and efforts enable us to continue to invest in Monadelphous’ already impressive crane and heavy haul fleet to support our growth objectives.