First Published in Earth Movers Magazine | www.earthmovers-magazine.com.au
Simmons Civil Contracting has recently marked a significant milestone in the company’s history. Having notched up 25 years since its establishment, during which time it has carved out a healthy niche within industry. Continued growth over the next 25 years will mean effectively employing new technology solutions.
By engaging C.R.Kennedy, the sole and exclusive distributor in Australia for Leica Geosystems, to kit out a range of machinery with Leica iCON machine control technology, Simmons Civil is already off to a strong start.
Of course, no matter what the market, reputation is of paramount importance, and Simmons Civil places a strong emphasis on being a company that will get the job done. Underpinning Simmons Civil’s approach is a focus on building relationships based on trust and respect, along with providing timely service and quality results, with Managing Director Nick Simmons stating that Simmons Civil works “throughout Sydney with a range of companies seeking contractors who will readily tackle a comprehensive range of tasks onsite, from start to finish”. Nick additionally highlights the capacity of Simmons Civil to provide a “full service”, which “means jobs don’t need to be split between companies, resulting in less overheads and administration costs for our clients”. This is supported by a business philosophy focused on developing a close client relationship, developing confidence that the job will be completed. This approach Nick points out “resulted in much repeat business with developers across the Sydney metropolitan area”.
TACKLING A RANGE OF PROJECTS
Simmons Civil Survey Manager Razeem Khan, who joined the company three years ago, bringing over 15 years of experience working on major road projects and subdivisions in both Australia and New Zealand to the role, explained that the company provides a wide range of construction services. “Simmons Civil offers complete subdivision project management, from demolition to practical completion, including bulk and detailed earthworks, road, retaining wall, stormwater, sewer and utilities construction,” Razeem stated. “We are an RMS (Roads and Maritime Services) pre-qualified contractor and also offer bulk earthworks and civil works for factories and warehouses.” Razeem added that Simmons Civil is currently working on a range of projects throughout Sydney, including subdivision project management, bulk earthworks, and road widening. These projects range in size and demands, and each has its individual requirements which must be addressed on a project-by-project basis. Simmons Civil is always actively exploring options that will allow it to tackle projects thoroughly and efficiently.
DELIVERS MACHINE CONTROL SOLUTIONS
When it comes to efficiently tackling multiple and often complex tasks, structuring workflows to ensure that each project is completed efficiently. It pays to explore technology options that add value and streamline operations. Simmons Civil’s search for machine control solutions led it to C.R. Kennedy. The solutions provider for the surveying, construction and mining industries. The extensive range of positioning equipment for the civil construction and earthmoving industry together with a complete national after-sales service network was the standout. “We were looking for GPS machine guidance for our excavators, and we got a prompt quotation with a good deal from C.R. Kennedy, and a user-friendly GPS machine guidance system,” Razeem stated. Simmons Civil has since engaged C.R. Kennedy in deploying Leica iCON technology across a range of machinery, including:
- Multiple excavators, dozers and graders kitted out with the leica iCON 3D GPS system. Incorporating high-precision GPS and providing the capacity to monitor excavation position by means of a digital model, with it enabling use of the excavator for point collection and stake out activities
- Universally compatible data formats
- Multiple screen views which can be customised to suit the operator
- Industry leading Network RTK options for GNSS corrections
- Remote screen access for support and data transfer
- Leica GNSS Supervisor Kits, iCON gps 60 versatile SmartAntenna for construction positioning tasks, used in conjunction with the iCON CC80 rugged and lightweight Windows tablet, sporting a 7-inch touchscreen, facilitating data collection and check tasks onsite
- Leica iCON 50 robotic total station for one-person operation, carrying out layout work and as-built checks, also used in conjunction with the iCON CC80 tablet. The robot is also used with the machine guidance particularly for final trim work.
Razeem stated that staff onsite have found the iCON technology accessible and user-friendly, and also pointed to “the great after-sales support and service from C.R. Kennedy”, which he credits with having helped Simmons Civil address specific technology needs across its equipment range, with Sales Representative Stefan Moos having provided a high level of assistance throughout the process.
“Stefan has given us good deals and support to date,” Razeem commented.
“Stefan and his team are always available to help us out with any issues we experience.”
