Dale Elphinstone has never been afraid of a challenge. In fact he often tells people “we did it because we didn’t know we couldn’t”.
Dale's relationship with Caterpillar began in 1966 at the age of 15 as an apprentice with Victorian and Tasmanian Cat Dealer, William Adams. He then went on to be employed as a Field Service Mechanic across Tasmanian and King Island mine sites and later worked for Canadian Cat Dealer, Finning for a period of 2 years.
Now, just 40 short years later, Dale has established Elphinstone as a recognised Cat OEM, manufacturing Haulmax 3900 series off highway haul trucks, Railmax RMT15F road-rail excavators and Elphinstone underground support vehicles.
Kelly Elphinstone is the daughter of Dale and Cheryl Elphinstone, founding owners of the Elphinstone Group of companies. Her career began in 1993 at the age of 13, when she commenced working for her parents in their first business, Dale B Elphinstone Pty Ltd.
In 2014, Kelly accepted the position of Managing Director at Elphinstone Pty Ltd (formerly Haulmax). She is responsible for overseeing the consolidation of the Group’s Tasmanian manufacturing entities and the company’s return to the global underground mining industry.
Kelly is passionate about Australian manufacturing and the significant role Tasmania is able to play in growing this industry.
Ben holds tertiary qualifications in Engineering and Business Management, and has over 20 years of experience in Operations Management, Project Management and Engineering across a range of industries. He has had broad experience with Lean methodologies, and the benefits these can bring to the wider business.
Ben joined Elphinstone in 2018 as General Manager of Operations, overseeing all operational aspects of the business.
Paul is a finance and corporate governance professional with over 25 years of experience in senior management and board roles in various industries including mining and manufacturing. He specialises in strategic financial management and finance team development.
Paul has returned to Tasmania after some years working overseas to join Elphinstone in August 2019.
Tim holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and has over 20 years of experience in Senior Management, Project Management, Engineering and Business Development roles in the mobile mining equipment industry. Tim’s broad level of experience will bring benefits to many areas of the business and his international experience working in South America will assist Elphinstone in the development of our business in this mining rich region.
Tim joined Elphinstone in March 2019 as Global Sales and Marketing Manager, overseeing all sales and marketing aspects of the business.
Jason is a trade qualified Fitter & Machinist, with 30 years of experience. Since joining Elphinstone in 2009 as Product Manager, Jason has also fulfilled the role of NPI Manager.
In his former role as Surface Product Manager, Jason took the Railmax hi-rail vehicle from concept stage right through to production. He has played a key role in developing various surface and underground concepts into working prototype/test products.
Scott holds a Masters of Business and is a 6 Sigma Blackbelt. He commenced with Dale B Elphinstone Pty Ltd in 1995 and continued with the company fulfilling various roles through the transition of ownership to Caterpillar.
In 2009 Scott commenced with Southern Prospect Pty Ltd joining a small team involved in servicing wind turbines in South Australia. Scott joined Specialised Vehicle Solutions Pty Ltd (now part of Elphinstone Pty Ltd) manufacturing specialised underground mining machinery servicing both local and international mining companies for a period of approximately 2 years commencing in 2011.
Returning to Southern Prospect Pty Ltd (now part of Elphinstone Pty Ltd) as the General Manager Operations in 2013, Scott has focused on successfully implementing a continuous improvement culture within the manufacturing business to improve safety, quality and reduce non value added waste.
Mal began his career in 1987 with the Caterpillar Dealer for Victoria and Tasmania, William Adams Pty Ltd. Over the last 30 years Mal has continued his strong association with Caterpillar and the Elphinstone Group, successfully holding roles in product health/support, product development, manufacturing, marketing and management.
Before returning to Elphinstone in June 2016, Mal was 50% owner and Managing Director of a private business that designed, manufactured and marketed underground service vehicles, which now continue to form part of the Elphinstone Underground Support Vehicle product line today. In 2017 Mal took on the role of Product Development and Operations Manager - Underground Support Vehicles, responsible for the development and manufacture of our range of underground support vehicles..
Tania began her career in 1992 as the Receptionist with Dale B Elphinstone Pty Ltd. Tania joined Southern Prospect Pty Ltd, now part of Elphinstone Pty Ltd, when it commenced in 2006. In 2016 Tania was appointed as the Finance and Administration Manager for Elphinstone’s Tasmanian manufacturing entities.
Tania has a Bachelor Degree in Commerce. She has been a member of CPA Australia for over 10 years and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. In 2016, Tania completed a Graduate Certificate in Lean Management Systems at the University of Tasmania.
We’re proud of our engineering and manufacturing team who have worked around the clock to produce our first fit for purpose UG20M Motor Grader. The grader was custom built to the clients specifications and started its journey to Mongolia late September 2018. A symphony of LED cabin lights and assorted cabin features exemplify Elphinstones commitment to operator comfort and safety.
Metro Tasmania’s first new bus rolls off the production line at Elphinstone’s Southern Prospect plant. The first of Metro Tasmania’s 100 new buses rolled out for its first showing on Thursday at Elphinstone’s Southern Prospect plant near Wynyard. The sleek vehicle, kitted out in Metro livery and surrounded by the engineers, was welcomed by Infrastructure Minister Jeremy Rockliff.
Elphinstone Sustainable Energy & Engineering Solutions (formerly Southern Prospect) offers niche manufacturing and engineering support solutions locally, nationally and internationally.
Our manufacturing focus is based on extensive experience in the sustainable energy and resource sector and is backed up by formal business, technical and process qualifications.
By utilising our extensive knowledge of LEAN and Six Sigma principles and continuous improvement in partnership with our customers, we deliver the following products and services:
The Elphinstone SWE is one of only three Lean training facilities of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, and the only facility in Australia. The facility is located in the
Tasmanian Minerals, Manufacturing and Energy Council’s Manufacturing Centre of Excellence in Burnie, Tasmania.
The SWE is an interactive training system used to promote Lean Production System principles and enhance continuous improvement initiatives.
This well proven training tool will actively demonstrate the benefits of Lean methodologies such as Put Safety First, Chase Waste, Make Value Flow, Drive Standard Work, Go See Act, Stop To Fix and Make It Visual… just to name a few.
Through effective teamwork and communication, the SWE will demonstrate how collaboration can assist a team to become significantly more productive and cost effective, while improving quality and reducing safety related issues.
Using Elphinstone Production System (EPS) methodologies, the principles and practices learned during the hands on training sessions can be transferred to all work environments and team members - from the workshop to the office to the hospitality industry! Every employee in every organisation will benefit from the learnings facilitated by the SWE, regardless of position or seniority.
While based on Lean Management Principles, it is not necessary to have completed any prior training in Lean to benefit from the full range of learning outcomes generated by the SWE.
The SWE is an interactive training system used to promote Lean Production System principles and enhance continuous improvement initiatives.
Using the Elphinstone Production System (EPS), Lean principles and practices learnt during this hands on, interactive, one day learning experience, can immediately be transferred to all work environments and includes;
The three day onsite training provides additional understanding of the full suite of Lean tools and their implementation into your organisation. Through the training and assessments provided on behalf of the Australian Maritime College (RTO ID 60131), participants can achieve the following nationally recognised units of competency;
These units of competency may provide Credit Transfer (CT) and/or Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) for other related courses.
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Dale Elphinstone has never been afraid of a challenge. In fact he often tells people “we did it because we didn’t know we couldn’t”.
Since modifying Cat surface mining equipment to suit underground applications out of his Fathers shed on their Mooreville Road, Burnie farm in 1975, the Elphinstone name has been synonymous with underground mining.
Elphinstone’s first fully designed and manufactured underground mining product was a 13 tonne articulated dump truck, which was sold to Agnew Mining in 1983. Three years later, in 1986, the first Elphinstone designed and manufactured underground load haul dump (LHD), the R1500, was sold. One short year thereafter, in 1987, the Company exported its first machine overseas to the Henderson molybdenum mine in Clear Creek County, Colorado.
The Caterpillar OEM continued to develop and refine their underground mining equipment range, which led to their specialisation in LHDs and articulated dump and ejector trucks. All products were built around Cat components and sold via Cat Dealers globally.
Between the years of 1975 and 1995, Elphinstone had delivered underground mining machines to over 50 locations around Australia and more than 35 global export sites across 5 continents.
Elphinstone’s success quickly drew the greater attention of Caterpillar and the two parties established a 50/50 joint venture in 1995, creating the business known as Caterpillar Elphinstone Pty Ltd. Five short years later, Caterpillar exercised their option to purchase the remaining 50% of the business in 2000 and eventually replaced the Elphinstone name with the world famous Caterpillar trademark.
Not that Caterpillar has ever been far removed from the Elphinstone story.
Dale Elphinstone’s relationship with Caterpillar began in 1966 at the age of 15 as an apprentice with Victorian and Tasmanian Cat Dealer, William Adams. Following his trade qualification came employment as a Field Service Mechanic across Tasmanian and King Island mine sites, and for a period of two years, with Canadian Cat Dealer, Finning.
Some 20 years after commencing his apprenticeship with the Cat Dealer, Dale's progressive thinking and entrepreneurialism enabled him to realise his life long dream of becoming a Cat Dealer Principal - cemented with his 1987 purchase of the same Victorian and Tasmanian dealership, William Adams.
Now, just 40 short years later, Elphinstone is once again a recognised Cat OEM, manufacturing Haulmax 3900 series off highway haul trucks, Railmax RMT14D road-rail excavators and Elphinstone underground support vehicles.
Together, Elphinstone and Caterpillar have manufactured more than 5000 underground and surface mining vehicles from their collective facilities in Burnie over the past 40 years.
Elphinstone Pty Ltd is an authorised Caterpillar OEM and advanced manufacturer of quality products for the global underground, surface mining and rail maintenance industries. The product range includes specialised underground support vehicles, extended distance off-highway haulage trucks, and technologically advanced road-rail excavators and rail maintenance equipment.
The Elphinstone® range of underground support vehicles includes agitators, motor graders, personnel carriers, delivery trucks, service trucks, water cannons, water tanks, and other specialised support equipment. The Haulmax® 3900 series truck is purpose-built for an extended distance, off-highway, surface mining applications and is available in three separate configurations including ore haulage, service, or water cart applications. It can also be configured as a 160-tonne low-bed float. The Railmax RMT15F Road-Rail vehicle is based on the Cat 315F hydraulic excavator and is fitted with a certified Railmax® rail guidance system to meet industry demands for safety, compliance, and innovation.
The company, based in Tasmania Australia, continues to support, and rely upon the specialised design, engineering, and manufacturing knowledge of the skilled local workforce. This highly capable and advanced manufacturing supply chain has steadily evolved over its 45 plus year association with the global mining industry.