For the first time in four years, Komatsu welcomed customers and dealers to Sahuarita, Arizona, for its annual Quarry Days.
The event, held in November at the company’s Arizona Proving Grounds, consisted of a facility tour and an opportunity for attendees to operate Komatsu equipment. The first two Quarry Days were held in March and November 2019, also at the proving grounds.
Jill Rick, manager of public relations and social responsibility at Komatsu, says with the number of dealers and end users Komatsu serves, it only made sense to offer multiple sessions over two weeks. After not hosting Quarry Days since 2019 due to COVID-19 concerns, Rick was pleased with the turnout for the 2023 event.
“It’s so exciting to see how much fun the customers and dealers have and how enthusiastic they are about testing out the equipment,” Rick says. “It’s been a really great turnout so far. The first week, we had a record number of people and this week, the numbers are even higher. I think people are just excited to be post-COVID and get out and do things like this because it’s been so long. It’s been a great event so far.”
One dealer company attending Quarry Days for the first time was Roland Machinery Co., a Komatsu dealer based in Franksville, Wisconsin, that sells and services Komatsu equipment throughout Wisconsin, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Illinois, northern Indiana and eastern Missouri. Roland Machinery sales manager Jeremy Kerber and territory manager Aaron Strade were among those in attendance.
Roland brought eight employees from four customer companies to take part in the event. Kerber appreciated the opportunity to get customers up close and personal with the equipment Komatsu offers.
“It’s nice to show our appreciation back to [our customers],” Kerber says. “To take them on a special event where it’s not like an agg show in Wisconsin where everybody shows up, you’re singling them out and saying: ‘Hey, I want to take you here. Would you be willing to go?’ It makes them feel special, and it shows that you care about the big picture of the relationship and not just the one sale.”
Equipment on display
More than a dozen pieces of Komatsu equipment were highlighted at the Arizona Proving Grounds, with attendees having the chance to operate several of them.
Komatsu displayed several trucks – the HD1500-8E0 and HD 785-8 haulers, as well as an HM400-5 articulated truck. Three excavators were also on display in the HB365LC-3, the PC2000-11 and the PC900LC-11.
Additionally, Komatsu showcased two dozers (a D475A-8 surface mining dozer and a D71PXi-24 dozer), two loaders (a WA475-10 yard loader and a WA900-8 wheel loader), an RF-5Q reclaim feeder, a ZT44 track drill and the new GD955-7 motor grader.
At Quarry Days, information and demonstrations were also available for Komatsu’s Smart Quarry technology and My Komatsu online fleet management portal.
According to Rick, showcasing Komatsu’s range of equipment and the complementary technology that goes along with it is a goal of Quarry Days.
“The customers really appreciate the number of machines we have,” Rick says. “It’s a big variety of machines and a big variety of sizes. That’s part of what Komatsu tries to do. We try to meet people where they’re at, whether they’re a smaller operation, a larger operation or a growing operation.
“You may want to explore the next size up if you’re starting to take on larger jobs,” she adds. “One of the comments we’ve gotten is that it’s great to see the breadth and depth of all the Komatsu equipment, solutions and technology we showcase.”
Strade echoes Kerber’s sentiment, noting that Quarry Days provides a great touchpoint between dealers and customers, as well as between Komatsu and customers.
“It’s nice to introduce these customers and show them the whole scope of what Komatsu does,” Strade says. “I think sometimes people think we, as a dealer, are smaller than we are. So it’s nice to be able to spend more time with them and get them exposed to Komatsu in different ways.”
The next Quarry Days will take place in November 2024, though no specific dates have been chosen.
