With more than a century of rock reserves ahead of it, Fulton Hogan’s Blue Rock Quarry, based in South East Queensland, is focused on long-term investment in technology, safety, and efficiency. Over the past year, the site has transitioned to a full Komatsu rental load and haul fleet, recently completing the line-up with the arrival of a PC950LC-11 excavator.
Within weeks, the impact has been clear, with faster loading cycles and strong productivity gains across the operation. Fulton Hogan divisional manager quarries Carl Buckland said the move wasn’t just about upgrading machinery, but reshaping how the quarry is managed, monitored, and supported.
“The PC950 is giving us clear efficiency gains. We’re now loading our dump truck in just six passes, which is a noticeable improvement on what we had prior,” Buckland said.
“Our operators love the new gear too and keeping people happy goes a long way to having a safe and productive operation.”
A rental partnership built on support, not just machines
Komatsu’s rental partnership with Fulton Hogan was designed to address the site’s operating constraints and production goals but Komatsu Australia’s rental manager Craig Marsden said providing a machine was only one part of the solution.
“Rental is more than just putting a machine on a job site; it’s all the backup that keeps those machines operating so the customer can meet their obligations and their commitments. That support can include rapid onsite response, ongoing optimisation, and a fully scalable fleet model to grow with the customer’s quarry,” Marsden said.
Designing a digital quarry from day one
Along with the rental support, the entire fleet solution now includes Komatsu’s Smart Quarry Site (SQS) delivering efficiency gains through real-time visibility to safety events, production cycles, fuel use, emissions, and machine health.
“Our first priority was understanding Fulton Hogan’s constraints and tailoring a Smart Quarry solution to best accommodate them. The vision was clear: safety, visibility, quality, reliability, and the ability to scale the fleet without large upfront capital outlay,” Komatsu Australia business development manager, smart construction James Kelly said.
Blue Rock now receives automated daily reporting, enabling the team to understand what’s happening on site before the day begins through the SQS platform. GPS tracking, geofencing, and machine analytics give managers the insights needed to lift utilisation and plan proactively.
“Machine efficiency, emissions, fuel usage, and production capabilities are all reviewed daily. Analysing that data allows them to make informed, proactive decisions that impact their next day’s operations,” Kelly said.
Efficiencies, uplift, and a more engaged workforce
The combined fleet and technology approach has already delivered measurable results, improving safety, operator performance and workflow transparency. System insights are now used in training, planning and continuous improvement.
“Komatsu’s rental solution, combined with Smart Quarry Site, gives the quarry greater flexibility and financial certainty, allowing the team to focus on growth while preserving cash flow and accessing the latest technology as it evolves,” Marsden said.
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