The elite ‘SAS’ of New Zealand’s excavator operators will be put through their paces in Feilding at the end of this week as they vie for title of New Zealand’s best at the Civil Contractors NZ CablePrice National Excavator Operator Competition.
No stranger to contests of high-octane performance, Manfeild Park will host the heavy metal showdown, which will take place on 17 and 18 March during the Central Districts Field Days.
The event will see the defending champion and 12 regional winners maneuvering their 13-tonne Hitachi excavators through a series of high-stakes challenges, including crowd-pleasing tests of skill such as uncorking a champagne bottle, pouring the perfect cup of Earl Grey tea, or slam dunking a basketball using the buckets of their machines.
CCNZ Chief Executive Alan Pollard said the competition was about celebrating the exceptional skill of New Zealand’s top excavator operators and inspiring the next generation to get behind the controls.
“The more unusual tests of skill always bring the spectators but the competition also has a more serious side, with plenty of more traditional tasks such as trenching, operating around underground services, and tests of operator’s health and safety knowledge.”
One of the most challenging elements of the competition is the Z Energy One-day Job Challenge, which tests all aspects of an operator’s skillset and involves site planning and layout, as well as execution, for a task such as constructing a house foundation.
Among the competitors taking part is the winner of the Hawke’s Bay’s Regional Excavator Operator Competition, Dan Mepham, from Gair Contracting. Mepham has been hard at in his home region following Cyclone Gabrielle and will compete in the competition during one of his first periods off. He played a key role in building the stop banks alongside the Tutaikuri River in Taradale which held out during the cyclone when many others around the region were breached.
Defending champion Troy Calteaux from Andrew Haulage 2011 Ltd in Otago will be aiming for his third national title at the event. He said he was looking forward to giving it his best shot on the day.
“You turn up and you don't know what they’ve got in for you – it’s a mental challenge and you’re in a pressure cooker the whole time. The unknown is the biggest challenge.”
New Zealand’s national excavator operator competition was founded in the mid-1990s by CCNZ Manawatu Branch as the brainchild of local contractors Graeme Blackley and Grant Smith. Pollard said it was “one of the most unique spectacles New Zealand has to offer”.
“The operators at our national finals are the elite, the ‘SAS’, if you like, of our excavator operating community.”
He urged people to turn out in force to show their support for the competitors; many of whom have been involved in the response to Cyclone Gabrielle.
“Excavator operators play a critical role in nearly all of our country’s biggest projects. Not only do they transform the terrain for roading and water projects, but they also build stop banks to defend against flooding and assist with the clean-up when the worst weather hits.”
He said there was more demand than ever for civil construction workers and there had never been a better time for job seekers to enter the industry and make a real difference to communities in need.
An EPIC Careers Hub will be at the Central Districts Field Days from 16 to 18 March, situated next to the excavator operator competition course. The careers hub will feature a VR excavator, truck driving and traffic control experiences, a Connexis digital simulator, an excavator experience, floor talks from infrastructure construction workers and opportunities to meet and be hired by civil infrastructure construction companies.
The CCNZ CablePrice National Excavator Operator Competition has been running since 1994. Despite a break last year due to Covid-19, the captivating event is still going as strong as the lift strength of a Hitachi ZAXIS-135 excavator.
The Platinum Sponsor for this year’s competition is CablePrice, which has been a longstanding supporter of the industry and the competition. CablePrice also provides and services the Hitachi excavators the competitors operate during the event. Other major competition sponsors include Attach2, BeforeUDig, Connexis, First Gas, Hirepool, Humes, Z Energy, Milwaukee, Civil Trades, Contractor Magazine, and Doug the Digger.
Finalists: CCNZ CablePrice National Excavator Operator Competition 2023
Defending Champion: Troy Calteaux, Andrew Haulage 2011 Ltd
Defending champion Troy Calteaux from Andrew Haulage 2011 Ltd in Otago will be aiming for his third national title at the event. The Milton local said he was looking forward to giving a fourth title his best shot on the day.
“You turn up and you don't know what they’ve got in for you – it’s a mental challenge and you’re in a pressure cooker the whole time. The unknown is the biggest challenge.”
Northland: Steven George, Steven George Contracting Ltd
Steven George, from Kamo, is an owner-operator with his own company Steven George Contracting Ltd. He has operated and been around excavators for many years and says growing up on a farm has set him up to be a successful operator. This year will be his first time at the finals and he plans to “take it as it comes".
Auckland: Jarrod Hoskins, Fulton Hogan
Pōkeno local Jarrod Hoskins won the Auckland regional event and will be making his first appearance at the nationals.
“It's a new experience for me because I know there's a couple of different activities so it'll be cool to get my head around it,” he said.
Bay of Plenty: Marni Kemp, Central Demolition
Marni Kemp qualified for the nationals with a win in the Bay of Plenty regional competition in December 2022. He said was feeling "pretty good" about his chances and was looking forward to testing his skills against the country’s best.
Waikato: Mike Bowe, Bowe Brothers Excavating
Mike Bowe is a four-time Waikato champion and an owner-operator with an eye for detail. “I know how much work goes into the nationals, it’s a lot of work and a lot of preparation to build up the skills for the competition,” he said.
“Every time I jump in the digger between now and nationals, I’m thinking about how I can improve, make things better and faster and be prepared the best way I can be. I want to be there and take out the title.”
Hawke's Bay East Coast: Dan Mepham, Gair Contracting
Known by his colleagues as the ‘dirt whisperer’, Taradale local Dan Mepham will be competing in the national finals for the fourth time. He won One-Day Job Challenge at the 2018 event and hopes to take home similar honours this year.
“Every year I want to do better and this time around I want to be top three on the podium,” he said.
Taranaki: Shaun Curtis, I & D George Contracting
Egmont village local Shaun Curtis qualified for the event after his success in the Taranaki regional competition. He has worked in the industry for 15 years and has significant experience on major projects as well as working around critical infrastructure of national and regional importance, including oil and gas pipelines.
“I’m excited about being involved,” Curtis said. There’s going to be some good competition and I haven’t even been to the field days before so it will all be new.”
Manawatū-Whanganui: Jim Beamsley, ARC Asbestos Removal and Demolition Ltd
Jim Beamsley’s win in the Manawatū-Whanganui regional competition earlier this month (March 2023) sees him competing in the nationals for the third time, having won the Manawatū-Whanganui regional competition earlier this month (March 2023). The Bunnythorpe local began operating excavators in 2015, having carved out a ten-year career in civil works concrete placement, before putting his skills to work in the demolition field.
“I’m going to go in with a lot of really good energy and give it my best. Hopefully it will be third time lucky – I just want to win it once. Surely this is my year.”
Wellington-Wairarapa: Corey Olson, E Carson & Sons
Corey Olson, from Featherson, will be making his first appearance at the national finals. He has been operating excavators for 13 years and works for E Carson & Sons – the same company as former Wellington-Wairarapa champion Myles Carson.
“Nationals should be good fun, I’ve never done anything like it before. I’m really looking forward to it,” Olson said.
Nelson: Simon Wenham, Wenham Contracting
Simon Wenham qualified for the national finals after his success in the Nelson regional competition in November 2022. He works for his own company, Wenham Contracting, providing advanced excavation and earth moving services to businesses in the region.
He said he was looking forward to meeting the country’s top of the line digger drivers – “it’ll be a lot of fun”.
Otago: Kaleb Hollands, Hollands Excavators
Kaleb Hollands will be the youngest participant in this year’s national finals, at 19 years of age. His win continued a family tradition, with both his father Andrew, and uncle Carl, having been victorious in previous competitions. The Mosgiel local has clearly come a long way from playing on diggers in his back yard when he was five years old.
“I’ll just give it my best - it’s all about the sort of attitude you wake up with on the day,” he said.
Southland: Brendon Ferguson, Fulton Hogan
Invercargill’s Brendon Ferguson is making his third appearance at the nationals. With more than 20 years of experience in an excavator, he is hoping to secure one of the top spots.
“I know what to expect so I’m not walking into the unknown,” he said. “I’m good at what I do, and hopefully I’ll do a wee bit better this time”.