MyDealer:
Lindsay Simonic always knew he wanted to run his own business but was never sure when the time would be right to make the leap. After working for 10 years on the rail and three years in the Hazelwood Mine in Victoria, doing long hours and shift work, the lure of flexible working hours and more time at home with his growing family gave him the push he needed to branch out on his own.
In 2019, Lindsay started Simonic Civil, an earthmoving and earthworks business based out of Gippsland in Victoria. He started with just an eight-tonne excavator, taking on as many jobs as he could for the first six months, from drainage and subdivisions to farm work and tree removal.
“The work began to get pretty consistent, so I knew it was time to upgrade to a bigger machine. That’s when I saw the new John Deere excavators on social media, and they piqued my interest,” he says.
“I’ve always been a fan of the John Deere product, having worked with their graders in the mines, then I read in a magazine that RDO Equipment was selling John Deere machines here in Victoria, so I got in contact with the team.”
Lindsay purchased the first John Deere E140 excavator in Victoria, which he has been running in his operation since September 2020.
“We’re still doing the same type of work that I started off doing, just with a bigger machine. I love the feel and comfort of the E140 excavator. The size of the cab is massive, which is great for me as I’m a taller bloke, and you want to be comfortable in the cab if you’re in the machine for 12-hour days,” Lindsay says.
“I’ve worked on nearly every brand of digger, and this one is up the top and ticks all the boxes on comfort, smooth hydraulics, fuel economy, power. The digging power particularly is unbelievable. I haven’t been disappointed.”
Lindsay also credits the backup and support from his local RDO Equipment dealer. “Usually after they make the sale, and the money is handed over, you rarely hear from dealers again. But RDO Equipment has kept in contact with me since we took delivery, just to make sure everything is good and going smoothly, which has really kept our downtime to a minimum. Everyone from the fuel tech guys to the sales team have had our back and made us feel like we’re part of the family.
“We’ll be in the market for a 20-tonne next and I’ll definitely be buying through RDO Equipment.”
Want to find out more about RDO Equipment’s range of John Deere excavators? Head to RDOequipment.com.au/excavators/
