Executives from Liebherr-Australia and Roy Hill have come together to commemorate a new partnership between the two companies, with the celebrations including the handover of a brand new 800-tonne R 9800 excavator that had both its bucket and counterweight painted pink to highlight the role the machine will play in supporting women and families battling the scourge of breast cancer.
The celebration of this new partnership took place at Roy Hill’s offices in Perth, Western Australia, with executives coming together for a tour of Roy Hill’s Remote Operations Centre (ROC).
To commemorate the new machine Sophie Albrecht, a member of the Liebherr Group’s administrative board, presented Roy Hill’s Chief Executive Officer, Gerhard Veldsman, with a replica of the new R 9800 – complete with bright pink counterweight and bucket.
“Liebherr is excited to partner with Roy Hill, a company that shares our dedication to innovation and operational excellence,” Trent Wehr, Managing Director, Liebherr-Australia, said. “We look forward to a long and prosperous future working together to unlock new efficiencies and growth opportunities for their mining operations.”
The R 9800 is the second of three initial Liebherr excavators to be delivered to Roy Hill. The machine joins an R 9400 excavator that was delivered at the end of 2024. The third machine, a second R 9800, is set to join the fleet by the June quarter. Roy Hill chose to add Liebherr machines to its existing fleet in the Pilbara given the strong reputation Liebherr has built for operational durability and reliability, fuel efficiency and comfort for operators, Liebherr says.
To maximise the uptime of Roy Hill’s growing Liebherr fleet, Liebherr-Australia’s Perth team provides a comprehensive mix of on-site, Perth-based and ad hoc machine support. A team of highly-skilled product support advisors and heavy-duty technicians are embedded at the mine site to provide everyday maintenance and repairs as well as advanced technical support to optimise the performance of the new excavator fleet, according to the OEM.
Patrick Korman, Executive General Manager, Mining Customer Support, Liebherr-Australia, said: “We’re eager to support Roy Hill as the company integrates Liebherr equipment into its operations for the first time. This marks the beginning of a strong partnership, and we look forward to working closely with the Roy Hill team to ensure they receive the highest level of service and support as the relationship develops.”
The support Liebherr-Australia provides its customers doesn’t stop in the pit. Liebherr-Australia painted both the bucket and the counterweight of the new R 9800 bright pink, joining Roy Hill’s existing fleet of pink heavy machinery. An initiative of the company’s executive chairman, Gina Rinehart, the colour radiates against the red hues of the Pilbara as a consistent reminder of the impacts of breast cancer on families across the country, Liebherr says.
Wehr says: “Liebherr-Australia is proud to support efforts in raising awareness about the impacts of breast cancer because we believe in making a meaningful impact in the fight against this disease. According to Australia’s National Breast Cancer Foundation, more than nine Australians lose their lives to breast cancer every day, which is a heartbreaking statistic and one that touches us all in some way. As a company, we are committed to helping raise awareness and support those battling this disease.”