A 22 hour working day for the Volvo machines

BGR Mining started out with one excavator and a few tippers. Today it is one of India’s largest mining companies. The business relies on Volvo CE to deliver growth.
Volvo machine in mining environment

Twenty-seven years ago, family- owned BGR signed its first mining contract.  Today, it is one of India’s largest mining operators and has over 1,000 tippers, 150 excavators and more than 7,000 employees across different regions of India’s mining belt. Behind almost three decades of growth lies a focus on high productivity and professional management.

“It’s our people that make the difference,” says B Umapathy Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director. “We have professional staff and we make sure that our operators are trained and have good accommodation and salaries.”

Today BGR Mining has a fleet of 57 Volvo CE excavators and five wheel loaders at work at their sites. They also own a massive fleet of over 440 Volvo FMX’s and Volvo FM trucks.

BGR expects maximum uptime.  During production, machines run up to 22 hours a day.

“Each shift is eight hours and the seat is still warm when the next operator jumps in,” says M.S. Vadali, Assistant General Manager Mining at Volvo CE in India.

To support its customer, Volvo CE in India needs to provide flexible service, servicing machines during the few hours when they are not being used.

It also helps train staff, from operators and technicians to supervisors and management.

“By having skilled staff, we are able to be more productive than our competitors. Volvo CE’s machines include a lot of innovative technology, so operators need to learn how to use them in the best way,” says B Umapathy Reddy.

Cost-efficiency is also a major concern.

“In India, our customers are extremely cost- conscious, but they also want quality – you have to demonstrate that you can deliver value.” And relationships are crucial: “Relationships win you contracts,” says M.S. Vadali.

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