Even though Stephen Watterson is the chief executive officer of Lincom Group, he still works on the front lines. In fact, he takes great pride in working alongside the company’s sales team and being part of the customer’s journey.
“The customer is king,” he told Quarry. “If someone is willing to spend millions of dollars buying our equipment, we want to make sure they are comfortable and know they won’t be left in the lurch.”
“Providing this service and turning it into an ongoing working relationship and friendship is what sets us apart as a family business, and it’s why we see our repeat business.”
However, to remain competitive, the Lincom Group needed an edge.
Watterson said Lincom Group needed to offer more than just the available machinery. There are a lot of high-quality crushing and screening equipment suppliers, but the company needed a competitive edge that helped it stand out.
“We wanted to give our customers a reason to come to us because of the services we offer,” he said.
That’s why Lincom Group set out to establish a dedicated training facility at the company’s Narangba facility.
Next-Gen Training
Lincom’s approach to training is that there needs to be more than just a basic understanding of a machine. That’s why it designed its programs from the ground up to provide a thorough understanding of the equipment’s fundamental systems, coupled with practical tips and techniques for maintenance.
This dual focus helps ensure that each participant can operate their equipment safely, efficiently, and have confidence in their abilities to operate at peak performance.
The facility consists of two parts: a computer-equipped training room and an interactive area that allows participants to get hands-on with mock-ups of the equipment. The idea is to allow those in training to identify faults in a safe, controlled environment.
“There are no trucks moving around, and you’re not putting your bosses’ brand-new machine at risk while learning how to fix it,” Watterson said.
“Importantly, it’s not just a room where you go to suffer death-by-Powerpoint. There’s an interactive area with models that replicate machine functionality. We can simulate anything that occurs in a crusher here to help trainees identify how to fix things when something goes wrong, with no fear of damaging the machine.”
The training service is available to all Lincom customers and has already proven popular. When the facility was officially unveiled last year, the company hosted 20 training sessions, and thanks to expanding awareness, even more are scheduled for 2025.
It also benefits Lincom’s employees, who make use of the facility for internal training.
Watterson said that while Lincom has offered training services in the past, the facility has greatly improved what it can teach.
“That’s important because things are forever changing in the industry. There’s a lot more safety features, electronics, and sensors on machines today – you can’t just turn the key and press a few buttons anymore,” he said.
“Not everyone who operates one of our machines has a trade background, so providing a space for them to get a better understanding of the equipment improves site safety overall.
“We want everyone to go home at the end of the day, whether they’re working at a quarry or in a workshop, and this facility is helping people to do that.”
Following the training, operators can walk away with the knowledge and confidence to try fixing a machine at a quarry. They learn about the most common causes of downtime and how to solve them, and if they can’t fix the issue, they know what to tell Lincom’s support over the phone to help troubleshoot.
“It also gives our customers’ employees a boost. They know the boss is investing in their skills and wants to keep them involved in the business,” Watterson said.
Award-Winning Results
The introduction of the training facility highlighted how important going the extra mile was for Lincom.
It also helped the Australian company stand out among global competition at the 2024 Powerscreen Awards.
The awards recognise Powerscreen’s dealers who deliver exceptional performance and consistently exceed expectations.
Lincom walked away with four awards: Global Leader in Marketing, Global Leader in Training Engagement, Regional Dealer of the Year (Australia and Asia), and the coveted Global Dealer of the Year.
“These awards are a true testament to the passion and resilience of our entire team,” Watterson said.
“To get all four of these awards was humbling. Being named global dealer of the year was icing on the cake – it was basically the Gold Logie.
“These awards can’t be accredited to just one person – it’s thanks to the hard work of everyone who dons the Lincom shirt.”
Looking Ahead
One of the key lessons from 2024 was the importance of going above and beyond. Watterson said his goal is to ensure the team doesn’t just do a good job. Instead, he wants the business to continue to do a great job for its customers.
“In 2025, we’re not standing still,” he said. “It’s easy to say you’re an industry leader, but to actually be one, and to be able to back it up, you need to provide industry-leading equipment.”
“We’ve recently taken on a new brand in the Komptech line to support the recycling sector. We’ve also expanded our dedicated sales team and have opened a new facility in Adelaide to better service our customers.
“Our aim is to have a strong business and stick to what we do best – and do it even better.”
For more information, visit lincom.com.au
This article was published in the April issue of the Quarry Magazine.