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We all spend so much time working in and on our businesses that it is becoming increasingly important to love what you do. This edition we may have found the happiest and most focused operator on the east coast of Australia, Matt Arkinstall from Haven Landscapes and Earthmoving. Despite being in the middle of a major project, welcomed us on site with a smile from ear to ear.

Matt’s story began in 1999 leaving school focused to commence his landscape apprenticeship at the start of the year 2000 he began his apprenticeship of the landscaper.

Hailing from the gorgeous town of Terrigal on the New South Wales Central Coast, Matt was always going to have an appreciation for picturesque

countryside. His story began in 2000 when he begun his landscape apprenticeship whilst working for Seascape Landscapes where he was to stay for the next decade. Unfortunately the business turned south opening up an opportunity for Matt to take over some of their existing work and go out on his own.

Unknowingly Matt had already begun the transition, already equipped with a small 200 series Isuzu truck, a Terex PT 30 Positrack and TC13 Terex mini excavator. As they were regularly hiring machines Matt thought it would be easier for everybody if he purchased them and they hired from him directly.

When it came time for him to go out on his own it really wasn't that much of a shock to the

Haven Landscapes

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system as he was mostly already set up with a small team and machines ready to go. Within a year of running his own show Matt purchased a second PT30 tracked skid steer loader and a 300 series Isuzu truck. His teams strong work ethic did not go unnoticed and the business quickly expanded. Subsequently in early 2016 he purchased a 500 series Isuzu truck with custom-built trailers and accessories to complement the setup. The quiver of attachments for their machinery is steadily growing and includes augers for the excavator and pallet forks for the Positrack.

Haven Landscapes core focus is on small earthworks, shaping, turf, gardens and a whole lot of retaining walls. Last year they landscaped over 300 new homes and are currently averaging 35 a month. Currently they are working on a large job in Middleton Grange, South of Sydney landscaping a new defence housing project. Their footprint is expansive trekking as far north as Singleton and as far south as Liverpool in New South Wales.

While they are absolutely flat out Matt is effortlessly in control of the workload. The first six months however were a steep learning curve, securing work and establishing the right team. His first employee was his older brother Ben and his younger brother Ryan joined shortly after. Ryan is a carpenter by trade and focuses on the retaining walls whilst Ben has years of experience operating machinery in the earthmoving game. Combined with two young apprentices and an arborist, this formed a formidable team.

Matt’s latest expansion is a whole new business altogether, CES Excavations which he started a few months ago with another operator and close friend Charles Smith. Their first machine is a 5.7 tonne Eurocomach excavator.

This new business will be focused on civil earth works but Matt says that when required it will be good to have access to the bigger Eurocomach for the odd Haven Landscapes job too.

Charles used to work on big pipe laying and rail jobs so has all of the skills, knowledge and

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tickets to pursue this work.

Matt clearly have a passion for his machinery and loves the PT30 Positracks and says that he needs the smaller machines so that they can access around houses and their just isn't anything even comparable to these little powerhouses. They are like many bulldozers and you just can't fault them says Matt. They're incredibly easy to manoeuvre and having the tracks means they are exceptionally light on the ground. Matts Positracks have an open cab which is perfect for jumping in and out of but he says that when it comes time to replace those machines he might look at an enclosed cab to make it even more comfortable for the boys with a little less dust.

He does turn machines over fairly quickly and once they have reached 1500 hours he generally looks to trade them in. This way you have less maintenance required on your machine's and minimal downtime. You get a better resale with your machines to so it pays to keep your fleet current and well presented.

He laughs and says most of his machines get sold to his mates rather than traded in any way and he doesn't want any of them coming back to him with dramas.

Knowing the importance of well presented and functioning machinery, from the very start Matt has bought everything brand-new. This means he doesn't need a maintenance guy in the team, he can just take each machine in for its regular scheduled service and know that it will always be right and not cause him any downtime which is a real killer.

The Terex TC13 wasn't his first excavator, he did look to save a few dollars initially and bought a Chinese made machine from Melbourne. It only took him six months to realise that this wasn't cutting the mustard and if he was going to be at all serious about this business than he needed a serious machine. Fortunately he now already

had a relationship with the good people at ASV Sales & Service who were able to steer him in the direction of the Terex.

We all make these early mistakes he laughs.

The Terex machines just look the business too and as fickle as this may sound your potential clients may drive past at any time whilst your on-the-job and you need to look the part.

All their machines are serviced at ASV Sales & Service and Matt says that there after sales service is absolutely top-notch. If there is any issue at all than they are on top of it. It's not a back yard business and everyone there are truly professional with a strong understanding of the importance of their machines to your business. It's one thing to have the best machines on the market but if you can't provide an equally high level of support that it's going to make it difficult for people to work with you. Fortunately the contractors, as their name suggests ASV Sales & Service deliver service in spades.

The pricing is reasonable and if anything does need to be done under warranty there are just no issues.

To ensure that there are no issues though every machine is greased every single morning and the air filters cleaned.

The new Eurocomach 5.7 tonne excavator is just an awesome machine with a tilt bucket and the other machines that have come from ASV Sales & Service have been just awesome. The TC 13 Terex is unbreakable and this Eurocomach seems to be on another level again.

Matt says it is good that they have been able to build a fleet of machines from the one dealership that is local to them and extremely convenient.

Charles Smith has driven 30 tonne, 25 tonne and a whole range of other machines so this really is the first machine of the CES fleet that

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Matt is planning to build. A 13 tonne excavator is probably next on the agenda but for now the Eurocomach is certainly pulling its weight.

Matt also plans on building some houses and the Eurocomach will come in exceptionally handy for that for footings and all that kind of work.

His focus is still clearly with the landscape business and he said he is more than busy enough doing that.

The Eurocomach is an absolute premium machine and everything feels solid. Max says that Charles was a little unsure as to which excavator to go with initially to be honest but now that he has had a couple of months operating the Eurocomach he would never look at anything else as everything is so smooth, powerful and precise it really does sit at the top of the tree of all the premium machines.

Charles is absolutely flat out now in the Eurocomach and is currently working on the coast the job that will have 14 units and at the moment he is digging out the bulk cuts, digging out the plumbing and playing all pipework and all of the driveways.

Another big provider of work for Haven Landscapes is ATPM who are a large group of caravan parks which keeps Matt and his team are very busy too.

He first secured this work via word-of-mouth and he says when he first started he worked his absolute butt off and a lot of the jobs are on sand. Having the tracked machine meant that this was no problem and he was able to do the work very quickly and efficiently. From there the decision was made to use Haven Landscapes exclusively for all of their parks around the coast and they don't even bother getting quotes from other operators anymore.

Matt says that the Haven landscapes business

is now absolutely flat out so much so that he goes out of his way not to advertise and didn't even get any of the businesses sign writing on his newest truck.

Whilst business is going well and the whole team is under the pump the massive pipeline of work Matt and his wife have just found themselves with their hands fuller than they could have ever imagined since the addition of a new baby over the Christmas break. At the time of meeting Matt the new arrival wasn't born yet but he did know that the due date was New Year's Eve.

The future looks exceptionally strong for Matt and his team and at this point he says that he is maxed out with the workload as he likes to be hands-on and growing it further will inhibit his ability to work in the business. The exception to

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this is the CES Excavation business but James is very independent and in control of that business. Matt wouldn't get another team to operate without him and he says that he would rather be mixing mud and lying pavers with the boys than pointing and driving around.

The only thing that they may grow with Haven Landscapes is another truck and more tools to make the team even more efficient. They did look at getting the bigger Terex PT50 Positrack but it is just that bit too big compared to the PT30 which zips down the side of houses with ease.

If he has to move a lot of dirt on a job then he will just put the two PT30s working alongside together.

The bigger you are the harder you fall says Matt so the long-term goal is just to keep the current team busy.

Outside of work Matt says that he loves the water and surfing whenever he can. He also has a jet ski which goes hand-in-hand with living right near the beach like he does. It is important to balance your work life with having a bit of fun.

For new people coming into the industry Matt says to take it slow and steady and do your homework. Get your trade behind it, take small steps and keep everything manageable without going over the top otherwise you just lose control.

Always buy brand-new machines so that you're reliable for customers and are not wasting your own time. It pays to have the right gear and don't muck around.

There is good money to be made if you work hard and do your absolute best to deliver the absolute best for your customers.

We think that Matt really is on the money and has managed to find that perfect balance between working in a job that he loves with the team that he loves and whilst still dedicating a lot of focus on his business he is very clear what he is doing it all for, that being his family.

With some of the surfing tales that Matt has the next time we catch up we may just have two throw a surfboard in the back of the car amongst the hi viz vests, hardhat and steel caps.