Hitachi and KWS Amsterdam- Utrecht, Together proud of ZX350LC-7

For various projects, KWS Amsterdam-Utrecht has purchased two pieces of Hitachi ZX350LC-7. One with a 15 meter long front and one with 18 meters. Near the Uitdammerdijk (in Uitdam) KWS, in cooperation with Boskalis, is working on a dike reinforcement on the IJsselmeer side from Amsterdam to Hoorn. This project will take several years to complete. Dike and asphalt works are among the projects closest to KWS's heart. This makes it necessary for KWS to have a reliable and durable machine on the project, which also has several options. In this way, KWS is not only powerful in their diversity, but can also offer their machinists opportunities for advancement. In Uitdam, we spoke to machinist Paul van Leeuwen. For him, this is a great opportunity. He has worked with Hitachi before and was previously on a ZX350-3. "It is the way a Hitachi should be" says Paul. The fact that you can adjust the machine to your liking is what Paul likes most. There are many options that are easily and quickly preset, so it's fun to experiment with what suits you. "The -7 immediately sits perfectly in the hand. It works smoothly and quickly, but you don't get the feeling of rushing." For such a great project like this, Paul enjoys working in a beautiful machine like this. He also calls the machine his second living room; as an operator you naturally spend many hours in such a cabin. Then it is important that it remains comfortable and feels like home and the cooperation between KWS and Hitachi does an excellent job of that.

Where on one side KWS Amsterdam-Utrecht is raising the dike at the water program, on the other side you have their other core business: asphalt. Currently, KWS is also working on making the Amsterdam metropolitan area accessible. At this second project of KWS, we spoke to engineer Bas Ploeger. Bas has been working at KWS faithfully for 24 years, because of the good training process and the many opportunities for advancement, but also because of the beautiful equipment he gets to work with. For Bas, it is the first time he has worked with a Hitachi. What he especially noticed was the pleasant delivery, neatly painted in the corporate colors of KWS and taken care of down to the last detail. Bas also likes the fact that Hitachi thinks along with the operator. "Hitachi has moved a long way ahead with this new -7 series" said Bas, "The modified wipers and the updated screen are much more innovative than before". A few weeks after the delivery of the machine, an enthusiastic Bas sends photos of his Hitachi. At this point, he is completely used to the new machine and is still satisfied with the delivery. "Had great weeks, top machine!".

KWS takes on various projects nationwide, with as many as 40 earthmoving machines. In addition to their headquarters in Vianen, they have several independent branches. Their different projects also require different machines. KWS Amsterdam-Utrecht have 22 earthmoving machines, 10 of which come from Hitachi. This is not without reason. "Hitachi understands that it is a real collaboration with KWS" says Robert-Jan Post, Head of Equipment Branch Amsterdam-Utrecht. Within KWS togetherness and pride are important spearheads which they like to live up to in their company. They also like to see this reflected in their collaboration with Hitachi. Pepijn de Kok, manager KWS Amsterdam-Utrecht, talks about his thinking when purchasing a machine: "you naturally take into account what kind of machine you need for a specific project. We have a two-brand policy where we have mostly uniform machines in operation. Hitachi was a very conscious choice in 2015 because of the quality of the machines." KWS not only compares the most durable machines during a purchase, the choice of a particular machine also involves the operator. "The operator is the most important thing when purchasing, he makes the most hours with the machine," says KWS. "KWS sees itself as a family business, so it is also important that everyone is included in an investment." KWS does this by involving the operator especially in the details of a purchased machine. In fact, it is possible at Hitachi to fully customize the machine with various options to offer the operator not only comfort, but also optimum safety while working. This is what KWS considers important, not only in their company, but also in their machines. KWS is a diverse company that can offer multiple solutions for a project. For this, they need a machine that can handle various jobs and also be set up from A to Z. Fortunately, Hitachi is the partner of choice for this.

This addition to the equipment fleet has been made possible by Hitachi representative Martin Visser. If you have any questions or would like information about the Hitachi machines and are curious about the many customized options?

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