An SDLG LG958L wheel loader loads crushed aggregate at Naheez Trading’s 25 km water supply pipeline project in Oman.

In whatever walk of life you’re in, having ‘a good name’ is the key to long term success. So when your construction firm happens to share its name — through no fault of its own — with that of an undesireable element in the country, it’s a good idea to change it. And when the Sultan of your country congratulates you on your wisdom then you know it’s a good idea. Such was the case in 1982 when Naheez Trading Co. was created, and the contractor in the Kingdom of Oman has not looked back since, with a host of public and private projects on its books.

Oman, lying on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, is currently undergoing a surge in construction activity as its government steers the economy away from an over-reliance on the oil industry. New roads, ports and other construction projects are connecting the country’s major cities and the country with its neighbors.

 

An inquisitive camel inspects the work of the SDLG LG958L wheel loader.

 

Established in 1982 Naheez Trading is headquartered in the southern port city — and increasingly holiday destination — of Salalah, and enjoys over $75 million of contracts on its books. The biggest, at $36 million, is a checkpoint complex for the Royal Oman Police on the border with Yemen, which involves the construction of new barracks, wash block, car park — even a dog shed. Other current contracts include the construction of a 250 house development in the north western city of Al Mazyouna, a health center in Meitan — even installing a massive 36 km long chain link fence to enclose a new farm.

With projects all over the country, the task of managing its mobile workforce of 500 and mobile equipment fleet of 150 units falls to general manager Adil Salem. Included among the equipment is its own crushing plant, ready mix batching station, excavators, asphalt compactors — and five LG958L wheel loaders from leading Chinese manufacturer SDLG.

“Cost was a big factor in choosing the SDLG wheel loaders,” says Mr. Adil, “but we considered a number of things. Chinese machines are often cheaper but when they break there is usually little or no aftersales support, and so the machines sit idle for a long time while we wait for parts. That is not the case with SDLG, and what really sold them to us was that the machines were being supplied and supported by a well-known and respected local dealer — Genserv. The service element is vital — I can call them at midnight if a machine goes down and I know they will come immediately. I have not been disappointed — we did a test with one machine and then very soon after we ordered four more. And because Genserv keeps these machines in stock they were delivered in just three weeks.”

 

The general manager of Naheez Trading, Adil Salem, is responsible for managing the company’s mobile equipment fleet, which includes five SDLG LG958L wheel loaders.
 

The SDLG loaders are proving versatile machines, currently loading trucks with crushed aggregate, feeding the batch plant, site preparation duties and backfilling trenches in a 25 km water supply pipeline project.

 

The machines are more than up to the task. Featuring a high-torque engine, the five tonne LG958L features a 3 m3 bucket; ZF transmission and axles; and wet disc brakes for versatility and easy maintenance. It also has a hydraulic quick coupler and 3rd function hydraulics, as well as a modern, spacious and ergonomic interior.

Working 10 hour shifts the machines are earning their keep, with the first machine already clocking up 6,000 largely trouble-free hours. Small early air-conditioning issues were quickly resolved — A/C is an option Mr. Adil considers essential for productivity and safety, especially given that the machines and operators often work on desert projects where temperatures of up to 48oC are a regular event. More to protect man than machine, Naheez Trading avoids working in the middle of the day when temperatures are at their extreme. The company operates two mini-shifts, the first one 7am until 11am, and then 4pm until 7pm, when conditions are cooler.

With fuel prices fixed nationally at less than $2 a gallon you’d imagine efficiency wouldn’t be an issue. But with so many machines operating so many hours daily, diesel is a significant cost for larger contractors, and Naheez Trading is tracking fuel use. The SDLG machines score well here too, with the latest generation engines recording improvements in productivity and efficiency. Backed up by Genserv’s operator and technical training, the machines are working at their optimum level.

Naheez Trading is capitalizing on the growth in construction in Oman by expanding into the lucrative road and bridge building sector. “We will need more machines,” says Mr. Adil. “And I predict that SDLG machines will enjoy similar expansion in Oman.”

We’re sure His Majesty would approve.