Ideagen Plant Assessor and MSC Group

In this time the business has established itself as Australia’s leading supplier of mobile screening and crushing equipment solutions and now operates from three strategic branch locations in Brisbane, Newcastle and Melbourne. Each branch facilitates equipment sales, equipment dry-hire, spare part sales and on-site service.

The business has been built on strong values of fairness, integrity and authenticity and this is reflected in the fact that all key staff, including branch managers and the senior management team, as well as a significant number of key customers, have been with MSC for well over a decade.

Since 2008, MSC has distributed the complete range of products from McCloskey International who are recognised throughout the world as a leader in the design and manufacture of high quality mobile screening and crushing equipment. These units are delivered to Australia from two manufacturing facilities in Northern Ireland and Canada.

This alliance between The MSC Group and McCloskey International and has been an incredible success with hundreds of units now operating all over Australia and the Pacific.  MSC Group have been awarded a number of awards over the past decade including McCloskey International’s prestigious ‘Global Dealer of The Year’ award in 2014.

The MSC Group is headed by brothers Kirwan Barr & Philip Barr, Kirwan as CEO has worked in the screening and crushing industry his entire working life. He started with Power Screen in the 1980’s and his career included working in sales, spare parts, service departments and branch management.

“We supply equipment to mining operations, quarries, major construction businesses, a growing number of large privately-owned companies and local councils,” explains Kirwan.

“Our customers can hire or buy the equipment and our client base is almost split 50:50 across ownership and hire. Regardless of if they hire or purchase the plant, we are insistent that it is commissioned by MSC personnel and is safe to use.”

The machines are imported ready to use but require some basic modifications to ensure they adhere to Australian safety standards.

“Mobile screening & crushing equipment is somewhat unique in that it is modular,” explains Kirwan.

“Essentially each solution starts with central units and then it’s added to depending on the size of the job and the type of materials that need to be produced. The larger units can have a series 10 or more different machines and can be relatively complex.”

“We fit upgraded safety guards and lanyard emergency stops to the machines and some require customisation around electrics or hydraulics.”

The MSC Group initially came across Plant Assessor when they won a tender for a Brisbane-based local council and the tender document stipulated that machines that were supplied by the successful bidder must include a risk assessment from Plant Assessor.

“We weren’t aware that such a platform existed,” says Kirwan.

“Prior to using Plant Assessor, we were doing plant risk assessments in-house and doing what we believed was the right thing to do regarding assessing the machines.”

“Now we can conduct these assessments quickly and with complete assurance they are comprehensive and accurate.

“And because our products are a relatively niche solution, Plant Assessor has been very helpful in ensuring the assessments comply with the various, relevant Australian Standards. Any time we’ve had a new machine arrive in Australia they have been very accommodating at adding an assessment for that type into the system.”

“Plant Assessor truly are subject matter experts when it comes to the entire process of verifying the safe use of machinery and we are very pleased that we found them.”

See how Plant Assessor could work for you – contact us anytime by calling 1300 728 852.