Tell us about the business.
HMG provides heavy engineering services focused on designing, manufacturing and refurbishing components for heavy machinery and fixed plant equipment.
How long have you been doing business?
We first opened in 1959 with three workers in a small workshop in Eagle Farm, Brisbane. 66 years and counting!
How many people work for the business?
We have around 120 people in our Brisbane facility. That includes fitters, machinists, boilermakers, surface coating technicians, design draftspeople, administration support, sales and safety.
Describe a typical day at ‘The office’.
At HMG, every day is about precision, efficiency, and delivering heavy engineering and manufacturing solutions to the highest standard.
Across our Brisbane-based facility, you’ll find teams dismantling some of the largest excavator cylinders in the industry, machining new components in one of our many state-of-the-art CNC machines or applying engineered surface coatings using cutting-edge laser cladding technology.
Our investment in high-tech manufacturing equipment allows us to produce complex parts with exceptional accuracy and repeatability, while our laser cladding process enhances wear resistance and extends component life in demanding environments. Whether it’s a cylinder repair or newly manufactured components, our focus is always on quality, efficiency, and maximising uptime for our customers.
What are the biggest challenges facing your business?
Our focus has always been about enhancing our quality and reducing our turnaround times. Whether that’s through installing faster, better machinery, improving our processes or upskilling our workforce, the end result is delivering better products and services for our customers.
The challenge for us is continuous innovation and looking ahead to what we can do to improve further.
What are the biggest opportunities for your business right now?
We specialise in hydraulic cylinders, but our manufacturing surface coating capabilities go well beyond that. There are innumerable components in heavy industries such as mining which are impacted by issues such as cracking and wear. The opportunity lies in working with our customers to understand what we’re able to re-coat, repair or remanufacture to save outright replacement costs.
We also provide service exchange for hydraulic cylinders, which, if widely utilised throughout an operation, can give a big boost to the bottom line.
What is the business most proud of?
Our employee longevity is something we’re incredibly proud of. Some of our employees have been with us for over 35 years. It’s incredible to have such dedication and commitment from our people and it’s a big part of who we are as a company. The knowledge they can impart the next generation of tradespeople is invaluable.
Community or other causes close to its heart and values?
At HMG, community and care go hand in hand with craftsmanship. Whether it’s our team, including our CEO, running the Bridge to Brisbane to raise funds for local causes, wearing pink to support breast cancer awareness, or taking part in R U OK? Day to spark meaningful conversations, we’re committed to making a difference beyond the workshop floor.
We also invest in the well-being of our people, offering free access to professional mental health support in the form of confidential access to a psychologist for staff and their immediate families. Not only is looking after our people good for business; it’s the right thing to do.
Any employees that deserve a shout out?
All our employees, past and present, have enabled us to deliver products and services that have kept Australia’s heavy industries moving for more than 65 years. For that, they all deserve recognition.
