Canadian quarry puts North America’s first LiuGong 995F excavator to work

Why Ocean Contractors chose the LiuGong 995F excavator

Ocean Contractors’ relationship with LiuGong equipment had started on a much smaller scale. Atlantic Equipment had previously supplied them with a LiuGong 6612E roller and a CLG 2040H heavy-duty industrial pneumatic tire forklift, giving Ocean Contractors some experience with both the OEM and the dealer behind it. Introducing an unfamiliar 95-tonne excavator into a production-critical role was a considerably bigger investment.

After that first conversation with Bond, Wellwood began comparing the 995F with alternatives from several established manufacturers, looking at fundamentals including operating weight, horsepower, and hydraulic pressure.

“There’s nothing that jumps out really,” he says. “I was looking at four different machines, all different manufacturers, all in the same weight class, and they’re all very similar. The specs are all very similar.”

The 995F lined up with what Ocean Contractors needed from the size class, while major components, including a Perkins engine and hydraulic components from Kawasaki and Bosch Rexroth, provided some familiarity behind a less familiar trade dress.

Affordability was another consideration, and Atlantic Equipment’s offer to take the high-hour excavator on trade simplified the replacement by giving Ocean Contractors a way to move the old machine at what Wellwood considered a fair value.

The business case for the 995F extended beyond the machine’s specifications and the terms of the deal. With Ocean Contractors considering an unfamiliar excavator for a critical production application, the dealer behind it was another important part of the equation.

Atlantic Equipment prepares to support North America’s first LiuGong 995F

Wellwood had known Bond for years before Atlantic Equipment became a LiuGong dealer, and that existing relationship gave Ocean Contractors a level of confidence that would have been difficult to establish through specifications alone.

Atlantic Equipment is also located only minutes from the quarry, putting service support close by. Bennett Gaskin, territory sales manager, says the dealer considered its ability to support the 995F from the outset.

“You can always sell machines, but if you can’t service [them], you’ll never sell another one,” he says.

With the 995F headed for a production-critical role, Atlantic Equipment’s commitment had to extend well beyond the initial sale.

“Are we going to be able to service this? Are we going to be able to look after this machine to make sure it gets through its life cycle and it works the whole way and doesn’t have any downtime?” Gaskin says.

Answering those questions required preparation before North America’s first 995F ever reached the quarry. Bond knew the contractor’s operation and the consequences if a machine in this role went down.

“When you’re putting that kind of machine into an operation that hinges on it being running and successful, you want to make sure that you’ve done your homework,” Bond says.

Atlantic Equipment leaned on LiuGong North America for additional technical support. LiuGong personnel assisted with assembly and training when the machine arrived in January 2025, and Atlantic Equipment’s Red Seal technicians received additional training specific to the 995F.

The dealer worked with Ocean Contractors to determine which critical spare parts would be kept available. The contractor stocks routine maintenance items, such as filters, fluids, oils, and GET, while Atlantic Equipment expanded its local parts inventory and increased parts storage in Katy, Texas, specifically to support the 995F and minimize downtime.

Atlantic Equipment remains Ocean Contractors’ primary point of contact. The dealer performs the machine’s maintenance and has handled any service requirements that have arisen under warranty.