“Getting the job done right” is what B&D Engineering prides itself on. Started as a three-employee company in 1993, the company has grown to become a successful fitting and machining company based in Griffith, New South Wales. Today, B&D Engineering hires approximately 13 full-time employees and services a wide range of industries, from wineries to cotton gins, feedlots, poultry and primary producers. Let’s Roll spoke to B&D Engineering Director Dean Bordignon about his business’ journey and why he enjoys working with CBC.
Q: Tell us about how B&D Engineering started and grew over the years.
Dean: I started out as an apprentice fitter machinist and when I had enough experience in the industry, I was asked to be a partner in buying a small engineering workshop in 1993. Back then, we were only a small machining workshop, but around 1998-99 we moved into retail. Not long after, we struck up a distributorship with CBC and we’ve been partners with CBC since, stocking a wide range of bearings and power transmission products. We also have a hydraulics division where can design and install all types of hydraulics systems but more importantly diagnose hydraulic problems. In our most recent venture, we have branched out into workwear and personal protective equipment (PPE), where we supply and embroider all types of work uniforms.
Q: What are your workshops’ capabilities?
Dean: Our workshop is fitted with all the equipment needed to repair and manufacture all types of machinery. The various machines that we manufacture, including pruners, spreaders, vine saws or citrus saws, are all customer-driven. Customers come to us and talk about their idea or needs and we design various machines for them with our knowledge of the industry. In a way, we have the best of both worlds, because we have both manufacturing knowledge and product knowledge and we combine those to help our customers.
Q: What makes your fabricated products stand out?
Dean: Our citrus saws and vine saws are very versatile machines. We have designed them so that they can be adjusted and fitted to multiple tractors or other similar equipment, so you are not limited to using them with just one machine. Our vine saws and citrus saws have been sold
all over New South Wales, as well as in parts of Victoria. Our customers find them to be both versatile and also cost-effective.
Q: In the repair and services side, what do you do to keep your customers happy?
Dean: Apart from our extensive technical knowledge, which our customers trust very much, we always make sure to use top quality components. We use specialty NTN bearings such as the NTN triple-seal bearing, the NTN black bearings and the NTN Polylube, depending on the environment where the machines will be operating in. We use the NTN triple-sealed bearing in equipment that go into very dusty and dirty environments because of their unique dustproofing capabilities. NTN Black bearings usually go into non-greaseable housing on agricultural headers. We also supply large quantities of stainless steel NTN Polylube bearings to wineries for their equipment.
Q: How has your working relationship with CBC helped you over the years?
Dean: We have worked with different branches of CBC over the years and they have all taken good care of us on the supply side. More recently, we have been working closely with the CBC Wagga Wagga branch, which supplies us with all our requirements for bearings and power transmission products. The branch’s manager, Frank Pangallo understands our requirements very well. He has also grown up around here, so he knows the seasons and the crops in this region. Our retail shop manager Anthony Smith has very good product knowledge but from time to time, he will consult with CBC representatives about new products on the market.
Q: How have you found NTN’s support on the bearings?
Dean: Very good. There was one project where we wanted to use NTN bearings and needed specific grease holes on the bearing so the bearings would perfectly line up with a certain housing. NTN quickly jumped on board and produced the bearings for us with no dramas.
Q: What do you consider to be the key differentiator about your business?
Dean: We are always honest with our customers and keep their best interest in mind in everything we do. We understand that when our customers have a breakdown, they need help to get their machines going without any delays. So, we don’t play games with them. If we cannot fix something or if we don’t have the product knowledge, we will admit it and direct people in the right direction. That said, we have some of the best expertise in-house and the backing of suppliers like CBC to help our customers where we can.
