Volvo reliability keeps Medallion Mushrooms’ production cycle moving
Growing mushrooms may seem a world removed from the demanding environments traditionally associated with construction equipment. At Medallion Mushrooms, however, producing a consistent crop depends on a carefully controlled chain of processes – and keeping that chain moving requires equipment that can work quickly, reliably and day after day.
At the company’s Western Cape operation, two Volvo L90 wheel loaders supplied and supported by Babcock play an essential role in the production process, handling significant volumes of straw and compost and performing a range of duties across the farm.
“Mushroom growing and production is a very difficult process. It’s not what a lot of people think it is,” says Baring Richardson, Director at Medallion Mushrooms.
Production begins with the preparation of compost, creating the substrate on which the mushrooms will ultimately grow. From there, the material progresses through pasteurisation and conditioning, inoculation and finally into controlled growing rooms for harvesting. It is a tightly managed sequence in which disruption at one stage can have consequences further down the production line.
“Mushroom growing is a long chain of events that happen, and if we get any break in that chain, we see a compromise on the end product,” says Richardson.
Built for a demanding daily cycle
The compost yard presents its own particular demands on equipment. The environment can be corrosive due to ammonia and ammonium, while the wheel loaders are constantly moving, lifting, tipping and changing direction. The Volvo L90s repeatedly travel into the compost bunkers, collect material and deposit it into a hopper over relatively short distances. This makes fast cycle times particularly important.
“One of the reasons why we use the Volvo is because the cycle time is fast. Between forwards and backwards it cycles quite quickly,” explains Richardson.
Hydraulic performance is equally important, with repeated lifting, lowering and tipping required throughout the working day. For Medallion Mushrooms, the combination of speed and controlled operation helps the team move material efficiently while maintaining safe working practices.
The loaders' versatility is another significant advantage. Using the quick-release system, the machines can move straw bales, dunk bales and switch between specialist forks and buckets for compost handling. They are also used elsewhere in the operation for tasks such as breaking peat bags. That ability to perform multiple roles gives Medallion Mushrooms greater flexibility from equipment that is already central to its daily operation.
Reliability where downtime has consequences
For Medallion Mushrooms, however, machine performance cannot be considered purely in terms of how much material is moved. Every day has a defined job that must be completed for the next stage of production to continue. A machine standing idle can therefore create additional pressure well beyond the compost yard. “Breakdowns cost us money and they affect our production and our output. We can't afford to have one of these pieces of equipment sit for too long. Otherwise we can't get the job done,” says Richardson. It is one of the reasons the company has remained with Volvo equipment for decades.
The Group of mushroom farms has operated Volvo machines since the 1990s and says the strength, consistency and reliability of the equipment remain important factors in its purchasing decisions. Fuel efficiency contributes to the overall equation too. The company says its experience with Volvo has demonstrated the value of looking beyond the initial purchase price to operating costs and savings over the life of the machine. This whole-of-life perspective is particularly important when comparing premium equipment with lower-priced alternatives.
“There are many cheaper products on the market and it's very enticing to look at those. At the end of the day, one's got to make the decision based on the fact that you're going to get the support,” says Richardson.
For Medallion Mushrooms, the calculation is straightforward: the cost of equipment downtime and lost production can outweigh the saving made at the point of purchase.
Support that goes beyond the machine
That is where Babcock's role as Volvo Construction Equipment's dealer and support partner becomes an important part of the equation. The Volvo L90s operate under a Babcock service plan, helping the business take a preventative approach to maintenance rather than waiting for problems to result in downtime. “Keeping to the recommended service plan with Babcock ensures that any faults or problems are picked up proactively and not reactively, and are sorted out as quickly as possible,” adds Richardson. The relationship extends beyond scheduled servicing. Medallion Mushrooms' technical team has direct access to Babcock's workshop expertise, allowing issues to be discussed and, where appropriate, troubleshot before a technician needs to be dispatched. For an operation in which every stage of production is connected, that responsiveness matters.
One relationship, broader support
The relationship with Volvo also extends beyond construction equipment. Medallion Mushrooms operates two Volvo Penta generators, selected partly because of the company's long experience with the Volvo brand and its requirement for dependable standby power.
Reliable power is critical to Medallion Mushrooms’ controlled growing environment. The Volvo Penta generators have kept the farm running through extended power interruptions and, with rising electricity costs, the company is also considering using them during peak winter periods to help reduce energy costs. Having Volvo construction equipment and Volvo Penta power solutions supported through Babcock gives Medallion Mushrooms an additional advantage: a single relationship supporting four critical pieces of equipment across the operation. Ultimately, however, the relationship comes back to something less tangible than machine specifications.
Trust.
“We've had a long history with Babcock and with Volvo and I think trust is an important factor in any relationship – and that's the basis of the future,” says Richardson. It is a partnership that has developed over decades, but continues because the equipment and support still need to prove their value every day. “At the end of the day, both companies want to progress and move forward and meet a need. And I think that's what the Babcock and Volvo partnership does,” concludes Richardson. For Medallion Mushrooms, that need is very clear: keep the equipment running, keep the production cycle moving and keep delivering a consistent product to its customers. Because behind every mushroom harvested is a chain of processes that cannot afford to stop.
