Meet the team: Rod Black, rock star

From growing up on a farm in the small south-Otago town of Clinton to travelling the world cultivating his skillset, our rock breaker specialist has a view for the smallest details and a perspective that goes beyond the horizon. 

Known affectionately as Earthworm’s “resident rock breaker nerd”, Rod always delivers a standout performance in the care and craft of his service. Since joining the team in 2017 he has stayed busy in the work. And, with two young daughters keeping him on his toes, his weekends are just as busy. 

Rod’s passion and professionalism is unwavering (he’s got a favourite attachment, even*), and we’re proud to have him on the team. We talked through the work with our After-Sales Manager.

What brought you to Earthworm?

I’d been working overseas in England, Ireland, and the Netherlands for several years, specialising in hydraulic attachments, predominantly rock breakers. When I returned to New Zealand, I was keen to find somewhere that would allow me to continue using those skills. The role here was the perfect mix of the hands-on work and the technical problem-solving. 

What does a typical day look like in your job?

It’ll start with a meeting to go over the day’s workload and priorities. I then spend a few hours on emails, providing product support, and creating part drawings to be cut and prepared for the engineering team. The afternoons are often in the workshop, carrying out maintenance on attachments, be it rock breakers, auger drives, demolition equipment, or whatever comes through the door. 

What are the highlights of your work? What do you most enjoy most?

One of the most satisfying aspects is the design and build process. I really enjoy the hands-on aspect of bringing a client’s idea to life, working closely with them to turn the initial concept into a final product that’s ideally tailored to their machine. 

Another area that’s especially rewarding is helping clients troubleshoot faults. Recently a client was about to dismantle their breaker entirely. Fortunately they contacted us first. Over the phone I identified the breaker had been over-gassed, a diagnosis that saved them thousands in potential downtime. It was a great outcome. 

What’s important to get right in your work?

Attention to detail is essential. It only takes a minor oversight to result in substantial downtime and increased operational costs. Precision and thoroughness are so important. 

How has the work changed since you started?

There’s been a big change in the type and number of attachments companies can use. It used to be that everyone mostly stuck to buckets and maybe a hydraulic hitch. Now people want to keep their machines busy. Over the years I’ve seen our range of attachments grow a lot to keep up with that. It’s why Earthworm now has the biggest selection of attachments in New Zealand.

What are you looking forward to in the future? 

Just seeing where Earthworm will grow – and how I can be a part of that journey.

* It’s a Demco DMB365 breaker, in case you’re wondering.