ABC crew in orange hi-vis on the deck of a Marion 8750 walking dragline as a crane holds the red propel gear case overhead, Bowen Basin

About · Mackay · Paget · Bowen Basin

The people behind the largest machine shop north of Brisbane.

Smith-family owned Since the late 1980s Seven trades, one roof 24/7 call-out

Request a quote Call 07 4952 3444 — 24/7

Employer rating — SEEK

Rated 4.5 / 5 by the people who work here — 91% would recommend ABC.

Our story

Since the late 1980s, in Paget.

More than 30 years building, repairing and rebuilding heavy mining and industrial equipment across Central Queensland — from monthly maintenance down-days to full dragline refurbishments.

ABC began as the Australian Bearings Corporation, and the name still holds: we remain Australia’s only large-diameter bearing manufacturer. Around that bearing shop grew seven integrated trades — fabrication, bearings, induction hardening, machining, fitting, painting and engineering — all under one 9,000 m² roof.

The business is still locally owned and run by the Smith family, and it still works the way it started: decisions made on the floor, work kept in house, and the phone answered at 2am when a dragline stops.

See what the seven departments do →

Young ABC tradesperson marking out a large machined flange against the QA drawing on the Paget workshop floor — Mark-out against the drawing — QA on the floor, Paget

0m²

Workshop complex

0m²

Hardstand & storage

10 × 10 × 0m

Load access · W × H × L

Dual crane lift · 12 m under hook

0kV

Largest power capacity at Paget · own switchyard

What we’re known for

Four claims no one else in the region can make.

Each one is a capability, not a slogan — and each one is measured.

Australia’s only large bearing manufacturer

Large-diameter slew bearings manufactured, refurbished and repaired for the major OEM fleets — condition-assessed and rebuilt, fully warranted.

From 30% of replacement cost

Queensland’s most modern commercial induction hardening

Slew bearings, drums and sheaves, shafts and sprockets case-hardened to a controlled depth, with stress-relieving and normalising in house.

To 60 HRC at 3–15 mm

The largest machine shop north of Brisbane

Floor borers, vertical borers, heavy lathes and gear cutting that keep 150 t workpieces in Mackay instead of on a truck south.

Gear cutting to Ø 5.5 m

Patented ABClad hard-surfacing

ABC’s own wear-protection process, applied in the fabrication shop to dragline components, dippers and buckets.

Workpieces to 150 t

Team leaders

Run by the family that owns it.

Maurie, Rick and Paul Smith own the business and work it. The management team answers the same phone the clients call — office and emergency, one number.

Managing Director

Maurie Smith

Director

Rick Smith

Director

Paul Smith

General Manager

Leon Dodd

Production Manager

Mike Geisler

[Directors] Portraits to be commissioned · confirm names, roles and Mike Geisler current before publication.

ABC boilermaker in a leather apron oxy-cutting a heavy steel section in the Paget fabrication shop, sparks falling to the floor — Fabrication floor, Paget — the work the reviews talk about

The team

Rated by the people who do the work.

0/5

SEEK employer rating

Would recommend ABC

Source: 11 employee reviews · seek.com.au

“Management were apart of the team, very hands on.”
SEEK employee review

“Good team spirit, clean camp at site.”
SEEK employee review

Tradespeople here have worked the Bowen Basin for decades — and the owners work the same floor. That is what keeps crews on draglines at 2am and keeps clients on the same phone number for years.

RostersEven-time and 7/7 on site roles
LeaveUp to 6 weeks annual leave on 7/7
VarietyDraglines to sugar mills — workshop and field

Talk to us about a trade role →

Community

Part of Mackay, beyond the gate.

The crew turns up for the region the same way it turns up for a breakdown.

Mackay Special Children’s Christmas Party

Supporters of the annual party for Mackay kids and their families.

Cancer-research fundraising

Workshop and crew fundraisers backing Australian cancer research.

National Safe Work Month

Safety culture marked on the floor every October — not just in the manual.

[Directors] Photography from ABC’s social channels — originals and permissions to be supplied.

ISO 9001 [Directors]Quality management — reissue in progress.
QA on all workDetailed quality-assurance packages with every job.
LHL-01983-S5B8TQueensland Labour Hire Licence — planners, supervisors, trades.
Slew Bearing AllianceWorldwide alliance with BMT — a global bearing-rebuild network.

Work with us

Deal directly with the people who run the floor.

Office and emergency on the same line, 24/7. And if you’d rather join the crew than hire it, we’re always interested in good trades.

Request a quote 07 4952 3444 — 24/7