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

Gears, shafts, sprockets and tracks 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 draglines, buckets and ground-engaging tooling.

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 a part 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-01983Queensland 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