Small earth-movers’ parts at TVH, a bright future ahead

13 June 2022

In 2020, TVH added three equipment types within small earth-moving (SEM) to its range of parts: mini-excavators, skid steer loaders and compact track loaders. That introduction didn’t come out of the blue. We already had numerous parts in stock, but the official introduction did signal the further development of our offering. Every day, new parts are added and at the end of this year, we will incorporate parts for backhoe loaders into our range. That’s why we sat down with Joris Tijtgat, Market Management Specialist for SEM, to discuss TVH’s emergence into the world of parts for small earth-movers and the exciting future ahead.

About the expert

Joris Tijtgat is Market Management Specialist for SEM. He is celebrating ten years at TVH this year, but he was already familiar with the company before his first work day in 2012. When he was still a student, he was welcomed at TVH for his dissertation. Together with some fellow students, he developed a test bench for transmissions and hydraulic pumps, which won an innovation award and is still being used today.

Where did it all start?

“We officially introduced parts and accessories for small earth-movers to our range in 2020”, Joris begins. “Of course that market was not uncharted territory for us. We were already helping countless SEM owners and had many fitting parts in stock. But at the same time, we noticed that some of our customers weren’t aware that we could also deliver spare parts for small earth-movers. So we decided to grasp that opportunity with both hands! It’s still a work in progress, but our range of SEM parts is growing steadily.”

What do we have to offer?

For 3 equipment types

“TVH is specialised in small earth-movers that weigh up to ten tons”, Joris clarifies. “For now, we provide parts for three equipment types: mini-excavators, skid steer loaders and compact track loaders. While there is overlap in parts, there are some differences between the machines.

Mini-excavators are the only machines in our current range whereby the operator can look into the bucket. They run on tracks and are used for digging, smoothing out terrain and filling containers. Skid steer loaders and compact track loaders look alike at first glance: they both have a bucket that faces away from the operator and are used to move materials. But while skid steer loaders are equipped with tyres, compact track loaders run on tracks. The latter also have a lower centre of gravity, making them more stable and better for rough terrain.”

9 focus brands

“At TVH, we take proactive action for parts suitable for nine focus brands: Bobcat, Case, Caterpillar, JCB, John Deere, Kubota, Takeuchi, Volvo, and Yanmar”, Joris continues. “Those brands represent the largest global market share within our submarkets.

But don’t worry when your machine doesn’t belong to one of our focus brands. Chances are we'll still be able to help! We have many parts in stock and are continuously striving to expand our range, adding new parts every day. We’re also developing other brands than our nine focusses, such as Hitachi, Komatsu, Wacker Neuson, …”

Over 4 million known references

“The fact that our range spreads further than our focus brands is also noticeable in our number of known references”, Joris elaborates. “Only looking at the focus brands, we have about two million known references. However, our total number of known references – of all of our small earth-movers’ parts – accumulates to over four million!

That vast amount of known references signifies that we have more in stock than merely the typical bits that are needed for general maintenance. Of course, we can provide you with filters, motor and transmission oils, cooling fluid, etc., but we can also help with all types of wear parts. From the smallest switches to windows, joysticks, tyres and tracks, hydraulic parts, engine components,… We have it all!”

Advantages of ordering at TVH

Extensive look-up service

“It will come as no surprise that ordering at TVH poses many advantages”, Joris points out. “We have an extensive range of brands and parts, but our high number of known references is even more impressive. We owe that high number to (among other things) our extensive look-up service for more than 30 brands that are active in earth-moving. In 2021, that look-up service processed as many as 125 776 search lines. That is about 550 search lines each work day!”

Technically skilled in repairing and remanufacturing

“However, it’s also possible that a new part isn’t exactly what you are looking for. Maybe your small earth-mover is a bit older and you’re not sure how much benefit you will be able to derive from a new part? In that case, you can opt for a remanufactured part. Our remanufactured parts have been repaired and reconditioned by our skilled technicians in the Parts Workshop or Electronics Department. They are of top quality and come with the same one year warranty as our new parts. Are you a Belgian customer who would like to see a part repaired rather than ordering a new one? That might be possible! Contact us and we’ll check how we can help.”

Our future in small earth-movers

“As mentioned earlier, we’re continuously striving to expand our offering”, Joris reiterates. “Enlarging our small earth-moving portfolio is an important goal, whether that be with new parts, new brands or new equipment types. In fact, I can already give a scoop. During the last months of this year, we will officially introduce backhoe loaders to our range!

However, if you have a backhoe loader in your fleet that could use new parts, you definitely shouldn’t wait for the official launch to contact us. The required research and development has been going on for some time now, so it is highly likely that we will already be able to help”, Joris concludes.