Amajor subsidiary in the R Group, the company has a proud history dating back to 1948 when it was formed by three brothers, initially offering its services to the local farming community.
Today, it has grown significantly with a 600-strong workforce providing a wide range of services.
Those services include creating tunnels, establishing infrastructure within the energy industry, providing water and drainage solutions, road maintenance and even snow clearance in winter. Its services also include rock protection and railway infrastructure and in recent years it has established itself within the demolition and environmental sectors.
Significantly, Risa AS also enjoys a longstanding agreement as a main contractor with Rekefjord Stone (RSA) which operates two quarries from which it supplies a range of quality stone throughout Europe, including the UK.
Risa started work in RSA’s quarry on the east side of Rekefjord in 2013 and from 2019, it has also been responsible for the operation of the second quarry located on the west side of the fjord. In 2023, Risa and RSA signed a new five-year agreement worth over five hundred million Norwegian kroner after RSA won large contracts for the offshore wind market and for large coastal protection projects in Europe.
Awesome Earthmovers recently travelled to Norway to see the Komatsu PC950LC-11 in action at one of RSA’s quarries about a two-hour drive from Stavanger and close to the village of Rekefjord which incidentally gives the business its name.
On the west side of the fjord, the PC950LC-11, equipped with a 6m³ bucket, works nonstop throughout the day. Delivered in 2024, this machine is one of the first PC950LC-11 units running in Europe and the very first in Norway, a milestone that Risa proudly celebrates.
Komatsu Primary Brand for Rental.one
The Komatsu PC950-11 has been hired out to Risa by one of its affiliated companies, Rental.one, headquartered in Nærbø near Stavanger and which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in business this year. Included in its 4,000-strong equipment fleet are around 200 excavators up to 100 tonnes, as well as 50 wheel loaders and 35 dump trucks, with Komatsu being its primary brand because of its high quality, reliability and strong dealer support.
The quarry operates an impressive fleet of Komatsu machines, including PC950LC-11 and PC700LC-11 excavators, two HD605-8 rigid dump trucks, three HM400-5articulated dump trucks, and two WA600-8 wheel loaders.
All Komatsu machines were delivered and are serviced by the Norwegian distributor Hesselberg, one of Scandinavia’s leading machine suppliers which offers a comprehensive range of equipment and innovative solutions for construction, warehouse, and logistics. Hesselberg has been Komatsu’s Norwegian dealer since the 1970s, and Komatsu is one of its most important brands.
During our visit, we spoke to Mads Hompland, the project manager at the two RSA quarries. He said that the total crushed rock production amounts to 2.5 million tonnes a year in both quarries - one million on the south side quarry and 1.2 million in the north quarry where the PC950LC-11 was operating.
Aggregate produced is used for road building, and asphalt and concrete production, while large boulders from both quarries are shipped out for coastal defences in England, France, Scotland and Germany.
Robust Build Quality & Performance
He says everyone at the quarry is very impressed with the robust build and performance of the Komatsu PC950LC-11 and he also adds that he regards the Komatsu HD605 dump trucks as simply the best. “The PC950LC-11 is the biggest machine in our fleet,” he says, “and like the other Komatsu machines including the dump trucks, wheel loader and crawler excavator, we have very little or no downtime at all, such is Komatsu’s reliability.
“Our drivers are very happy with them and with the excellent and dependable support we get from Hesselberg and Komatsu, we look forward to continuing our successful relationship with the dealer and the brand in the years ahead.”
User Friendly Operator Controls
We also managed to spend some time with Vegard Sleveland who has been operating the PC950LC -11 since it was brought to the quarry about 18 months ago. “It has proven to be an extremely reliable and very stable machine,” says Vegard. “The controls are user friendly, not overly complicated and simple to operate.”
He was also impressed by its power and digging force, and safe easy access, as well as its efficiency and productivity. Indeed, there’s an improvement in productivity of around 60% on the previous model – thanks in no small measure to the large capacity 6m³ bucket.
Operations manager Catrine Almaas who has been with the company since 2019 was equally impressed. “We work the Komatsu machines for long hours in the quarry, where we operate two shifts, starting at 6am and going through to 10pm, five days a week, and they never let us down.”
The PC950LC-11 incorporates the latest Komatsu 405kW / 543hp EU Stage V compliant engine, and the latest hydraulic and control technologies. Its fuel efficiency is around 48 percent higher than the PC800-8 that it replaced. It offers 3 selectable modes that are easily matched to the application: Economy mode, Power mode, and Power Plus mode.
A high level of operator comfort is provided by the wide Komatsu SpaceCab, with its standard air-suspended high-back, heated seat and fully adjustable armrests, while all the controls are sensibly located and within easy reach.
Catrine Almaas Operations Manager Risa AS. Mads Hompland Project Manager Risa AS.
The use of sound insulation and of sound absorbing materials also helps to make noise levels inside the cab comparable to those of an executive car, providing Vegard Sleveland and his fellow operators with an excellent and stress-free working environment.
Safety is Komatsu’s Top Priority
That safety is also Komatsu’s Number One priority is underlined by a fully integrated KomVision driver-assist system that eliminates blind spots by providing the operator with a real-time view of the machine’s immediate surroundings, minimising the risk of job site incidents, while the addition of all round LED lights further enhances visibility and safety, especially when operating in low light conditions and during the dark winter days.
In true Komatsu tradition, all safety features on the Komatsu PC950LC-11 comply with the latest industry standards and work in synergy to minimise risks to people in and around the machine. For example, a neutral detection system for travel and work equipment levers increases jobsite safety, along with a seat belt caution indicator, an audible travel alarm and a secondary engine shutdown switch.
The highest safety level is also provided for fast and smooth maintenance. Service points are centrally located, with a wide illuminated walkway, located in front of the engine that provides easy access for maintenance. In addition, there are thermal guards around high temperature areas of the engine for added safety and protection, while catwalks on both sides of the machine also allows the operator to carry out his daily checks in a safe environment.
In Conclusion…
So, having spent some time at the Rekefjord Stone quarry to see how the rock is excavated, crushed and turned into a finished product, we have no doubt that Komatsu – and the powerful workhorse that is the PC950LC-11 -plays an integral role in the success and performance of the business, thanks in the main to the well-established partnership between Komatsu’s Norwegian dealer Hesselberg, Rental.one and Risa AS. Here at Awesome Earthmovers, we say: long may it continue!