“Everybody’s keen to sell you something but they’re not keen to fix it when something goes wrong. So that’s why we’ve gone with Equip2. The price was good, the back up service is phenomenal and that’s why we’ve gone that way.”
- Graham Crawford
White Gold Mining
From the outset, things were nothing impressive. “We started off with a small gravel pit over by the duck pond,” says Graham Crawford, pointing across the mounds of pristine white gravel surrounding us. What began as a small-scale farm operation for lane maintenance has transformed into one of the largest concrete aggregate production sites in Southland.
At Crawford Gravel in Edendale, we sat down with Graham to hear the full story—how a simple gravel pit became a major quarry supplying over 200,000 tonnes of top-quality aggregate per year to five concrete plants across Southland and Otago. With strategic investments in land, equipment, and water sustainability, his operation is now poised for even greater expansion, and demand is soaring with new infrastructure projects like wind farms and industrial developments.
For Graham, the key to success has been investing in the right machinery at the right time— and his latest move to the MWS S130 wash plant has completely transformed production, halving diesel costs, slashing maintenance, and doubling output.
From a Small Step
Graham has worked this land for over 40 years. When he first bought the farm, there was a small gravel pit at one end, mainly used for local farm lane maintenance. Over time, farmers started coming by to grab small loads of gravel, and Graham saw an opportunity.
He expanded the site, and uncovered vast reserves of high-quality white stone. Seeing the potential, he purchased neighbouring farms, growing the operation to 325 acres with machinery. Graham knew the old an estimated 7 million cubic meters of gravel reserves.
The site was initially run by just Graham and one staff member screening gravel on weekends—today, it employs four full- time workers and contracts out heavy earthworks to a team of articulated dumpers.
“We are sitting on a white goldmine” Graham says with a smile, standing aside a stockpile of premium aggregate. His operation is now a cornerstone of the region’s construction industry, and demand continues to rise.
With quarry consents secured for 15 years and major projects in the pipeline, Crawford Gravel needed to scale up production fast—which meant investing in smarter, more efficient machinery.
To A Giant Leap
Running a high-output quarry requires efficient, cost-effective machinery. Graham knew the old equipment was costing too much to maintain, so he made the leap to a modern MWS S130 wash plant with a sand screw system—a move that has paid off massively.
“We looked at other plants” Graham explains, but the final decision came down to the service from Equip2. “Everybody’s keen to sell you something but they’re not keen to fix it when something goes wrong. So that’s why we’ve gone with Equip2. The price was good, the back up service is phenomenal and that’s why we’ve gone that way.”
Less is More
Local engineering contractor Nigel McCord has nothing but praise for the build quality and design of the MWS S130. "For 15 years, I was a registered welding inspector, and I have to say, the construction of this machine is excellent. Very, very impressed with both the design and the actual welding and construction of it" Nigel adds, “This plant is proven to be a very good piece of kit. It does the job that it's supposed to do. And it pretty much did it from day one.”
The efficiency of the new plant has streamlined operations to a single person running the feed and output, with a backup only moving stockpiles when needed. One engine, one loader, and one machine now replace two aging plants and a bucket wheel system.
Back to Basics
Beyond productivity and cost savings, Graham is committed to running an environmentally responsible Quarry. His innovative water recycling system is a fundamental part of the operation - “We do not use any spare water, it’s all recycled” Graham proudly tells us. The site’s spring-fed duck pond he showed us earlier serves as a natural, self-sustaining water source for the wash plant.
After passing through the plant, dirty water flows into a series of sediment catchments, where it is naturally filtered before returning to the main pond. It’s a closed-loop system, meaning Graham isn’t relying on costly water use permits. Its good for Graham, and good for the environment. In fact, his set up has so impressed local councils that Environment Southland want to showcase it as a model for sustainable water systems. The pond isn’t the only part of the original farm that remains - the site is surrounded by rehabilitated dairy paddocks. Graham ensures that once a site is finished with, clean fill from excavation work is used to restore the area, seamlessly blending them back into grazing land. Its just another way Graham has his eye on what’s best - for him, for the environment and for the economy.
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His innovative water recycling system is a fundamental part of the operation - “We do not use any spare water, it’s all recycled” Graham tells us proudly. Graham Crawford
With the right machinery, strong supplier relationships, and a commitment to efficiency, Crawford Gravel is not just keeping up with demand but staying ahead of the curve.
Future Proofed
As we wrap up our visit, Graham reflects on how far the operation has come—and the massive opportunities ahead.
With the right machinery, strong supplier relationships, and a commitment to efficiency, Crawford Gravel is not just keeping up with demand but staying ahead of the curve.
If you’re serious about quarrying, investing in the right plant makes all the difference. The MWS S130 has cut costs, boosted production, and made life a whole lot easier. It’s a no-brainer.
