Image: Neil (right) with colleague Nathan Stearns.
Q&M magazine talks with Neil Loughran, the Technical Services Manager at Sanland Equipment and a recipient of a 2005 Q&M Tomorrow’s Leaders Award.
Neil was born and bred in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and completed his qualifications in the UK through the IVECO Academy. We began by asking him:
When did you become interested in pursuing a career in our industry?
I was exposed to the crushing industry at a young age through my family’s businesses but, after school, I initially pursued a career in trucks and refrigeration.
At 16, I completed a commercial refrigeration apprenticeship, working on large fixed and mobile units.
After that, I joined my uncle’s civil contracting business, which operated Powerscreen and Sandvik mobile crushing and screening gear. I worked as a mechanic and all-round general hand.
I come from where Powerscreen and Finlay were founded, so many of my long-time friends, mentors, and colleagues
are well-established names in the global quarrying and crushing industry. That heritage has had a strong influence on my professional journey.
I moved to Australia in my early twenties and reconnected with friends who were deeply involved in crushing and screening and was quickly pulled into the industry myself.
In Australia, I worked as a service technician and production manager with the following companies: PRG (Western Australia), Murray Leahy Group/MLG (Western Australia), Precision Screen (Queensland), and the Lincom Group/Powerscreen (Victoria).
Eight years ago, I moved here to New Zealand and started my own business, Loughran Plant Mechanical specialising in on-site crusher and screener repairs for operators across the country.
What does your current role entail?
As the Technical Services Manager at Sanland Equipment I manage a growing team of in-house and field service technicians, specialising in crushing and screening equipment.
Sanland supports various industries: quarrying, mining, recycling, civil, and agriculture across New Zealand and the Pacific. The equipment I work on includes global brands like Terex, Metso, Sandvik, and Kleemann, along with Sanland’s own static modular plants.
My role involves supporting the team through technical challenges, organising jobs and parts, and making sure work is done to a standard I would expect myself.
I am also studying for my NVQ Level 3 in Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, and NVQ Level in Heavy Automotive Mechanical Engineering.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
There’s rarely a ‘typical’ day. I could be managing urgent breakdowns, supporting customers and the team over the phone, coordinating service calls, or helping diagnose a tricky machine issue.
Most days, I’m either driving around the country in my Chevy or jumping on a plane, phone in one hand, tools in the other. So, the job is varied, and no two days are the same.
I interact with people at all levels, from crawling through machines with operators in the morning to meeting project managers in boardrooms by afternoon, solving complex problems, especially the ones no one else can fix.
I’m a lifelong machine enthusiast. Big engines, heavy machines, and horsepower, it never gets old for me.
What don’t you like about your job?
Logistics and parts support can be challenging due to New Zealand’s isolation so preparation and knowing what the machines will require in the future is invaluable.
Seeing machines fail from poor operator care or bad management decisions — it’s frustrating when it’s avoidable.
Also being away from family due to unpredictable hours, but it’s part of the job.
What are your future career aspirations?
I aim to continue working on major projects and with top global brands, while building New Zealand’s gold standard service team for crushing and screening.
I want to help drive the local industry toward modern, best-practice maintenance and support models, and get more young people involved and trained up for long-term careers in the industry.
I’ve been a bit passive in the past, attending sporadic IOQ events over the years, but I definitely want to become more actively involved going forward.
Any advice for those joining our industry?
Come in with an open mind and be prepared to work hard. It’s a rewarding industry that develops you personally as well as mentally.
Take the opportunity to get a tertiary technical qualification early on. There’s a real shortage of professionals who have both experience and formal education, and that combination can really fast-track your career.