Established in 2008, Micka TP (TP stands for Public Works), headed by Michael Ortiz, specialises mainly in demolition work, but also carries out some landscaping work. Staying loyal from the very beginnings of his company to crawler excavators from Hyundai Construction Equipment, managing director Ortiz, who in 2010 was voted the youngest public works entrepreneur in France, has just purchased his fifth machine - an HX235LCR - from local agent CS Matériels.

 

Located in Thézan-lès-Béziers, in the department of l'Hérault, and situated around ten kilometers from Béziers, Micka TP is managed by Mickael Ortiz, now 29 years old. "I was eighteen when I set up my company. I had been working for three years in a demolition company in Béziers, but it was sold, so that is what spurred me to set up my own business," explained the young entrepreneur. "At that time, I was working on my own with a mini excavator, and due to demand, I gradually increased my fleet of machines. From a single mini-excavator I acquired a second, then a third ... and today there are ten, five of them being from the Hyundai Construction Equipment brand," he continued.

 

In 2018, the business, which eleven years later employs nine people, posted revenues of around €1.2 million, with 70% of business coming from demolition work, and 30% from landscaping. "Turnover has increased constantly since the company was formed in 2008, even though that period was, unfortunately for many companies, difficult. In the next few years, I aim to achieve revenues of €1.5 m., but I don't want to get too big either.," added Mickael, who in 2010 was voted the youngest public works entrepreneur in France.

 

And yet ...

Today the company's premises cover 14,000 m2, but Mickael Ortiz has just expanded by adding a further 15,000 m2 of land situated adjacent to his own. "We will almost exceed three hectares," he was proud to explain. In fact, the company needs more space because, apart from needing space to store the machinery, one of our lines is recycling materials. "All the rubble from our demolition work is recycled here. We crush it, turn it into granulate, and then use it on our landscaping sites," he explained.

 

Furthermore, a year ago Mickael Ortiz decided to set up Micka Désamiantage (asbestos disposal). "We did it because there were many buildings containing asbestos on the sites where we were carrying out demolition work, and we were missing out on bidding to work on them because we didn't have the requisite qualifications for asbestos disposal. We had to employ sub-contractors, and that meant a squeeze on pricing. So, we decided to get trained and obtain the qualifications necessary to carry out asbestos disposal work, so that we could gain more demolition work. That's why we set up this company which now is turning over around €600,000, and employs nine people," said Ortiz, as he explained the details.

 

A hundred sites every year

Nice, Avignon, Lourdes ... Micka TP works on a hundred sites every year. From major demolition projects lasting several weeks, even months, to projects taking just one day, where the demolished property is perhaps a wall, a fence, or a house... "We also carry out work at service stations to ensure compliance, for example. We also do work for Autoroutes du Sud de la France (ASF) where we work on civil engineering demolition projects. During our demolition work we always stay at heights below around 15 metres. Our clients include individuals, private companies, local authorities, etc." commented Mickael Ortiz.

 

So, for all our work, the company requires reliable, robust and powerful machines. "It was in 2010 when I bought my very first excavator from Hyundai Construction Equipment; it was an R250NLC-7, and since I was very happy with it, two years later I purchased an R145-9 fitted with a variable boom lift, a long outrigger and a blade. Then I had the opportunity to purchase an R210-7A, an R210-9, and the most recent, an HX235LCR," he recalled.

 

So, the HX235LCR crawler excavator, with a loaded weight of 24,000 kg, is the latest compact model to join the Micka TP fleet. It is currently clocking up 700 operating hours, and being an excavator with a compact turning radius, it excels particularly on demolition work in the city centre. Its articulated boom and levelling blade provide better stability - ideal for digging trenches, sub-surface engineering and demolition work, as well as for loading trucks. On this machine, the operator's comfort is considered, as outlined by Julien Sirondet, who has been driving for Micka TP since 2010. "When I joined the company, I wasn't familiar with Hyundai Construction Equipment machinery. But now, I truly would not want to change. They are very reliable, and we've never had the slightest problem. And the cabin on the HX235LCR is spacious, very pleasant and comfortable - absolutely essential since I spend around eight hours in it every day. It also gives very good visibility, the controls are ergonomic and it is easy to get to grips with. And what I particularly like is that it is very compact. It's ideal for working on city-centre sites and the reversing camera is truly a plus!”

 

The HX235LCR crawler excavator in figures:

Net power: 129 kW (173 hp)

Nominal power: 136 kW (183 hp)

Travel speed: 5.5 km/h

Loaded weight: 26,500 kg