Deffains is a family-owned civil engineering firm, founded in 1978 by Jean-François and his wife Louisette. In 2015, the company, which undertakes public works projects, mainly in Rennes, France, passed into the hands of their son, Pierre. “It was a natural step for me to take over the business, and I never really thought there was any other option,” recalls Pierre, whose love of excavators goes back to his childhood.

Pierre’s first encounter with an excavator came at the age of six. On one occasion, he demanded to have an excavator ride, so his father, Jean-François, gave him a ride in a safe location.

“Pierre has had a love of machines since he was a little boy. I remember only too well how much trouble he caused us when he insisted on staying at home to wash the excavator rather than going to school!”
Louisette shows an old photo of a young Pierre happily riding on a tractor.

“Pierre would always accompany us to the site and watch us work, never getting tired of it. He always had a toy construction vehicle in his hand. When we attended an acquaintance’s wedding, he kept it clutched in his hands the whole time, even in front of the bride.”

Of course, his love of construction vehicles was one of the reasons why he came to work for the family business, but Pierre says that it was a very natural thing for him to carry on what his parents had created.

Deffains has been using Hitachi Construction Machinery’s machines since the 2000s. How do Hitachi Construction Machinery’s machines look in the eyes of Pierre, who is also a car enthusiast?

“‘Their machines offer flexibility and agility thanks to their high-performance hydraulic systems, so I rarely feel tired at the end of the day. But what I like the most is their appearance. I just love that bright orange color.”

Deffains is currently undertaking a project to turn a former quarry into a park. The first challenge was to backfill the quarry’s 10-meter-deep pit and prepare the work zone to make it safe to work in. Dany, a heavy machinery operator, relates as follows.

“We began by removing the stumps of trees that were in the way, which we ground up so that they could be reused as firewood.”

“Thanks to Hitachi Construction Machinery’s machines, which have continued to evolve over the years, safety on work sites has definitely improved. In particular, the windows have been made bigger, making it easier to see with fewer blind spots,” Pierre says with a nod.

Various restrictions are imposed on public construction sites. In the course of working in compliance with these restrictions, they sometimes run into unexpected challenges. Pierre recalls how Hitachi Construction Machinery France has helped them out on many such occasions.

“If any issues come up, Hitachi Construction Machinery’s engineers are quick to come up with a solution. Without their support, there is no way we could carry out a project flawlessly. In a way, Hitachi Construction Machinery’s machines are the key to the success of our projects.”
His words reflect a deep trust in Hitachi Construction Machinery.