Pengelly Earthmoving: Building a Legacy One Graded Pass at a Time

Sixty years ago, Jack Pengelly's grandfather planted a seed in Werribee that would grow into one of Melbourne's most respected earthmoving operations. Today, as a third-generation operator, Jack carries that legacy forward — not just in name, but in an uncompromising commitment to quality that has defined every kilometre of road and infrastructure he's graded.

A&G Pengelly, founded in 1966, grew steadily through road and estate works, with Jack's father and uncle joining the business early on. The family's involvement in the clean-up following the West Gate Bridge collapse stands as one of many defining chapters in the company's history. For Jack, growing up around heavy machinery wasn't just part of childhood — it was an education. In 2016, he took that knowledge and struck out on his own, purchasing his first Cat® 140M grader and establishing Pengelly Earthmoving under his own banner.

Since then, the business has gone from strength to strength. From the Tullamarine Freeway widening and the Ballarat Line Upgrade, to the West Gate Tunnel, Metro Tunnel, and now the North East Link, Pengelly's Earthmoving has become a trusted name on Melbourne's most significant "Big Build" infrastructure projects — with a particularly strong footprint across the city's western suburbs.

Jack's reputation in the industry is built on precision. He'll be the first to call himself OCD about his work — and his peers would agree. High-precision grading isn't just a service offering; it's a personal standard. It's what drew him toward machine control technology early on, progressing from Topcon, through GCS900, and most recently to Trimble Earthworks, installed in November 2025 on his current Cat® 160M AWD grader — the first of its kind in Australia.

The decision to move to Trimble wasn't taken lightly. After years with GCS900, Jack was initially reluctant to change. But as the system aged, the move to Earthworks quickly proved itself. The difference was immediately apparent — from the smoothness of the hydraulic valve control to the reliability of the MT900 prism, which locks on and tracks with a consistency that gives Jack complete confidence on site.

The blade holds grade extremely well, and the UTS delivers consistent, repeatable accuracy with every pass — so much so that GPS is now rarely needed, called upon roughly once a month at most. For a perfectionist operator working to tight project specifications, that kind of reliability isn't just convenient — it's peace of mind.

The transition from GCS900 was also far smoother than expected. The touchscreen interface is significantly more intuitive, and the larger display makes reading design polylines noticeably easier. Day to day, the system simply gets out of the way and lets Jack do what he does best.

The commercial benefits have been just as compelling. Material control has improved markedly — quantities ordered now closely match what's placed, eliminating reconciliation headaches, particularly with crushed rock volumes. Fewer corrective passes, less rework, and greater confidence across every run mean the whole operation runs leaner and tighter.

Dealer support has matched the quality of the technology. When issues arise, they're resolved quickly by knowledgeable staff — exactly the kind of responsive, dependable backing that a sole operator working on critical infrastructure projects needs.

Staying ahead of the curve is something Jack takes seriously, and that commitment extends beyond the job site. Having attended the last three CONEXPOs, he uses the event as a window into where machine control and software are heading — and to help guide future equipment decisions. At his most recent visit, the new MS996 receiver caught his attention, with the inclusion of the Maxwell chip and Propoint software delivering a notable leap in GNSS accuracy and precision — developments that have him thinking seriously about his next grader upgrade.

But CONEXPO offers more than technology for Jack. The conference has also become a valued opportunity to connect with SITECH and Trimble teams he doesn't ordinarily deal with, making it a worthwhile business venture that informs long-term planning and investment decisions.

For Jack Pengelly, Trimble Earthworks isn't just a machine control system. It's the tool that lets him protect his reputation — one perfectly graded pass at a time.