Jaws

What Jaws does

Jaws (legally Jaws Buckets & Attachments Pty Ltd) is a family-owned Australian manufacturer of bespoke mining equipment, founded in 1972 as Pipeline Welding Contractors by Mike and Barry Koster and now led by Managing Director Dale Koster. Headquartered in Brisbane with sales offices in Mackay, Rutherford, and Perth, the company designs and manufactures custom mining buckets (backhoe, face shovel, wheel loader), mining truck bodies, and specialty attachments (TyreHandler, DozerBlade, CableReeler) for large-scale open-pit mining operations. All products are 100% Australian designed and manufactured at the Brisbane facility under ISO 9001 certification held since 1998.

The company's technical approach centers on Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for fatigue-tolerant design and the use of high-strength steels including Hardox 450 for truck body construction. Proprietary product lines include the Volumax and Volumax+ truck body families, engineered to optimize volumetric capacity and payload while conforming to OEM warranty constraints, and site-specific wear protection packages developed for individual mining sites. Spare parts (pins, bushes, cutting edges, seals, hydraulic cylinders) are produced in-house to enable rapid delivery and minimize customer downtime.

Jaws operates an enterprise sales-led go-to-market model with every product quoted and engineered to individual site specifications, billed under multi-year contracts. Revenue is generated across three streams: one-time capital equipment sales (buckets, truck bodies, attachments), recurring spare parts supply, and ongoing maintenance and support services including site visits and wear monitoring. The company sells directly through its Australian offices and via partner networks across Indonesia, Mongolia, USA, Canada, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Papua New Guinea, reaching 211 clients in 26+ countries. In 2011 Jaws acquired a 50% share in Bard Engineering and completed the full takeover in 2016, extending its engineering capability and domestic footprint.

Name

Jaws

Legal name

Jaws Buckets & Attachments Pty Ltd

Website

https://jaws.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Jaws is a family-owned Australian manufacturer of bespoke mining equipment — custom buckets, attachments, and truck bodies — engineered in-house using Finite Element Analysis for large-scale open-pit mining operations across 26+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mining Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Mining Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333131), Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing (3331)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Construction Machinery & Equip (3531)

akta.pro primary industry

Attachments & Work Tools (Buckets, Augers, Hammers) (IMAHAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Surface Mining Equipment (Excavators, Shovels, Draglines, Dozers) (IMAKANAA), Mining & Quarry Haulage Vehicle Manufacturing (Dump Trucks/Haulers) (IMACAFAC), Wear Parts & Consumables (GET, Liners, Drill Bits, Grinding Media) (IMAKANAH)

Keywords

• Mining equipment manufacturing
• Industrial mining buckets
• Earthmoving attachments
• Mining truck bodies
• Hydraulic cylinders

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Mining Equipment Sales: Custom-designed and manufactured mining buckets, attachments, and truck bodies sold directly to mining operations worldwide. Products are bespoke solutions tailored to individual site specifications, operating as one-time capital equipment purchases with ongoing spare parts and maintenance support.
2. Spare Parts: Supply of spare parts including pins, bushes, cutting edges, seals, hydraulic cylinders, and wear protection parts. Parts are manufactured in-house at Brisbane facility and can be rapidly delivered or manufactured to order to minimize customer downtime.
3. Maintenance and Support Services: Ongoing maintenance and support services including regular site visits, wear monitoring, and reporting. Includes industry-leading warranty cover and product support team working with engineers and designers for quick solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Jaws custom-designs, engineers, and manufactures bespoke mining buckets, attachments, and truck bodies for large-scale mining and construction operations. All products are Australian designed and manufactured at the Brisbane facility, with proprietary FEA-based Volumax truck body designs and custom-engineered solutions tailored to individual site specifications. The company also supplies spare parts and provides ongoing maintenance and support services to its global mining customers.

Product overview

Jaws is a mining equipment manufacturer offering a portfolio of bespoke buckets, attachments, and truck bodies. The core product lines include Mining Buckets (Backhoe and Face Shovel variants), custom Mining Attachments (TyreHandler, DozerBlade, CableReeler), and Mining Truck Bodies (Volumax, Volumax+, and OEM Bodies). The company provides these products alongside spare parts and supporting services including custom design, engineering, manufacturing, and maintenance/support. All products are Australian-designed and manufactured at the Brisbane facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Volumax: Truck body product line designed to maximise volumetric capacity and achieve optimal payload whilst conforming to OEM policies.
• Volumax+
• Tyre Master

Products and services

• Mining Buckets Industrial mining buckets for backhoe, face shovel, and wheel loader applications. Custom-designed with site-specific wear protection packages to balance payload and bucket mass within OEM parameters, engineered for extreme breakout forces and abrasive mining conditions.
• Mining Face Shovel Buckets Industrial face shovel buckets engineered to optimise fill factor, payload efficiency, and structural durability within OEM limits. Designed for controlled digging, reduced spillage, and extended wear life in demanding mining applications.
• TyreHandler Safe tyre handling solution for mining and construction industries, available as direct-mounted or Jaws Quick Coupler-mounted options providing machine interchangeability and safety.
• DozerBlade Custom-designed dozer blades engineered to move maximum product with reduced dozer load, resulting in more payload moved and less fuel burn while maintaining maximum traction.
• CableReeler Hydraulically operated heavy-duty cable reelers for laying and retrieval of power cables in surface and underground mining operations, available as direct fit or quick hitch-mounted for front end loader or LHD host machines.
• Volumax Truck Body Truck body designed using Finite Element Analysis and fatigue-tolerant design, utilising high-strength Hardox 450 steel for optimised volumetric capacity and highest possible nominal or target payload while conforming to OEM payload policies.
• Volumax+ Lightweight Truck Body Lightweight long-life truck body with revolutionary hoisting system, custom-designed to maximise target payload for all models of off-highway rigid frame trucks while maintaining full OEM warranty.
• OEM Bodies Manufacturer-style truck bodies designed based on each site's needs, working closely with truck manufacturers to ensure compatibility while achieving site target payload.
• Spare Parts Spare parts including pins, bushes, cutting edges, seals, hydraulic cylinders, and wear protection parts. All parts manufactured at the Brisbane facility with rapid delivery options to minimise customer downtime.
• Maintenance and Support Services Ongoing maintenance and support services including regular site visits, wear monitoring and reporting, industry-leading warranty cover, and product support working with engineers and designers to deliver quick solutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Optimised payload capacity with near-perfect match pass loading
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bard EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016In 2011, JAWS acquired a 50% share in Bard Engineering, and in 2016 completed a 100% takeover. Both companies had previously worked together to deliver world-class products to domestic and overseas markets. The acquisition allowed both entities to provide a streamlined product offering to a more diverse audience.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Austin Engineering: Australian-headquartered manufacturer of mining truck bodies, buckets, and mining equipment, serving large-scale miners globally. Direct competitor to Jaws in custom mining truck bodies and bucket fabrication.
• BOSS Attachments: Specialist designer and manufacturer of mining and earthmoving buckets, GET (ground engaging tools), and attachments. Closely comparable to Jaws in custom bucket engineering and wear packages for heavy mining equipment.
• ITR Pacific: Asia-Pacific supplier of ground engaging tools, undercarriage parts, and mining wear components, including bucket teeth and cutting edges. Direct competitor in mining wear parts and consumables across the Australian mining region.

Broad incumbents

• Hensley Industries (Komatsu): Acquired by Komatsu, Hensley is a long-established manufacturer of mining bucket teeth, GET, and cutting edges. Overlaps with Jaws' wear parts and bucket offerings at a larger, OEM-backed scale.
• Caterpillar: Global OEM of mining trucks, shovels, and a full line of ground engaging tools and bucket offerings. Competes with Jaws indirectly through OEM-supplied and factory-fitted buckets and wear packages for its mining fleet.
• Komatsu: Global OEM of mining trucks, hydraulic and electric mining shovels, and a comprehensive range of GET and bucket products. Overlaps with Jaws in mining bucket and truck body supply to large miners.
• Liebherr: Major OEM of mining excavators, dump trucks, and large hydraulic shovels. Both a customer and indirect competitor — Jaws supplies Liebherr-branded buckets, while Liebherr offers its own bucket and attachment programs.
• Epiroc: Global mining and infrastructure equipment manufacturer offering drilling, loading, and haulage solutions including bucket and attachment portfolios. Competes broadly with Jaws in surface mining equipment supply.
• Hitachi Construction Machinery: Manufacturer of ultra-large mining excavators and shovels with associated bucket programs. Overlaps with Jaws in mining face shovel bucket design and supply.

Emerging players

• Caterpillar Global Mining (formerly Bucyrus): Caterpillar's surface mining division manufactures electric rope shovels, hydraulic shovels, and large mining trucks with proprietary bucket designs. Comparable to Jaws in large mining bucket engineering and serves as a major reference point for OEM-supplied mining equipment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jaws