CalContractor - 2019 Underground

UNDERGROUND ISSUE

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Sukut Construction................... Pg. 06 Haley Underground, Inc......... Pg. 12 Ruben’s Pipeline, Inc.............. Pg. 16 Scott Equipment......................... Pg. 22

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Underground

CONTENTS

Construction Issue

Feature Articles 06

SUKUT CONSTRUCTION

Ahead of Schedule on Hi-Desert Water District Wastewater Reclamation Project Phase 1 Collection System

06

12

HALEY UNDERGR0UND, INC.

16

RUBEN'S PIPELINE, INC.

22

SCOTT EQUIPMENT - WESTERN RENTALS WESTERN CONSTRUCTION AUCTIONS

Three Generations Relying on Case Backhoes to Help Build their Business Out There in the Trenches

Family Owned and Operated Ruben's Pipeline, Inc. Celebrates 20 Years in the Underground Utility Construction Business

12

Three Companies Working Together to Serve the Better Good of the Southern California General Engineering Contractor

16

28

INDUSTRY NEWS

30

ADVERTISER INDEX

CalContractor Magazine / www.calcontractor.com PUBLISHER: Kerry Hoover khoover@calcontractor.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Brian Hoover

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CalContractor is published twelve times each year by Construction Marketing Services, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

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Push Boundaries.

Background: The project includes installation of 109 miles of pipeline, 5,120 sewer laterals, 1,353 polymer concrete manholes, and the paving of an astounding 10.7 million square feet of asphalt pavement.

S

ukut Construction, LLC is the general contractor overseeing construction of the approximately $94.7 million Hi-Desert Water District (HDWD) Wastewater Reclamation Phase 1 Collection System project. The scope of work includes the installation of the sewer lines, as well as the removal and replacement of the roadway asphalt. The new sewer system is designed

6

to collect, treat, and reclaim wastewater. The overall project will be constructed in three separate phases, with Phase 1 having already begun in January 2017, with an expectation of completion by December 2021.

The first phase includes the construction of a sewer collection system, a wastewater treatment plant, as well as water reclamation recharge ponds.

This first phase was split into

2019 underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR

four separate packages designated as packages A, B, C, and D. Construction for packages A, C, and D are located primarily in the area of single-family residences, multifamily residences, mobile home parks, vacant parcels, and commercial properties.

Package B consists of three lift stations located on Kickapoo Trail, Balsa Avenue, and Paxton Road. Sewage will flow through

www.calcontractor.com

SUKUT CONSTRUCTION AHEAD OF SCHEDULE ON HI-DESERT WATER DISTRICT WASTEWATER RECLAMATION PROJECT PHASE 1 COLLECTION SYSTEM

By Brian Hoover

these lift stations and then on to the treatment plant. Phase 2 and Phase 3 will follow in December 2021 through 2025.

Nick Osborne is the project manager overseeing Phase 1 of this project for Sukut Construction. “We will be installing 109 miles of new gravity and force main sewer lines through three sewer installation contracts,” says Osborne. “A large part of this work will include

the removal and replacement of around 78 miles of existing roadway, as well as construction of 5,120 sewer laterals and 1,353 polymer concrete manholes.

We will install the lateral piping to the property lines at each parcel once the gravity lines are in place. Then we will test the pipes and repave the roadway.”

According to Osborne, more than 250,000 tons of modified asphalt polymer mix will be

provided and installed by Matich Corporation to cover an astounding area of 10.7 million square feet.

The new collection system will provide service up to the property line of privately-owned homes, businesses, and vacant land. The Phase 1 collection system will utilize approximately 576,000 linear feet of pipe, ranging in size from four to 24 inches. “The majority of the

“The most challenging aspect has been the coordination with the residents and businesses to keep disruptions to a minimum. There have been times, for instance, when we have adjusted our schedule to make accommodations for elderly or disabled residents to ensure that their caregivers have proper access to their homes,” said Nick Osborne, the project manager for Sukut Construction.

pipe being installed is an eight-inch gravity sewer line,” says Osborne. “We are digging down anywhere from six to 34 feet, but most of the work is from six to 12 feet in depth.

The excavation work includes 14 jack and bore operations, where we are boring underneath Highway 62 (29 Palms Highway) due to Caltrans regulations.”

Osborne points out that construction is being performed in three-mile sections or blocks.

“We formulated the size of the area based on our anticipated production speeds to meet

As Sukut’s crews dig ground to lay down new piping, they spray the dirt to eliminate any dust particles from getting into the air and to aid with compaction.

requirements to remove and replace the asphalt road sections within a mandatory 60-day cycle,” says Osborne. “Our plans and procedures have remained on schedule despite several rain and snow delays, and we are still ahead of schedule by several months.”

Sukut Construction has approximately 80 personnel on-site on any given day, along with the support of around 12 Cat excavators, four Cat wheel loaders, and other pieces of machinery such as backhoes and skip loaders. “We purchased

a new Cat 349F L and a new Cat 336D excavator specifically for this project,” says Osborne.

“We acquired and are utilizing a lot of our shoring and trench shields.”

“This is a big project for us and has represented around ten percent of our revenue these past two years,” says Osborne.

“The most challenging aspect has been the coordination with the residents and businesses to keep disruptions to a minimum.

There have been times, for instance, when we have [ Continued on page 10 ]

THIS WAS THE

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The sewer system is needed to protect the groundwater, as septic systems leave behind residues when wastewater is discharged to the soil and absorbed.

Sukut will be installing over 100 miles of new gravity and force main sewer lines through three sewer installation contracts.

The new sewer system is designed to collect, treat, and reclaim wastewater.

Overall, it is projected that 1.2 million gallons of wastewater will be treated and reclaimed each day.

[ Continued from page 8 ]

adjusted our schedule to make accommodations for elderly or disabled residents to ensure that their caregivers have proper access to their homes.” Osborne says that Sukut’s success on this project can be directly attributed to all of the great men and women working out on the job site each day. “Everyone is going above and beyond to make sure that everything remains safe, productive, and on schedule, and we could not be prouder of our people and our subcontractors that have contributed to our success on this project. Our superintendent, Roger Schwarz, eight foremen, operators, and ground crew deserve the praise and credit for their daily efforts.”

The Hi-Desert Water District was formed by the local community to oversee water service in the areas of Yucca Valley, Yucca Mesa, and the

10

unincorporated section of San Bernardino County. Initially formed in 1962 under the name of Yucca Valley County Water District, the agency went on to purchase the Joshua Forest Water Company in 1964, and subsequently the Rancho Ramon and Mountain Mutual Water companies the following year. The name changed to Hi-Desert County Water District in 1971, and then to Hi-Desert Water District in 1980 to avoid confusion with the county. The Water District continued to grow, and in 1990 acquired the assets of Yucca Water Company, Ltd., adding an additional 3,000 service connections. The District now has more than 10,000 active service connections, with a total service area of 57-square miles. They operate and maintain 16 storage tanks, 13 wells, and over 297 miles of pipeline. In addition to

2019 underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR

providing water, the District has also assumed the responsibility to construct the area’s first centralized sewer system, wastewater treatment, and reclamation facility that will treat and reclaim 1.2 million gallons of wastewater each day.

The sewer system is needed to protect the groundwater, as septic systems leave behind residues when wastewater is discharged to the soil and absorbed. Water quality has long been a concern for Yucca Valley residents, as much of the area’s development is located over the groundwater basin.

Visit www.sukut.com for more information on Sukut Construction or call their Santa Ana headquarters at (888) 785-8801. For more information on the Hi-Desert Water District and their progress on the HDWD Wastewater Reclamation Project, visit www.hdwd.com Cc

www.calcontractor.com

www.calcontractor.com

2019 Underground Construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR

11

THREE GENERATIONS RELYING ON CASE BACKHOES TO HELP BUILD THEIR BUSINESS OUT THERE IN THE TRENCHES

By Brian Hoover

H

aley Underground, Inc. specializes in installing underground dry utilities, including joint trench, service completions and street lighting installations. Richard Haley is a third-generation construction entrepreneur and the current owner and President of Haley Underground, Inc. The family business has expanded from its original roots that were firmly planted in the 70s by Dick and Estalene Augustine, Haley’s grandparents. Dick Augustine Excavating was started with 2 used backhoes and dump trucks like so many other construction startups in those days. The name was changed to Haley Construction in 1987, when Richard’s father, Dallas Haley joined the family business. The final name change came in 2006 when Richard Haley joined the company and partnered with his parents, Dallas and Debra Haley. “My grandfather worked the trade with 2 backhoes and dump trucks, as did my father after him,” says Haley. “My dad built upon our family name and reputation for honest, hard work, as he primarily 12

Haley Underground transports two of their Case 590 Super N backhoes.

performed demolition work by the hour for a handful of loyal customers.”

Richard Haley (Haley) was afforded the opportunity to learn the business from the ground up by virtue of growing up around it and learning firsthand from his father and grandfather. In 1999, just one year after graduating high school, Haley started his own backhoe business, R. Haley’s Backhoe Service. Haley worked on his own for the next seven years before deciding to merge with his father’s company to serve their clients on a larger, more expanded scale. “I became partners with my mother and father, and we changed the name to Haley Underground,

2019 underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR

Inc.,” says Haley. “Together, we grew our company from two small underground companies to a joint trench installation business where we are now primarily installing electric, gas, phone and cable in new subdivisions throughout Central California.”

Haley, very recently, purchased his mother’s and father’s shares in the company with his parents deciding to retire and further enjoy the fruits of their many years of hard work. “Our company has grown substantially in the world of trenching for dry utilities, as we continue to take on more and larger subdivision and commercial projects,” says Haley. “A hundred lot subdivision where we trench www.calcontractor.com

Above Left: Haley Underground Case 590 backhoe on project in Modesto.

Above Middle: Joint trench work in Hollister.

Above Right: One of three Case 590 N Backhoes digging utilities in Stockton.

for electric, gas, phone and cable is what I would call an average project for us right now. Per project we do around 4, 5 or six thousand feet of trench and install electric conduit at the bottom and then we shade it with around a foot of dirt.

We follow this up by installing gas, phone and cable on the top lift and then backfill and compact.”

Haley Underground, Inc. is currently on a variety of projects, including jobs in Manteca for a few separate housing developments.

Manteca was named as one of the top 10 growth cities in the U.S. recently, with residents moving from the Bay Area to find more affordable housing options.

“Housing is still going strong in the Central Valley, and we are staying extremely busy with housing development jobs,” says Haley. www.calcontractor.com

“The outlook for 2019 is strong, and we are going to take advantage of this for as long as it lasts. We continually strive to get in and work safely and quickly, and we have developed strong, lasting relationships with a long list of contractors and developers who appreciate our efforts.”

Haley Underground, Inc. is a full A licensed contractor that does a lot more on the job than just open and close trenches. They also lay down the conduit and install the dry utilities. “This business is not as simple as it may appear. There are several certifications that all our operators and laborers have to stay up on, like remaining certified with PG&E to weld plastic pipe to specifications,” says Haley.

“We weld poly pipe, and there are a lot of new rules concerning

higher temperatures and other procedures that we must learn to remain certified.”

Getting the work done safely, quickly and adequately, requires heavy construction machinery that can be depended on week in and week out. “My grandfather was a Case man, my dad was a Case man, and I am a Case man,” says Haley. “All of our attachments are based on Case controls, and I personally prefer Case controls because your hands are actually on the valves and not separated with an electric solenoid to be electric over hydraulic.” Haley Underground, Inc. currently owns and operates five Case backhoes including one 590M, three 590Ns and one 580N. “There is just more control and feeling with the Case backhoes and controls. We dig

2019 Underground Construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR

13

Above Left: Haley Underground on a gas line installation.

Above Right: Haley Underground’s Case 580N backhoe digging utility trench for a new housing development.

around a lot of utilities every day, and when we come in after the sewer, water and storm drain has already been installed, accuracy and precision are paramount,” says Haley. “Case controls and their higher sensitivity help keep our operators from damaging or disrupting the other utilities. We feel more secure with Case backhoes and believe they help us avoid costly mistakes.”

Haley Underground, Inc. has three Case 590 Super N backhoes in their fleet. The Case loader backhoe dates back to 1957 when Case introduced the first integrated backhoe loader in North America.

The 590N is the largest of the Case loader backhoes, and it was designed with productivity in mind. According to the Case Construction Equipment website, the 590N Series has been re-engineered from the ground up with advanced features that were inspired by advice from veteran backhoe operators. The new 14

series includes 36 percent greater loader lift capacity, industry leading digging depth availability, and new loader design with greater breakout force performance.

Specifically, the machine delivers a breakout force of nearly 16,000 lbs., a digging depth of up to 20 feet, and a lifting capacity of more than 4,100 lbs. The 590SN comes standard with PowerLift, ProControl swing dampening, ECO Mode, SiteWatch™ Telematics and the breakthrough PowerBoost feature to help tear through tough ground. For trenching applications, the ProControl helps stop the arm where the operator wants without excess rebound, and features like this help keep the job moving quickly and smoothly. “We have been purchasing our Case backhoes from Sonsray Machinery for several years now, and they have always been there for us with excellent service and the attention we need after the sale,” says Haley.

“I have purchased four machines

2019 underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR

from our Sonsray Machinery sales representative, Mike Titus, Jr., and he has always taken excellent care of us and has been there for us whenever we need him.”

Haley Underground, Inc. was initially established as a family owned and operated business, and it remains that way to this day.

“We are keeping the family owned and operated spirit alive here at Haley Underground, with my wife Tanya and sister, Stephanie running the office operations,” says Haley. “I think family owned and operated businesses give a little more and I think that shows here at Haley Underground. We are proud of our nearly 50 years in this business, and we plan on taking our experience and enthusiasm into the next generation.” For more information on Haley Underground, Inc., please visit their Facebook page or call their Ceres headquarters at (209) 537-6485. Cc www.calcontractor.com

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Family Owned and Operated Ruben’s Pipeline, Inc. Celebrates 20 Years in the Underground Utility Construction Business

By Brian Hoover

R

uben Sandoval Sr. (Sandoval) has been working in the underground construction business since 1992 when he and his brother got together to install wet and dry utilities on housing tracts. By 1999, Sandoval had determined that the time had arrived to go out on his own to build a better, more abundant future for his growing family. When Sandoval started his new business, Ruben’s Pipeline, Inc., he was performing the same type of work that he had done in previous years with his brother. “My wife, Maria and I started by leasing a Ford backhoe and began taking on as much work as we could handle,” says Sandoval.

“We were in the middle of a housing boom, and within three years we had grown to 15 John Deere machines and more than a 20 employees.”

Ruben’s Pipeline, Inc. (Ruben’s Pipeline) continued to grow and contract according to the housing and commercial building trends and overall economic conditions.

“Like most construction companies, we struggled and cut back during the 2008 great recession. We were 16

however lucky and maybe even smart enough to have our equipment paid for and did not get overextended like so many other construction companies at this time,” says Sandoval. “We are extremely busy right now, and there is still a lot going on in housing and commercial building here in Bakersfield, Fresno and the Central Valley.”

Ruben’s Pipeline is a family enterprise in every sense of the word with a total of seven immediate family members taking part in the business. Ruben Sandoval is the company president, with his wife, Maria, working in the office and serving as the secretary treasurer.

His sons, Ruben Jr., Francisco and Ernesto (Ernie) Sandoval each handle dual roles as foremen and operators, while his daughter Martha Hernandez, who is a CPA, runs the office and administrative duties, with the assistance of his younger daughter Teresa Sandoval and Pricila Pantoja. “We currently have nine operators, and that includes my three sons and me.

We also have a full-time estimator, Andres Perez and several full-time laborers that work here at Ruben’s

2019 underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR

Pipeline,” says Sandoval. “You don’t need to have the name, Sandoval, to be treated like family. We are all family here at Ruben’s Pipeline, and that keeps us all working closely together with a common goal of working fast, safe and efficient for our continually growing customer base.”

Although Ruben started out leasing a Ford backhoe in 1999, he quickly began to look at all of the other available brands to determine what he would be adding to his fleet. “I remember going into Coastline Equipment here in Bakersfield in 2001 to demo the John Deere 410E loader backhoe.

I was impressed with the tremendous power and performance this machine had, and from there on out, I knew that I would never look for another brand and we would never settle for anything less than John Deere.” Ruben’s Pipeline currently has eight John Deere backhoes in their fleet, including three 410Ks, two 410Gs, two 410Js and the one 410E that they started within nearly 20 years ago. “That original John Deere 410E is a pretty special machine, www.calcontractor.com

Above: The Sandoval family.

Right: Ruben Sandoval with his first John Deere backhoe purchased from Coastline Equipment.

Inset: Trenching for water main with new John Deere 410L backhoe.

and it is still in our fleet working every day with more than 10,000 hours. That speaks for itself and the type of quality you get with John Deere,” says Sandoval. “We have always been treated right at Coastline Equipment, from the very beginning with Joe Harrison to our current sales representative, Shane Gregory. Shane is always there for us day or night, and if one of our mechanics has a question or issue, they know they can call Coastline’s service department for www.calcontractor.com

answers. We are fortunate to have found and maintained such a great partner in business as Coastline Equipment.” In addition to the eight John Deere backhoes, Ruben’s Pipeline also has several other John Deere machines in their fleet including, three 644 wheel loaders, three 210LE skip loaders, three excavators to include a 290, a 250 and a 350, as well as two skid steer loaders, three 35G compact excavators and a 50G compact excavator. The most recent John

Deere purchases were made just last year with the acquisition of two new 410K backhoes, a new 644K wheel loader, and a 290G excavator.

Ruben’s Pipeline is a fully licensed contractor that performs everything from digging the trenches to installing and welding the pipe, as well as installing wet and dry utilities. They have worked on jobs that may last only a day or two, as well as projects that go on for a couple of years. We recently

2019 Underground Construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR

17

Above: Ruben’s Pipeline uses their John Deere 290G excavator for backfilling a water trench.

Right: Installing 8” sewer line in Fresno.

finished a two-year project in Oxnard where we installed wet and dry utilities over a 15-acre area for a new three-story 240-unit apartment complex,” says Sandoval. “We also spent around one year out at the Amazon Fulfillment Project in Fresno, where we installed all of the storm drain, water and sewer for the offsite 1.2 million square foot 18

warehouse.” According to Sandoval, this required the daily service of 15 operators and laborers to install 10” water line, 8” sewer line and 4” to 48” storm drain. The company also recently completed a similar project for the construction of the Ulta Beauty Warehouse in Fresno that also took around a year to complete. “Working for home

2019 underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR

developers and commercial building contractors is the bread and butter of our business,” says Sandoval.

“We also do a lot of public works projects for the government, including underground modernization work for school districts.”

Ruben’s Pipeline is well-known for their professionalism and ability [ Continued on page 20 ]

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Above: Ruben’s Pipeline uses their John Deere 644K wheel loader to backfill a trench.

Left: Installing 52” irrigation line.

[ Continued from page 18 ]

to get in and out of a job quickly and safely. “We have a reputation for fast, quality work. It is the logistics and planning before the job even begins that makes a difference,” says Sandoval. “You start with your deepest utilities like storm drain first and then move on to the water line and other utilities.

20

It is a process, and there is a certain science to it. After 20 years, we know how to get it done, and that is what keeps our customer’s calling us back time after time.”

Ruben Sandoval Sr., along with his wife, Maria, have put their time in and are currently putting a succession plan together for their children. “We can’t do this forever

2019 underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR

and the time is coming soon when we will hand this over to our children. I am very proud of my kids and all of our employees and know that they will continue on our tradition of excellence for another 20 years and beyond.” For more information on Ruben’s Pipeline, Inc., please call their Bakersfield headquarters at (661) 836-9508. Cc www.calcontractor.com

COASTLINE Equipment

California

Long Beach, CA (562) 242-7400 · Bakersfield, CA (661) 399-3600 · Oxnard, CA (805) 485-2106 · Santa Ana, CA (714) 265-5500 · Santa Maria, CA (805) 922-8329 · Sylmar, CA (818) 890-3353

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IF A CAR DRIVES ON THE ROAD AND NO ONE HEARS IT, THAT’S

DRIVABILITY To reduce road noise and help keep neighborhoods quiet, asphalt pavement engineers have developed special mixes like open-grade negraded surfaces, as well as modi ed, rubberized and stone-matrix asphalt that can lead to pavement-tire noise reductions as great as 7 decibels. * No wonder 83% of engineers, developers, transportation o cials and other key stakeholders chose asphalt as the quieter ride.** Smoother, quieter, fewer delays… that’s drivability. That’s asphalt.

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2019 Underground Construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR

21

SCOTT EQUIPMENT - WESTERN RENTALS WESTERN CONSTRUCTION AUCTIONS Three Companies Working Together to Serve the Better Good of the Southern California General Engineering Contractor

By Brian Hoover

T

he Scott Family has been associated with and involved in helping contractors with their equipment decisions for nearly 50 years. It all started in 1963 when Richard (Dick) Scott Sr. became a minority partner with Dick Klein and the company, Klein Products, a manufacturer of water tankers and towers, among other things.

By 1971, Dick Scott became a bit restless with his current situation, and it was at this time that he seized upon the opportunity to become the new John Deere dealer in San Diego County.

Business was good and things were going along well for Scott and his San Diego enterprise. He began to turn his thoughts toward expanding, and in 1983 decided to start Western Rentals in Fontana,

while also taking on the Mitsubishi hydraulic excavator line for all of the greater Los Angeles area.

In 1991, Scott was given the opportunity to pick up the New Holland construction equipment line in Fontana and eventually sold his interest in the John Deere dealership in San Diego in 1994.

Dick Scott’s sons, Richard Jr. and Gregg were both raised in the family business and their interest in everything having to do with heavy iron was obvious. Sensing their interest and wanting to teach them right, Dick Scott put a broom in their hands and eventually allowed them to help out in the parts and service department, doing miscellaneous tasks. “I remember officially being put on the company payroll in 1980, and that was a pretty big day

for me,” says Richard Scott Jr. (R. Scott). “My brother and I were so excited to be a part of the family business, and we looked forward to implementing our ideas in the future.”

Maintaining and growing a heavy construction business is no small task. One wrong move and you can be out looking for a new profession in no time flat. Richard and Gregg Scott eventually took over the company in 1996. They were careful to grow the business gradually and responsibly. They agreed to split up the responsibilities, with Richard taking on the new equipment and administrative side of the business and Gregg overseeing the rental, used equipment and trucking end.

“We have our hands in several intercompany divisions and other

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businesses, so Gregg and I split up the responsibilities and have always been comfortable and confident in one another’s abilities,” says R. Scott. “We have continued to grow our equipment company by adding well-known and respected manufacturers like Doosan, Atlas Copco/Dynapac and Kobelco over the years. We also added a second Scott Equipment location in Santa Fe Springs in 2016.” www.calcontractor.com

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Western Rentals was established back in 1983 to bring dependable, late model and well-maintained equipment to contractors throughout Southern California.

They offer a full range of heavy equipment, from skid steer loaders, skip loaders, mini excavators and other compaction equipment, to dozers, wheel loaders, backhoes, motor graders, water trucks, and articulated and conventional dump trucks. “We are here for contractors,

large and small with excavators that can fit through a doorway to 8-yard wheel loaders and 100,000 lb. hydraulic excavators for those big underground projects,” says R. Scott. “We also now have a fleet of six low bed trailers and numerous trucks to pick up and deliver equipment anywhere our customers desire. Not just delivering our new or rental units, but also moving machinery for contractors and even other equipment dealers. This has become a big part of our business growth.”

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Another big growth niche for the Scott family of businesses has been their used truck sales division that Gregg Scott has been managing for several years. “Gregg is doing an outstanding job taking used trucks, ideally with 125,000 to 200,000 miles on them, and then knocking them down or shortening the frame to accommodate a 5-yard dump body or 2,200-gallon water tank,” says R. Scott. “We also take 3-axle heavier over the road trucks and equip them with larger dump bodies and sometimes convert them to 4,000-gallon water trucks. Buying these types of work trucks brand-new does not make smart economic sense for most contractors. We convert and sell around 50 of these units a year, saving the contractor a ton 24

of money in the process.” Western Rentals has around 35 water trucks and 15 dump trucks in their rental fleet. They can sell right out of the existing fleet or build custom to contractor’s specifications.”

2019 underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR

Scott also points out that there are certain advantages to renting from a full-line, licensed equipment dealer. “We repair and maintain all of our rental machines with original OEM parts, and our mechanics www.calcontractor.com

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are all factory trained and certified.

That makes a big difference where uptime is concerned,” says R. Scott.

“Additionally, when utilization is up and the demand is there, we will add new machines from our sales division to our rental fleet, which keeps everything low hour and well-maintained like our customers prefer. Jeremy Mertz is our rental manager, and he is doing a great job keeping our customers fulfilled and happy. He is available and accessible just about any time and welcomes suggestions and interaction from our customer base.”

Richard and Gregg Scott are also partners in Western Construction Auctions, Inc., along with Ken Ramstad, co-owner, general manager and director of sales. The company started out in 2001, and Richard points out that utilizing Western Construction Auctions is a great resource for contractors looking to comprehensively manage their equipment assets. Western Construction Auctions provides www.calcontractor.com

appraisals and asset valuation, as well as live and online auctions through multiple sales venues in California, across the nation and even worldwide. “We help contractors move the inventory of construction equipment, trucks and other assets that they no longer need or must move quickly,” says R. Scott. “I encourage anyone that is interested in these services to visit their website at www.wca-online.com or call Ken Ramstad at (866) 731-7760.”

Many companies have lost their identity in this world full of large conglomerates and businesses that have sold so many times. It is refreshing to know there are still a few family-owned and operated companies out there to faithfully serve the public’s needs. “We take deep pride in the fact we are a family owned equipment sales and rental company, where all of the family members are hands-on and extremely active in the business,” says R. Scott. “We are coming up soon on 50 years of service to the construction industry and our third generation is now

fully involved and contributing greatly. Our customers seem to find some comfort in knowing that they can talk to a family member about whatever is on their mind and we feel fortunate to be in that position.”

Scott says that he is also proud of all of his employees and points to the longevity of many who have worked in sales, rentals, parts and services for as long as 25 years.

“Our customers have remained loyal to us for many years, and that same dynamic exists between all of us here at Scott Equipment and Western Rentals,” says R. Scott. “People can see and feel the difference. Our family business maintains its integrity due to our close-knit group of great employees.

Believe me, this makes all of the difference in a successful enterprise.”

This family business, from the first generation with Richard Scott Sr., to the continued growth and success with the second and third generation, has not only survived but continued to grow to be stronger and more reliable than ever. “My brother Gregg’s son, Kevin Scott, is now working in the

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business as a sales representative for the compact equipment line in Riverside County. He started at the auction company, and after three years, moved to Scott Equipment where he is already making a positive impact in his first year,” says R. Scott. “My daughter, Britnee Scott, has been working here with us at Scott Equipment for the past eight months in sales support and marketing. Britnee received her master’s degree while working for Apple for eight years.

She has now brought that experience and knowledge here to help us grow more efficiently.”

Strength in diversity, while remaining vertically integrated with several business models has allowed Scott Equipment and Western Rentals to be successful and grow in this extremely competitive business. They have been honored with numerous sales awards over the years and reached several milestones such as selling more than 160 Doosan machines in five years. They have also earned the distinction as one of the largest and most successful New Holland construction equipment dealers in

the United States. With both the second and third generation firmly at the wheel, it appears that Scott Equipment and Western Rentals will be around for quite a long time to continue to serve their customer base with family owned and operated sales, service and support.

For more information on Scott Equipment or Western Rentals, please visit their website at www.scottequip.com or call their Fontana headquarters at (909) 822-8008. Cc

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AUTO PILOTS: WHAT DO CUSTOMERS WANT FROM AUTOMATION? Automation technology is advancing, but what features do customers actually want? In this article Volvo CE’s Tine Lefebvre, Global Director Connected Services and Koen Sips, VP Customer Solutions, highlight how automated services are making every operator the world’s best.

We talk about ‘automation’ as if it’s a new thing, but when it comes to construction equipment the progression of automating processes has been going on for years.

Application-specific solutions A new level of technology is focusing on how efficiently a machine is working in a particular job site. For example, with the latest excavator digging machine control systems – such as Volvo’s Dig Assist – the operator doesn’t need to step out of the machine in order to take measurements – because the system will have calculated exactly what material has been taken, from where, and what the levels are.

Semi-autonomy It’s not just measurement. The next level of assistance is semiautonomous functions, where the machine actually helps the operator with the task in hand. Staying with the digging example, these systems automatically create a certain level or grade, or preventing digging too deep or raising the boom too high. Automated data mining Even that level of sophistication isn’t the whole automation story.

There is another level – where machines ‘talk’ to each other, thereby boosting total site productivity. Machine telematics relay large amounts of data – so much so that it can be overwhelming. What is developing now are active monitoring services that automatically – thanks to 28

the business logic’s algorithms – highlight problems, triggering the sending out of technicians with a detailed diagnosis of a problem and the tools and equipment to remedy it – all with no unplanned downtime. One example of this type of tool is the Active-Care uptime service, where Volvo and its dealers partner up to detect at a very early stage health problems of the machine and pro-actively solve those.

Application super-highway Speaking only for Volvo CE, our Co-pilot platform has been deliberately designed to be a semi-open system. It’s early days, but other people can develop applications that run on Co-pilot.

These can be customer-specific, site-specific or application-specific solutions.

New business models Automation offers the potential for new business models to emerge. Machine control and monitoring systems could in the future be subscription-based or pay-as-you-use. This will provide benefits for both customers and manufacturers. The business model and best way to market these new services is something we are still learning.

2019 underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR

Balancing the viable with the possible Automation for its own sake isn’t viable – it needs to add commercial value for customers and operators. That’s our challenge now – we have all these amazing technologies but the market needs to realize the potential of the technology. We need to be careful – investments are high, and volumes are relatively low. As a result, automation in the construction industry can only move as fast as the correlation between development costs, productivity gains and affordability allow.

The path to greater autonomy In most cases there is unlikely to be a one-step jump into fully autonomous machines – the journey towards it will come in stages. Most probably there will be a number of (largely repetitive) applications that can be done fully autonomously, while others remain semi-autonomous for the foreseeable future – helping operators avoid mistakes or become more efficient.

The future of the operator: discuss Operators are around for a long time yet. The role of automation will be to remove repetitive tasks and allow operators to do a better job. Far from deskilling them, automation allows operators to upskill, increase quality and efficiency – and making every operator into the best operator possible. Cc www.calcontractor.com

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