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REV 06/14
Underground Const. Issue
Features 06 STEVE BUBALO
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CONSTRUCTION COMPANY Public Works Pipeline Contractor Has Long History of Tradition and Excellence in Southern California
12 NOLD’S EQUIPMENT Family Owned and Operated Company Flourishes in California’s New Economy
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18 FOSTER CONSTRUCTION Remains True to Their Small Business Values as They Continue to Evolve Into a Full-Service Construction Company in Southern California
24 Industry News 29 Advertiser Index 4
CalContractor Magazine / www.calcontractor.com PUBLISHER: Kerry Hoover (909) 772-3121 khoover@calcontractor.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Brian Hoover
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Aldo Myftari FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION PLEASE CALL: Call Kerry Hoover (909) 772-3121
CalContractor is published twelve times each year by Construction Marketing Services, LLC. P.O. Box 892977, Temecula, CA 92589 - Phone: 909-772-3121 - Fax: 951-225-9659 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
2015 Underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR
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Steve Bubalo Construction Company
Public Works Pipeline Contractor Has Long History of Tradition and Excellence in Southern California Written By: Brian Hoover
Left: Steve Bubalo Construction Company installing 24 inch fire water line at LAX. Below: Electrical Vault being lowered into place on LAWA Fifth Feeder Project at LAX.
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teve Bubalo Construction Company has a long history of tradition and excellence as a general engineering contractor specializing in pipeline construction throughout Southern California. Steve Bubalo officially started his company in 1959, working throughout all of California and eventually settling in the Los Angeles area. With offices in Monrovia, the Company works exclusively on public works projects throughout Southern California that include large pipeline installation such as storm drains, sewer and water lines and ancillary grading and roadway construction. Steve Bubalo Construction Company is currently working on a project for Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), known as the
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2015 Underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR
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Above: Installing clay sewer pipeline inside siphon on San Gabriel Trench Project. Right: Installation of storm drain on San Gabriel Trench Project. Left: Spreading gravel for infiltration pit.
Fifth Feeder Project Electrical, Communications, and Water Utility Extension. They are specifically working at LAX, where the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is installing a new fifth feeder to ensure that the airport has sufficient utility systems to meet future load demands of the ever-growing Los Angeles Airport. Construction includes the installation of a new two-conduit by six-conduit duct bank, beginning near the Theme Building, where it will tie in to the power duct bank constructed by the new Central Utility Plant (CUP) Project, and extend to Sepulveda Boulevard. This new fifth feeder will allow LADWP to increase the airport’s electrical capacity and provide redundancy to the system. In addition to the
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electrical infrastructure, this project will also extend fire water lines to the Tom Bradley International Terminal. The Fifth Feeder will extend new fire and domestic water lines to Terminals 1 and 4 and add an extension to existing communications and electrical duct banks for greater flexibility in the future. LAWA Fifth Feeder Project John Schiller has been with Steve Bubalo Construction Company for more than 30 years and serves as the company President. “We are installing four separate utilities at the LAWA Fifth Feeder Project, including a 24 inch ductile fire water line, a 16 inch ductile iron domestic water line, as well as new
electrical and communication lines,” says Schiller. “We are working with approximately one mile of open trench out to Sepulvada Boulevard, with a jack and bore location at World Way North.” Bubalo has subcontracted Golden State Boring and Pipe Jacking to perform this bore that began the first week of April. Neal Electric has also been subcontracted for all of the electrical and communication conduit work out at LAX. Bubalo is trenching anywhere from 8 feet to 25 feet deep; utilizing hydraulic shores, trench shields and beam and plate throughout. According to Schiller, the logistics of working within the airport can be a challenge. Most of the work is being done from midnight to 8 a.m. and there are
2015 Underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR
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Above: Precast Manhole insert lowered into place for LA County Sanitation.
numerous other projects in full swing that require precise coordination to manage and maintain. “We are in close communication with LAWA ADG officials, Scott Hand and Reinaldo Anzola on a day-to-day basis,” says Schiller. “They have done an excellent job and our ability to partner with our clients and subcontractors is what has set us apart for so many years.” The LAWA Fifth Feeder Project began back in October 2014 and Bubalo’s responsibilities should be completed by the end of summer 2015. San Gabriel Trench Project Steve Bubalo Construction Company is also currently working on the San Gabriel Trench Project, a job that is part of the work being done for the Alameda Corridor-East (ACE) Construction Authority. They are a subcontractor to Walsh Construction out of Concord, who was awarded the contract in July 2012. Steve Bubalo Construction Company’s job is to relocate underground utilities from Alhambra Wash eastward toward Grove Avenue in San Gabriel. The 2.2-mile project will connect Alameda
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Above: Jacking pit at San Gabriel Trench Project.
Corridor and the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to the transcontinental rail network. The construction will allow pedestrians to pass over the railroad track via the lowering of a 1.4-mile section of Union Pacific railroad. The 30-feet-below-grade lowering of these sections will allow bridges to be constructed at Ramona Street, Mission Road, Del Mar Avenue and San Gabriel Boulevard, allowing vehicles and pedestrians to pass over the tracks. The rail line would then return to grade east of San Gabriel Boulevard. The rail crossing at Walnut Grove Avenue will remain at-grade and may require a shallow lowering of the roadway to match the proposed railroad grade. “Our portion of this project required us to relocate the sewers and the storm drains,” says Schiller. “Because the train tracks are now going to be below ground, the sewer intercrossings had to be built as siphons. We constructed these at three locations, going down as far as 45 feet.” The San Gabriel Trench Project began back in 2013 and should be wrapped up in 2017. Steve Bubalo Construction Company’s portion should be completed by the end of July 2015. By jobs
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end, they will have relocated approximately 5,500 feet of sewer lines and installed a new storm drain system. “Storm drains were required on both the north and south sides of the track due to the disturbance of the natural drainage,” says Schiller. “Overall, we installed 7,200 feet of 18 inch to 66 inch concrete storm drain and Golden State Boring did the boring work for the sewer siphons. The logistics of trenching as deep as 45 feet down the middle of a road, as busy as San Gabriel Boulevard for instance was challenging and required strict coordination. This is again where we excel and it was really right up our alley.” West Side Subway Extension Advanced Utilities Relocation for La Cienega Station Steve Bubalo Construction Company is currently gearing up for an 18-month long job for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. This work will include advanced utility relocation to make room for the new La Cienega Station in the Los Angeles mid-Wilshire district. This is necessary for future subway construction that will [ Continued on page 10 ]
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Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA 661.387.6090
Corona
Corona, CA 951.277.7620
Fresno
Fresno, CA 559.834.4420
Sacramento
Sacramento, CA 916.388.2244
San Diego
Lakeside, CA 619.441.3690
San Leandro
San Leandro, CA 510.357.9131
Turlock
Turlock, CA 209.410.6710
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2015 Underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR
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Above: Setting vault for hydronic pipelines at LAX. Right Top: Porta-Dam installation to keep reservoir in service during construction. Right Middle: Emergency repair of flood control channel wall. Right Bottom: Sewer force main installation on PCH.
[ Continued from page 8 ]
ultimately extend the LACMTA Purple Line by 9 miles to key destinations on the Westside. “We will be relocating sewer, storm drain and water lines, as well as a Southern California Edison power duct,” says Schiller. “There will be around 8,500 lineal feet of trench work being done between all of the utilities and we should be mobilizing within the next few weeks.” Once complete, the Purple Line Extension will include seven new subway stations, allowing riders to travel between downtown Los Angeles and the Westwood/UCLA Station in about 25 minutes. According to John Schiller, Public Works projects have been depressed for several years. Steve Bubalo Construction Company has continued to survive and remain competitive because they are able to take on the more challenging projects, while diversifying into other ancillary work that goes right
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along with pipeline construction. In addition to new underground installation projects, Steve Bubalo Construction Company regularly performs rehabilitation projects on existing lines. “We are very proud of our reputation and each and every one of our employees. We have several team members that have been with us for 20-plus years. I obviously cannot recognize everyone, but I would like to acknowledge the support of our owners Steve and Louise Bubalo and our management team, Noel Moore, VP of Operations, Melissa Schiller, Project Manager, Robert Yanez, Procurement Manager, Rosemary Tomljenovic, Office Manager, Saleem Dhalla, Accountant, Mario Hernandez, QC Manager, Jake Lusnia, Project Engineer and our Field Superintendents Carl West, Juan Reyes, David Pavlich, and Martin Mendez. In 1955, Steve Bubalo immigrated to the United States from Croatia, locating in northern California
2015 Underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR
and working as a farm laborer for two years. He then moved to Southern California and worked as a construction laborer and equipment operator for a large underground construction company. At that time Croatian immigrants owned many of the underground companies in California, and many of the companies today are still owned by Croatian immigrants. It is from these humble beginnings that Steve Bubalo Construction Company continues to grow and prosper. Like most anything, a strong foundation is the backbone to success and through this, Steve Bubalo Construction Company will continue to lead the way in underground pipeline construction industry. Cc
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UB Equipment Corp. 4701-B Little John St. • Baldwin Park, CA 91706 Phone: 800-813-8232 • Fax: 626-813-1594
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NOLD’S EQUIPMENT Family Owned and Operated Company Flourishes in California’s New Economy Written By: Brian Hoover
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ince opening Nold’s Equipment Inc. in 1999, Christina Nold, along with her husband Eric, has been determined to be successful. In the beginning it was just Christina and Eric and while Eric was busy out in the field operating their single Case backhoe, Christina was back in the office wearing numerous hats. “I remember thinking that I was going to do whatever it took to make our company profitable and keep it healthy,” says Nold. “The dedication paid off in 2001, when we were able to hire four more operators and purchase four new Case backhoes.” With each approaching year, Nold’s Equipment would add one or more operators and consequently another backhoe or two. Eric continued to operate his backhoe and perform field operations, while Chistina focused on all of the day to day business operations, like dispatching, scheduling, certified payroll, human resources, safety program, tier certifications and the financing and management of the equipment fleet. Things remained in a steady growth mode until the dreaded 2008, when everything came to a screeching halt, not just for Nold’s Equipment, but for almost everyone in the heavy construction equipment industry. Nold’s Equipment
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was up to 12 operators and 12 Case backhoes and after realizing that the poor economy was not going to go away quickly, Christina made the decision to downsize. “Sometimes you have to make hard decisions in order to keep the doors open, so we downsized to 6 operators and backhoes.” says Nold. “I knew that if we did the right thing, we would live to see another day.” The decision paid off and Nold’s battled through the Recession. During the tough times, Christina decided to make Nold’s Equipment Inc. more competitive so she filed for her Woman Minority Business Enterprise certification. She faced several hurtles in trying to get certified. “Let’s just say that it did not go very smoothly,” says Nold. “They had a problem with the fact that I did not know how to operate or repair a backhoe.” She responded by telling them that she runs all aspects of the business and when she needs an operator she calls the union hall and when she needs a backhoe fixed, she calls Sonsray Machinery. “It’s like when a person runs a printing company, do they need to know how to actually run the press or can they hire a printing press operator?” says Nold. They saw her point and so Nold’s Equipment Inc. received its certification as a
2015 Underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR
Above: Christina Nold, CEO/President, Nold’s Equipment.
WMBE. The minority status is because Christina is Hispanic. She also attended a very intensive training with Southern California Gas to allow Nold’s Equipment Inc. to be a diversified supplier with SEMPRA. All of Nold’s operators are Veriforce trained to perform excavations for any contractor who is involved with SoCalGas Pipeline Safety Enhancement Plan Gas work. This gives Nold’s Equipment Inc. an edge in these competitive times. Nold’s Equipment Inc. has started to thrive again after the tough times. They have now worked their way back to eight operators and seven backhoes and a skiploader. Christina also supplies excavators and pretty much anything requested by her customers. “I have concentrated on hiring only
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Above: Art Jurado, Sonsray Equipment (left) and Eric Nold, Vice President, Nold’s Equipment. Below: One of Nold’s Equipment’s Case 590 Super N backhoes on the 73 Toll Road project in Irvine.
the best and most experienced operators who can operate anything we are asked for. We belong to the Operating Engineers Local 12 and all of our operators have 20 plus years experience operating around utilities,” says Nold. “After going through hard times, we wanted to assure that we had the best operators in the business so that we would get called back. Our customer loyalty is at an all time high and much of that is due to our experienced operators. Our success is directly aligned with our operators and they have been very good to us. They are all good people and we appreciate them very much.” Christina Nold is the CEO and President of Nold’s Equipment Inc. and her husband, Eric, is the Vice President. She makes it very clear that it is the synergy between both her and Eric that make this whole thing possible. “I do what I do best and Eric does what he does best. It is a team effort that, along with our operators and inside staff,
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makes for a combination that just can’t be beat,” says Nold. “Eric and I have four sons (Andrew, Anthony, Alex and Adam) and two of them (Andrew and Anthony) officially work part time for the business, but really all four of them pitch in whenever we need assistance.” Nold’s Equipment truly is a family operated business. According to Christina Nold, her company specializes in underground utility work and their operators are some of the best in the business when it comes to heavy production trench work and digging around utilities. Nold’s Equipment Inc.
Is a unique equipment rental company in that, according to Christina, when their operators are not running their machines, they will pitch in whenever necessary to get the job finished for customers. This is why their customers are loyal as well. When foremen talk to Christina, they say that when they see Nold’s is on their job, they are very pleased because they know they will have a very productive day. They primarily work for large pipeline and utility contractors as far south as San Diego and north to Fresno. A job can last just one day or a couple of years. Nold’s just recently finished working out on the 73 Toll Road where they were digging trench to help the Transportation Corridor Agencies upgrade their tollbooths systems. They have had as many as three backhoes and operators on-site and Eric Nold remained on this job personally from December 2013 to February 2015. Nold’s Equipment Inc. also works extensively out at the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach. “Being a minority business has certainly been instrumental in helping us acquire work at the ports, as well as at LAX and on several federal highway projects,” says Nold.
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Above: Nold’s Equipment using one of their Case 590 Super N backhoes on Victory Avenue in Canoga Park.
Nold’s Equipment is also being proactive in upgrading their equipment fleet to all Tier III and Tier IV machines. They currently have seven Case 590 backhoes in their fleet, three of which were purchased within the last six months. “We have always been loyal to Case, going back to when my husband worked for other companies years ago. We just added three new 2014 Case 590SN backhoes and are looking at buying a few more in the near future,” says Nold. “We believe, and it has been our experience that the Case backhoe is simply more reliable. They are rugged and offer extremely fast cycle times, which allow our operators to be more productive.” Christina goes on to explain that she likes to maintain a balance in her fleet, which means knowing when to purchase a new unit or perhaps just rent one from Sonsray Machinery instead. “We like working with our sales rep, Art Jurado and really everyone at Sonsray. They treat us very well and have excellent customer service skills.” She
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says, “I am on a first name basis with Steve Lewis in service, Terry Wheeler in the rental department and Clyde and Carmelo in parts”. “Sonsray and Case are an integral part of our daily business and I appreciate their help because again, I don’t run or fix the backhoes,” chuckles Nold. Nold’s Equipment Inc. is currently making arrangements to hire two more full-time operators. “Our industry is very busy right now and this is going to be a good year. We are maintaining our existing customer base and adding new clients almost daily. The highest compliment I get is that our operators are offered jobs with other firms daily and when they politely decline that makes us feel good about what we are doing,” says Nold. “When I start turning down work due to an overflowing work schedule, I know that it is time to add a few more operators and new Case backhoes. I am also ever mindful that we need to grow responsibly and in a way that we can easily manage during down times.”
2015 Underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR
One thing that Christina and Eric Nold have learned in all these years in business is that things can change at a moments notice. “One phone call can change our entire daily schedule,” says Nold. “We deal with so many variables including all of the varying personalities, equipment and the liability of working around numerous utilities. I have every program you can imagine in place and am very proud of our excellent safety record. I guess my human resources background has taught me to be overcautious, which suits me just fine.” So what is the next step for Nold’s Equipment Inc. Well according to Christina, they would like to explore getting more involved in the underground utility construction process. “The rental business is doing just fine, but over the next few years, we would like to look at actually placing the utilities,” says Nold. “I think when we decide to throw our hats into this ring, we will be able to convince our customers that we can actually save them time and money by offering them a turnkey service.” Christina’s more immediate plans call for getting back to that 12-backhoe status her company held before the downturn. “We are a family business in every sense of the word and with my husband and our four boys, I believe that we are poised for a very bright and exciting future.” For more information on Nold’s Equipment, please visit their website at www.noldsequipment.com or call their Long Beach headquarters at (562) 938-9794. Cc
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Bakersfield, CA ................661-399-3600 Long Beach, CA...............562-272-7400Oxnard Bakersfield Oxnard Bakersfield Oxnard, CA ......................805-485-2106 4252Saco SacoRd Rd 1930E.E.Lockwood LockwoodSt. St. 4252 1930 Santa Ana, CA .................714-265-5500 (661) 399-3600 (805) 485-2106 (661) 399-3600 (805) 485-2106 Santa Maria, CA ..............805-922-8329 Sylmar, CA .......................818-890-3353 www.CoastlineEquipment.com
coastlineequipment.com coastlineequipment.com
LongBeach Beach Long 6188 Paramount Blvd 6188 Paramount Blvd (562)272-7400 272-7400 (562)
SantaMaria Maria Santa 1950 Roemer Place 1950 Roemer Place (805)922-8329 922-8329 (805)
IN
COASTL
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Included with the purchase of any new or rental John Deere/Hitachi C&F machine. EffectiveMarch January 1, 2015. Effective 1, 2015. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Pre-delivery inspection and customized set-up. Delivery walk-around with the customer. Machine loaner during basic warranty. Four hour guaranteed response time for warranty repairs. No travel time or mileage charges during basic warranty. Warranty repairs performed by factory certified technicians. Genuine John Deere parts and fluids provided for the first scheduled service. CounterParts Promise – the part is in stock or its free the next day. Three year JDLink™ Ultimate subscription. PM interval monitoring. Periodic Machine Performance Review. Machine Health Alert notifications. Remote Diagnostics and Programming available. Basic warranty for 12 months, unlimited hours. StructurALL Warranty for three years/10,000 hours, whichever occurs first. Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) coverage for five years/ 10000 hours, whichever occurs first. 25 point machine inspection prior to basic warranty expiration. Optional customized PM agreements.
Bakersfield, CA .............. 661-399-3600 Long Beach, CA............. 562-272-7400 Oxnard, CA .................... 805-485-2106 Santa Ana, CA ............... 714-265-5500 Santa Maria, CA ............ 805-922-8329 Sylmar, CA ..................... 818-890-3353 www.CoastlineEquipment.com
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MIT MEN
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Machines purchased from Coastline’s rental fleet qualify for these provisions for the balance of any remaining basic warranty or a period of 90 days if basic warranty has expired. They qualify for the remaining duration of any JDLink subscription, StructurALL warranty and DPF coverage.
Bakersfield 4252 Saco Rd (661) 399-3600
Oxnard 1930 E. Lockwood St. (805) 485-2106
Long Beach 6188 Paramount Blvd (562) 272-7400
Santa Maria 1950 Roemer Place (805) 922-8329
immie Douglas Foster started Foster’s Blade Service back in 1985 with a single motor grader and the desire to bring nothing but the very best in grading services to his clients. He is known as Doug to most everybody who knows him, and over time, he and his company’s excellent reputation
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began to precede him. One motor grader grew to several other machines and now the company has 11 operators out in the field and four administrators in the office. The name was eventually changed to Foster Construction, to more effectively reflect the company’s overall service offerings.
2015 Underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR
Tim Carter is the company’s CFO and he joined Foster Construction in 2006. He is also a minority shareholder with 20 percent ownership and at just 32, he brings an enthusiastic vision that helps drive the company toward becoming more of a turnkey construction enterprise. “We specialize in
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Left: Hyundai 480L Excavator rented from Heavy Equipment Rentals digging keyway for fill slope. Above: The Hyundai 480L Excavator loading a rented Bell 40 ton articulated rock truck.
grading, underground utilities, demolition and concrete construction, with an emphasis on becoming more of a full service site work general contractor,” says Carter. “We can take on everything from grading and underground work all the way to the flatwork. Our clients can now deal with one vertically integrated contractor and
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that just makes it easier on everyone.” Foster Construction works primarily as a subcontractor for general contractors that work on everything from local, state and municipal projects to private commercial and industrial jobs. Companies like T. Viole Construction Co., out of Tarzana, keep Foster Construction busy. “We are doing quite a bit of sitework for them right now on jobs at LAX and in Woodland Hills, as well as underground utility work in Agoura Hills,” says Carter. “We have several general contractors that have entrusted us with their underground utility and site work for many years. We appreciate these relationships
and continue to go above and beyond to maintain each and every one of them.” Foster Construction is currently on a four-month project as a subcontractor to Carri Construction, to construct a new customer dedicated substation in Porter Ranch. Foster Construction was contracted to excavate and grade an access road down to the pad where the new substation will be built. The road is around 1,800 feet or approximately 1/3 of a mile in length and maintains an approximate 20 percent grade throughout. Articulated rock trucks, dozers and other track machines, are being used by Foster Construction to access
2015 Underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR
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and clear the roadway. “The scope of work on this job is simple, but the site is massive and difficult to access,” says Carter. “We are using our dozers to cut in and create the slopes as we work our way down the road. We can only load out two trucks at a time and we are exporting around 70,000 yards to two fill-locations on-site.” One of these fill-sites is 20 minutes away and the other is 10 minutes. There are also individual geologists at each location to inspect the material and compaction. According to Carter, this affects production time. “We are only able to run two rock trucks, otherwise we will overload the import sites,”
says Carter. “There were many factors and details to consider when planning this job, but it all gone very smoothly and we are just putting the finishing touches on as we speak.” Foster Construction operates and maintains a full fleet of equipment; from motor graders, skip loaders and wheel loaders to vibratory rollers, backhoes and scrapers. They often find it necessary to rent additional equipment when their personal utilization is high or when they are in need of specialty machines. For this they turn almost exclusively to Heavy Equipment Rentals with locations in Los Angeles and the Inland
Empire. On this particular project, Foster Construction rented a Hyundai 480L, 100,000 lb. excavator, a John Deere 650 dozer, a Cat D8T dozer, two 84” ride-on vibratory rollers, a Cat 950 wheel loader and two Bell 40-ton articulated rock trucks. “We use HER almost exclusively for our heavy equipment needs. Bob Buff treats us like family,” says Carter. “ I can get equipment from anyone, but the outstanding service we receive from Bob and HER is what keeps us coming back. Their service is truly unmatched as far as we are concerned.” [ Continued on page 22 ]
Below: More rental equipment from HER; a John Deere 650 dozer track walking a finished slope, while a Bell 40 ton rock truck heads up the access road to the fill site.
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[ Continued from page 20 ]
The Porter Ranch job is for a municipality and calls for all Tier III or above machines on-site. Heavy Equipment Rentals offers all Tier appropriate machinery with a massive fleet of more than 400 machines ready to go to work at a moments notice. “We are currently selling off most of our fleet and upgrading to all Tier IV machines,” says Carter. “HER always has what we need. You can’t just buy everything you need and we maintain a good balance between purchase and rental that makes sense.” Beginning in April, Foster Construction will be working on a 900 foot long, 42” storm drain project in Santa Clarita, as they continue to take on more and more underground utility projects. “Grading has been our mainstay for many years, but we are booking much more underground utility work and we expect that trend to continue,” says Carter. “We are excited to have, Roger Salkeld, who is our COO and manager of the underground utility side.” Tim Carter makes it clear that his company will grow sustainably and at a rate that
they can control. “I like where we are at right now. We may grow another 25 percent or so in the near future, but not much more,” says Carter. Doug Foster and I like to touch everything before it goes out the door and this philosophy has worked out well for us so far. We are cautiously optimistic about the next five years and looking forward to continued success.”
Foster Construction has grown from a small operation to a full-size construction company, all while staying true to their small business roots and values. For more information, please visit them online at www.fostergrading.com or call their Saugus headquarters at (661) 296-2486. Cc
Below: Hyundai 480L Excavator digging a keyway for proposed slope, while a CAT D8T dozer pushes the material down the acess road.
Hyundai 480L Excavator is benching into bedrock for a competent slope.
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2015 Underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR
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2015 Underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR
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Your Trailer Just Got STOLEN When you report your 1989 Zieman 2660 trailer stolen to a police officer, he will probably tell you have a very slim chance of ever seeing your trailer again. The facts are the 2014 CHP statistics state that for every 100 trailers that are stolen only 32 will be recovered in California. The odds of your skid steer being recovered are a little better: thirty seven percent. There were 400 construction vehicles stolen last year but over 1700 trailers report stolen. Most vehicle theft detectives will tell you that your stolen trailer will either be cut up for scrap metal or the VIN removed and taken to the local DMV and registered as a “special construction” or “homemade” trailer. What can you do to increase your odds? Mark your trailer. Mark your trailer with your company name: stickers and welding the name into the trailer. If you are a Crime Prevention Program member we tell you to use your driver’s license number or your OAN (owner applied number) – stamp them in and weld them on and put on a CPP reward sticker as well. Paint the trailer a very unique color so if you see it again you or your employees will recognized the color. Break out the welder and repeat the VIN on four or five locations. Not just on the tongue or hitch area but on the sides and the rear of the trailer. Maybe the thief will overlook a welded on VIN or OAN but a DMV employee, police officer or scrap metal recycler will catch it. Let there be no mistake who owns this trailer and what it’s VIN is. You also need to weld or paint your company equipment number on the trailer but this is not a number law enforcement can run and usually
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expect to find out any registration or company identifying information. Police officers can’t spend a lot of time trying to figure out these issues. You need to make it easy for them: repeating the VIN at several locations makes things easier and takes out the guess work. Also the VIN plate or sticker may get worn or faded. An easy to read VIN helps. Lastly, make sure your registration and plates are current and up to date. With the PTI plates, it is easy to forget about if you change your address or ownership. That 1989 Zieman 2660 you reported as stolen only cost about $5,000.00 to $7,500.00 to replace until you start adding up the man hours wasted to buy a new or used trailer and deal with the police and insurance. You also need to add up the time to get another trailer out to a location to pick up whatever the stolen Zieman was supposed to pick up or the rental costs if time and location are not on your side and you have to rent a trailer. You want to make your trailer easy to identify and tell the thief to go find a different trailer to steal. Give the thief second thoughts, if you have done all this to protect your property, maybe you’ve installed a GPS or Lojack. More reasons for that thief to go someplace else for a trailer. And hopefully, your new CAT or John Deere backhoe wasn’t on that old 1989 Zieman 2660 when it was stolen. Please call me with any questions whether or not you are a Crime Prevention Program member: Gabe Marquez, 562-860-9006. Cc
2015 Underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR
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eliver d g n i v Impro
ou! y to y
Same day pick-up now available Get select Wacker Neuson light equipment to your customers faster. A new distribution center is now open for same-day customer pick-up and faster delivery on a variety of Wacker Neuson’s most popular light equipment tools. Dealers will also experience improved delivery service in California and to outlying areas of southern Nevada and Arizona. • For same day pickup, place your order by 11:00 a.m. Pacific time • Pick up between 7:30 and 3:30 p.m. Wacker Neuson Southern California Distribution Center (Pacific Mountain Logistics, LLC) 5490 E. Francis St. Ontario, CA 91761
S. VINTAGE AVE.
S. WINEVILLE AVE.
S. MILLIKEN AVE.
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Conveniently located in Ontario, CA off I-15 between I-10 and Hwy 60, the new distribution center will stock the most popular products used in the market, from the world-class vibratory rammer to a variety of pumps, generators, plates and rollers. For more information, contact your local Wacker Neuson sales representative or call customer service at 1-800-770-0957
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2015 Underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR
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COASTLINE EQUIPMENT ANNOUNCES NEW PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE PROGRAMS Coastline Care and Coastline Commitment Programs Take Preventative Maintenance and Customer Service to New Levels Coastline Equipment has recently introduced two unique programs to meet the needs of its clients in an industry that continues to be changed by technology. The Coastline Care and Coastline Commitment programs are designed to offer customers “the ultimate uptime solution.” Coastline Care combines a preventative maintenance package with extended powertrain warranties. Coastline Care can be customized in a multitude of ways to meet specific customer needs, such as PM programs without extended warranty, Full Machine, Powertrain + Hydraulic, or Engine Only extended warranties instead of Powertrain Only, different durations, and more. “Coastline Care is aimed at customers who want to devote 100% of their time to earning money in whatever field they specialize in,” said Tom Michael, Coastline Equipment’s General Sales Manager. “They are able to ‘fix’ their operating costs to whatever degree they wish and allow us to do what we specialize in; keeping their machines up and running.” Because modern machinery is so much more sophisticated and complex than what was in the field even five or ten years ago, Tom Michael stresses that, “Our technicians are certified in all aspects of each machine; engines, transmissions, hydraulics, electrical, emissions… the list goes on and on.” He also added
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that Coastline Equipment has the computerized diagnostic tools that are required to identify problems. The Coastline Commitment program is aimed at new or potential customers who haven’t experienced the advantages of running Deere machines and dealing with Coastline. And for existing customers it is an extension of the high level of support they have come to know and count on. Coastline Commitment is customer-centered, as is Coastline’s industry leading Counterparts program, which pledges that parts are either on hand, or they will be free to the customer on the next day. This guarantee has been offered for years, and is unique to Coastline Equipment. Including it as part of the Commitment was a no brainer. Coastline believes that customers deserve to know that they won’t be stranded on a jobsite with an inoperable machine and have no idea when a solution will come. Therefore, one of the aspects of the Coastline Commitment is a four hour response time guarantee. And if the machine can’t be repaired in a timely manner then
2015 Underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR
the customer may be entitled to the offer of a loaner machine. “I’ve been in this business for over 40 years,” said Tom Michael, “and a consistent customer complaint in all that time is paying travel time and mileage for the dealer to fix a machine that is under warranty. With our Commitment program this is no longer an issue. Travel time is at no charge.” Michael concluded his comments about their new programs. “With John Deere equipment we supply the best machines on the market in terms of productivity, reliability and overall cost effectiveness. With our Coastline Care and Coastline Commitment programs, we further separate ourselves from our competitors by offering things that no one else is willing to match. This isn’t idle talk. If competitive owners ask for these same guarantees from their current vendor we don’t believe anyone else will provide the entire package. And if, by chance, they offer to, we suggest they get the guarantee in writing.” For more information contact your nearest Coastline Equipment location, or visit coastlineequipment.com. Cc
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Construction Marketing Services, LLC
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Quality you can rely on
For details, contact your local Komatsu distributor.
Paul F. Sears May 25, 1952 – March 11, 2015
www.clairemontequipment.com 7651 Ronson Rd. San Diego, CA 92111 Office: 858-278-8351 Fax: 858-492-9959 San Diego 4726 Convoy St. Office: 858-278-8338 Fax: 858-278-4845 Escondido 1330 Mission Rd. Office: 760-739-9100 Fax: 760-739-8888 Fontana 8520 Cherry Ave. Office: 909-429-9100 Fax: 909-429-9397 Imperial 440 West Aten Rd. Office: 760-355-7700 Fax: 760-355-7704 Indio 81-501 Industrial Place Office: 760-863-5558 Fax: 760-863-0959 www.calcontractor.com
Paul F. Sears, a long-time employee of RDO Equipment Company in Riverside, Calif., died suddenly on Wednesday, March 11, 2015 of an aortic dissection. Paul was a loving husband to Janet (Hurt) Sears, who survives him, and a guiding force in the lives of his surviving children and step-children, for whom he was an irreplaceable role model: Laura (Sears) Tardif, Steven Sears, Ian Ballard and Ben Ballard. Paul is also survived by his brothers Karl Sears and John Sears, and his sister Sonja (Sears) Lundgren. Paul was born May 25, 1952 in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the fourth of four children of Esther Marie Farstrup (deceased) of Exira, Iowa and Richard Earl Sears (deceased) of Maquoketa, Iowa. He grew up in Cedar Falls and later graduated from Northern University High School in 1970. He attended Westmar College from 1970-1974, majoring in Business Administration and played on the basketball and golf teams. Upon graduating, he began to work for John Deere in Moline, Illinois. In 1992, Paul accepted the position of General Manager with Whitney Machinery and moved to Riverside, Calif. Paul stayed on after the conversion to RDO Equipment Co. in 1996, in the positions of Sales Manager, General Manager and eventually Director of Inventory for the entire company. Paul’s success had everything to do with the kind of man he was. He was known for his inherent decency, his trustworthiness, his modesty and his willingness to help others along the way. He was a mentor many young professionals who loved and respected him. Paul will be missed. Funeral services were held at All Saints Episcopal Church in Riverside on Friday, March 20th at 11:30am, a reception celebrating his life followed. Donations can be made to one of the following charities: The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health (www.johnritterfoundation.org), and Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation (www.AAMDS.org). Cc
2015 Underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR
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ADVERTISER’S INDEX A.S.A.P. Heavy Equipment Rentals.................... 27
Quinn CAT............................................................ 2
Clairemont Equipment...................................28-29
RDO Equipment Co.............................................. 5
Coastline Equipment.....................................16-17
Road Machinery................................................. 21
Construction Marketing Services....................... 27
Sonsray Machinery............................................. 15
Coastline Equipment Crane Div......................... 31
Trench Shoring Company.................................... 3
Crime Prevention Program................................. 27
UB Equipment Corp........................................... 11
Hawthorne CAT.................................................... 2
Volvo Construction Equipment & Services............. 9
Heavy Equipment Rentals.................................. 23
Wacker Neuson.................................................. 25
Johnson CAT........................................................ 2
Westrax Machinery............................................. 30
Nixon-Egli Equipment Co.................... Back Cover
3 Years - 4,000 Hours - Full Machine Warranty
BEST WARRANTY IN THE INDUSTRY! 19618 South Susana Road, Rancho Dominguez, CA 90221
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www.westraxmachinery.net Serving Southern California
2015 Underground construction ISSUE CALCONTRACTOR
19885 Temescal Canyon Rd., Corona, CA 92881
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 325 N. 5th St., Bldg. A Sacramento, CA 95811
916-440-8090 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 3216 Westminster Ave. Santa Ana, CA 92703
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California’s Largest General Line Construction and Municipal Equipment Dealer. So. California: 2044 S. Vineyard Ave., Ontario, CA 91761 • (909) 930-1822 No. California: 800 E. Grant Line Rd., Tracy, CA 95304 • (209) 830-8600 www.nixon-egli.com