PG Enterprises LLC

Unexpected events lead contractor to found and expand Albuquerque-based PG Enterprises LLC

What started as a short-term break from college to help out at his family's dairy farm, turned into a concrete recycling and asphalt business for Payam Ghoreishi, owner of Albuquerque-based PG Enterprises LLC. When Ghoreishi returned to the family farm in 1998, he had no idea it would lead to starting his own business.

Payam Ghoreishi, owner

“I was going to school and came home because my brother, who was running the farm, decided he wanted to do something else,” recalled Ghoreishi. “I took over, but after a few months he came back. The two of us oversaw the dairy together for a while, but my intention was to return to Texas Tech.”

Even though the move was meant to be temporary, Ghoreishi was committed to maintaining the farm’s success and actively worked to expand it. When another dairy operation in Albuquerque closed, Ghoreishi purchased its stanchions, corral pieces and other items, and dismantled them for reuse.

“As I was taking things apart, I met the person who owned the dairy property and planned for redevelopment,” Ghoreishi explained. “He asked me if I was interested in dismantling his properties for him and getting paid for it. At first, I didn’t take him seriously, but he asked again a few days later, and that got me to consider it.”

Ghoreishi visited one site in El Paso, Texas. In addition to dairy-related items, the job included concrete removal, and that sparked an idea.

A PG Enterprises operator hammers rock recycle with a Komatsu PC138USLC excavator equipped with a hammer. “Across the board, the durability and longevity we get from our Komatsu equipment is incredible, especially the machines that we put in harsh applications,” said Payam Ghoreishi, owner of PG Enterprises. “We have put up to 15,000 hours on them without experiencing any major issues.”

“Honestly, I still wasn’t that interested because I wanted to go back to school, but as a courtesy I met with his representative,” said Ghoreishi. “I figured the concrete would get hauled to the landfill, but the question of crushing came up. I had been to Germany and saw that contractors there recycled practically everything, and I believed the best move would be to bring in a mobile unit and crush on-site.

“I put a proposal together that included doing that with the idea that the resulting material would stay there and be sold with the property — turn the liability into an asset, so to speak,” Ghoreishi continued. “The owner liked the idea. In fact, he asked me who was going to explain to my parents that I wasn’t going back to school.”

Adding services, learning lessons

Close to 25 years after Ghoreishi did his first job, he is still recycling concrete and has added asphalt. Old pavements and foundations come from locations where PG Enterprises’ dirt crews are performing demolition as part of sitework services that include clearing and grubbing, mass excavation, and fine grading. Truck drivers for PG Enterprises deliver concrete and asphalt to the company’s recycle yard on the southeast side of Albuquerque, which also houses its headquarters.

In addition to the crushing yard, PG Enterprises has a sand and gravel operation near Belen, N.M., that opened in 1999 and produces about 30 products, ranging from fine sand to boulders, and a landscape-related pit near Albuquerque that mainly sells raw products to wholesalers. Specialty items include high-quality golf course sand and infield mixes for baseball fields.

Using a Komatsu WA470 wheel loader, an operator loads old pavement into a crusher at PG Enterprises’ recycling yard in Albuquerque, N.M. “The environment we work in is tough on all our equipment,” said owner Payam Ghoreishi. “We face extremes in temperatures, sometimes within the same day, and it’s dusty. That can take a toll on equipment, but we have confidence, based on our experience, that it will run day in and day out — and give us high production.”

PG Enterprises now also offers heavy haul trucking, but mobile crushing remains on its list of services.

“I haven’t forgotten my roots, I’ve just expanded as opportunities presented themselves,” said Ghoreishi. “I have also learned some valuable lessons. For instance, after the first dairy project, I took on a utility job that went well, followed by a highway job, which I lost money on. I quickly saw what worked for me and what didn’t.

“I’m not really interested in doing large-scale subdivision sites or heavy civil,” Ghoreishi continued. “I would rather do earthwork for smaller residential and commercial sites.

Ghoreishi added, “Recently, we have taken on some restoration work for wildlife habitats. It’s gratifying to be involved in that type of work.

(L-R) Komatsu’s Joey Gallegos, product support general manager, talks with PG Enterprises owner Payam Ghoreishi. “I want a dealer that takes care of equipment throughout its life cycle, from the sale to trade or resale, and Komatsu does; it’s been a delight to work with Komatsu, especially Dennis (Trujillo) and Joey,” said Ghoreishi.

“I also realized early on that success is related to the quality of people who you surround yourself with,” Ghoreishi noted. “In addition to reassessing what I wanted to focus on early, I sought out dedicated, hard-working staff members. That philosophy remains in place, and I now have about 50 of the best people the construction and material supply industries have to offer.”

Service remains key

Ghoreishi says a driving factor in his equipment choices is dealer support. During the past few years, he’s dealt almost exclusively with representatives of Komatsu’s Albuquerque branch, including Dennis Trujillo, territory manager, and Joey Gallegos, product support general manager.

“I want a dealer that takes care of equipment throughout its life cycle, from the sale to trade or resale, and Komatsu does; it’s been a delight to work with Komatsu, especially Dennis and Joey,” said Ghoreishi. “When I need equipment, whether it’s to purchase or rent, I call them, and they find it quickly.

“I really like that Komatsu covers scheduled services on new machines with Komatsu Care for 2,000 hours or three years because it ensures that they are done on time, so we can concentrate on working,” he added. “That frees up my guys to do other things and increases productivity. Komatsu tracks the machines, calls us when a service is due, and schedules it so that our downtime is limited. It works great.”

PG Enterprises runs multiple Komatsu wheel loaders, excavators and dozers. That’s been the case since Ghoreishi purchased his first Komatsu machine, a WA480 wheel loader, in 1999.

PG Enterprises uses a wide range of Komatsu excavators, as well as wheel loaders and dozers throughout its aggregate, recycling and earthwork operations.

“We have a range of sizes because the work we do varies so greatly,” said Ghoreishi. “Across the board, the durability and longevity we get from our Komatsu equipment is incredible, especially the machines that we put in harsh applications such as the excavators breaking rock with a hammer. We have put up to 15,000 hours on them without experiencing any major issues.

“Additionally, the environment we work in is tough on all our equipment,” Ghoreishi continued. “We face extremes in temperatures, sometimes within the same day, and it’s dusty. That can take a toll on equipment, but we have confidence, based on our experience, that it will run day in and day out — and give us high production.”

Slow, steady growth

Since starting the company more than 20 years ago, PG Enterprises has grown steadily, and Ghoreishi plans to continue that trend.

“I think any business, especially in construction, needs to grow a little each year to stay competitive,” noted Ghoreishi. “I don’t want to double in size within a year or two, or on any other short timeline. That creates problems because things get hard to manage, and in turn, quality can suffer. I won’t let that happen. My focus remains on doing what we do and doing it well. That’s been my business plan from the beginning.”