CASE Construction Equipment, and heavy equipment dealers Titan Machinery and Sonsray Machinery, donated the use of skid steers, a compact track loader and an excavator to veteran-led disaster response organization Team Rubicon for Operation Big Iron — a disaster cleanup operation in response to the “Tinder Fire”, which swept across more than 500 acres in Coconino County, Arizona.

Team Rubicon volunteers provided heavy equipment operations, debris removal and sawyer services to affected communities. The organization deployed 40 members who logged a total of 2,592 hours on the operation. Team Rubicon’s heavy equipment operators used the equipment to help move more than 54,130 cubic feet of debris. Volunteers saved the community an estimated total of $74,784.38 in cleanup, materials and labor.

ACI Construction in Logan, Utah, is home to Bronson Twitchell, who has followed his own path into his family’s construction business. Bronson and his two brothers have re-branded their father’s business and have been managing ACI Construction for three years.

“I’ve always been fascinated with heavy equipment. It’s like a big sandbox on the job site,” says Twitchell.

ACI Construction (Logan, Utah) is the latest evolution of a long running family business. Dad, Sid Crookston, started pouring concrete at age 15 with his father, who also had deep roots in the construction industry. Sid Crookston’s sons, Chris and Alden Crookston, and Bronson Twitchell, re-branded dad’s business nearly three years ago. Sid Crookston is angling towards retirement and has taken a role as an equipment operator, advisor and all-around sage, while the three boys are responsible for much of the day-to-day business operations.

The company is currently working on the third phase of a 23-lot, 15-acre subdivision called Providence Hollow in Logan, Utah. The neighborhood is being constructed into the side of a foothill, which brings its challenges. The company is responsible for the roads, sewer, drain lines, retention ponds, gutters and sidewalks for the community.

Advanced precision construction technologies continue to proliferate in today’s construction market, but many business owners still associate these solutions with large-scale site prep and road building projects. The truth is that machine control technology is a highly scalable solution, and these systems have become more accessible than ever before to contractors of all sizes. In fact, there are many market segments where machine control is becoming more and more necessary to stay competitive.

Why Now?
Machine control systems are a great way to invest in the long-term productivity of an operation, and more and more fleet managers and equipment owners are integrating precision construction solutions into their fleets every day.

The DV209D and DV210D Drum Asphalt Rollers from CASE Construction Equipment have been awarded a 2018 Top 30 Editor’s Choice Award from Asphalt Contractor Magazine.

The Top 30 Editor’s Choice Awards are chosen by the Asphalt Contractor editorial staff for meeting various criteria including longevity and consistency in the market, dependability, productivity and innovation. To gauge readers’ preferences, they also factored in how much interest these products received on the Buyers Guide at ForConstructionPros.com/Asphalt.

How America’s largest EPA contractor stays ahead of downtime and expense
Brad Stemper, product manager, CASE Construction Equipment

Imagine maintaining 300 pieces of rolling stock plus 200 pieces of equipment spread across the entire United States, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. That’s the challenge Tim Bland, assistant operations manager at Environmental Restoration, LLC, faces every day. For 20 years, Bland and his staff have provided emergency response services, site remediation, government services, industrial cleaning to various commercial, state and federal clients. With 600 employees working from 23 offices across the country, Environmental Restoration is the largest EPA contractor in the United States.

CASE Construction Equipment and heavy equipment dealer Century Equipment donated the use of a compact track loader to Team Rubicon for Operation Wind River Spirit, a flood mitigation project that protected vulnerable residents from anticipated spring flooding in Fremont County, Wyoming.

The operation came at the request of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho nations, as well as the American Red Cross, as the region experienced a record snowpack that melted quickly and caused rivers in the region rise.

Not many successful businessmen plot their career accurately in fifth grade. Chris Bonacker knew exactly what he wanted to do. Now, at 32, he is right where he wants to be—running his own excavating firm. “I’m just trying to live the American Dream,” he says, “and provide for my family, doing what I love to do.”  After working in excavation in his late teens and early twenties, Bonacker founded C. Bonacker Excavating in Eureka, Missouri last July. He concentrates mostly on residential work, from digging foundations to finish grading.

“I always knew I wanted to have my own thing. I took the leap, and so far, everything’s been going good,” says Bonacker. “I’ve been blessed to be in all different aspects, from demolition to doing the excavation of the foundations, finish grading, and pipe work and drainage. I have a knack for helping custom builders…to help them oversee from start to finish on a custom home. I can help them line things with the landscapers or help the concrete guys make sure all elevations are working — to make the best product we can provide.”

CASE Construction Equipment has designated Luby Equipment Services, headquartered in Fenton, Missouri, as a CASE Precision Construction Certified Dealer. The certification signifies that Luby Equipment has completed the official training, conducted by CASE, to guarantee that the dealer is capable of expertly selling, supporting and servicing precision construction solutions — from off-machine construction tools up to 2D and 3D systems.

Each dealer that completes the program must meet a number of criteria, including employing full-time specialists, trained technicians and parts support.

We spend time preparing our equipment for snow removal and other cold weather work in late fall or early winter, but what steps do we take to get our equipment ready to transition back into dirt work in the spring? From checking and changing fluids, examining hoses and attachments, to doing a thorough cleaning and ensuring that all salt is cleaned from the machine – having a transition plan from season-to-season helps ensure the long-term performance and value of your equipment.

Clean-Up, Grease Up
Get each machine into a warm bay or other dry place and give it a thorough cleaning and inspection. Look for signs of wear or damage, any leaks, or any other anomaly that might indicate a problem. Thawing and freezing cycles and the presence of water can wreak havoc on greasing systems… make sure each grease point is serviced as recommended in the owner’s manual.