Founded in 1968, Primco Inc. of Fort Wayne, Indiana has served its community for more than 50 years. Originally formed as a small, family-owned bridge contracting company, Primco has grown exponentially over the decades. Now Primco employs more than 135 people, and in addition to bridge construction and rehabilitation, Primco also specializes in concrete paving, structural concrete work, as well as general commercial concrete and site development. The company also works closely with Speedway Construction Products, which supplies concrete and other construction materials both for Primco jobs, and for other contractors throughout Northeast Indiana.

“My father started the business with another gentleman back in 1968, and we have grown from a bridge crew company to road and bridge,” says Todd Fredrick, president, Primco, Inc. “We do heavy highway, foundation work, sheeting work, piling and concrete road building—anything to do with that, any concrete along with that. We also do our own manufacturing of the materials that we need for our work.”

The CASE CX145D SR excavator has been named one of the Contractors’ Top 50 New Products of 2018 by Equipment Today magazine.

“The products recognized by the annual Contractors’ Top 50 New Products awards represent what contractors are seeking most to boost profitability on their construction projects,” says Becky Schultz, Equipment Today editor. “The high level of interest they generated from Equipment Today readers and visitors to ForConstructionPros.com demonstrates that these are products contractors feel are capable of improving performance, efficiency and productivity on their jobsites.”

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 (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.

CASE Construction Equipment, RPM Machinery, Southeastern Equipment, Habitat for Humanity of Kent County and Team Rubicon teamed up for a heavy equipment operator training and socio-economic improvement project—named Operation Fearless Mary—in the Roosevelt Park neighborhood of Grand Rapids, Michigan. RPM Machinery and Southeastern Equipment donated the use of several skid steers and excavators, while Team Rubicon brought in 72 volunteers and 20 new members from across the U.S. for the operation.

For Team Rubicon — an organization that unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams for disaster relief — this kind of training/community service operation prepares their volunteers for operating heavy equipment during deployments, and helps to solidify the humanitarian and relationship-building skills that are crucial in disaster response scenarios. A key component is Team Rubicon’s partnership with CASE, which provides both training and heavy equipment through its dealer network.

New 32,100-pound minimum-swing excavator offers reduced footprint, precision maneuverability and powerful bucket digging force and lift capacity for road and bridge work, utility, landscaping and general construction applications.

Britton Industries is a leading producer of natural and dyed mulches, screened topsoil, leaf compost and aggregate products. Servicing the landscaping and construction markets of Central New Jersey and South Pennsylvania, the family-owned and operated company has been in business for over 28 years.

The company operates a full wood product recycling center as well as a concrete recycling center—making crushed concrete for fill, as well as decorative stones and other products. They also produce and distribute a variety of custom soil blends for contractors and serve as a convenient disposal center for area businesses and homeowners.

By Andrew Dargatz, brand marketing manager, CASE Construction Equipment

Living on an island province nicknamed “The Rock” doesn’t conjure up images of easy digging.  It also drives heavy earthmoving contractors to consider larger equipment to tackle work that may be accomplished by smaller machines in simpler environments.

CASE Construction Equipment dealer Robert Childs Inc. donated the use of five CASE machines to Team Rubicon to be used for land-clearing and grasslands restoration in the Coonamessett Reservation fields in Hatchville, Mass. The donated equipment—two excavators; a CX80C and CX130C, and three skid steers; an SV185, SR270 and SV300—were used to help clear the land of overgrown invasive brush that had overtaken the native sandplain grassland.

Restoring the Native Habitat
Located within the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge, the land is managed as part of the refuge and in alignment with refuge goals by the nonprofit Falmouth Conservation Commission. The Coonamessett Inn operated on the land in the 1950s. Eventually, it was demolished, and the land has been managed for conservation. The native sandplain grasslands—home to a variety of birds, butterflies and other wildlife, as well as several endangered species—are critical to the Cape Cod ecosystem. But habitat has dwindled as the area has continued to develop.

CASE Construction Equipment dealer OCT Equipment donated the use of a compact track loader and excavator to Team Rubicon for the free demolition of a Korean War veteran’s house that was deemed uninhabitable. The initiative is led by Honoring America’s Warriors and will lead to the construction of a brand new home for Harold Edwards and his wife, Minnie, through a partnership with Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity.

Edwards served in Korea from 1950 to 1953 in the 1st Marine Division. Scotty Deatherage, the director of Honoring America’s Warriors, became aware of Edwards’ situation and assembled a coalition of veteran organizations and construction companies to do the work. Midwest Wrecking, Northeast Landfill and McRoof OKC have provided additional support for the project.