Bobcat System Helps Concrete Firm Develop Special Place in the Market

Tre Wenzler

Since A.B. Wenzler Concrete said goodbye to a tractor-loader-backhoe (TLB) six years ago, the Kettering, Ohio, firm has carved out a niche installing footings and foundations, and doing concrete flatwork where limited access prevents the use of bigger equipment.

“I wouldn’t go back to a TLB,” says Trey Wenzler, who runs the 30-yearold family concrete business. “It was just too big and we had to shovel by hand when working in small areas. Our Bobcat® equipment is a lot more convenient and easier to use.”

Wenzler’s equipment is a highly productive Bobcat System—553, 751, 773 skid-steer loaders and a 325 compact excavator.

“We’ve used the 553 to grade in between houses just 4-5 ft. apart,” he explains.

“The 325 excavator is ideal for working in tight areas, while having enough
weight and power to dig out footings, foundations, driveways and sidewalks. In fact, we’ve dug foundations right up next to swimming pools. That would have been impossible with other equipment.

“The Bobcat System allows for faster attachment change than with a TLB. Customers are impressed by how quickly we get the work done and how little damage we do to yards and driveways.”

The following examples show how Wenzler’s loaders and excavators, purchased from Bobcat of Dayton, make a great team for:

Interior work

One time he used his excavator inside a machine shop to dig a square 5-ft.-deep foundation for a special machine. After excavating the hole, which measured 10-ft.- long, he used his 751 loader to haul the dirt away and bring in concrete to fill the hole. He’s since done similar jobs inside factories.

Narrow trenching jobs

Another time Wenzler used his excavator to excavate a 1,000-ft.-long, 2-ft.-wide and 32-in.-deep footer trench. It was in a 7-ft.-wide alleyway and he had to swing the boom over a 4-ft.-high fence to dump dirt into his loader.

Digging in rock

One foundation job required using the 751 loader with a Bobcat hydraulic breaker attachment to break out a footer in solid rock, followed by the 325 to dig out the loose rock.

Demolition

Wenzler has even used his excavator to tear down a 11⁄2-story house and attached garage in less than three hours. He rented a Bobcat 763 loader with grapple bucket to haul away the debris. “It’s amazing what you can do with this equipment,” Wenzler says. “There aren’t many jobs I wouldn’t try with our Bobcat System.”