Downtime No Longer a Problem for High-Volume Landscaper

Left to right: Mark Edwards, Allen McCullers and Gary Edwards of Southern Grounds Landscaping

When your business is based on volume you need equipment that can not only complete jobs on time, but is durable and reliable.

Today a trio of Bobcat® S300 skid-steer loaders, along with a T300 compact track loader, an S185 skid-steer loader and a 322 compact excavator, are making sure Southern Grounds Landscaping can keep up with the work. The Jemison, Ala., company, owned by Allen McCullers and brothers Gary and Mark Edwards, works for a dozen of the top home builders in the Birmingham area.

At one time, however, costly downtime was impacting the potential growth of the business.

"We had a lot of trouble with the competitive brand of loaders we were operating,"says McCullers. "Downtime was killing us. That's something we cannot afford. If you ever get behind in this business you have a good chance of losing a builder."

Southern Grounds Landscaping began buying Bobcat loaders from Loader Services, Birmingham, in 1997. Efficiency improved significantly and, as a result, company growth trended upward.

Today the firm averages 400 to 500 new home installations a year—grading, building retaining walls, laying sod, and planting trees and shrubs. With fewer than 10 employees, they rely on the three S300s from sun-up to sun-down.

"The S300s do a tremendous job of rough and final grading," says Gary Edwards. "Using a bucket attachment they allow us to cut through hard ground very quickly and prepare the site for landscaping. The power of these machines is amazing."

In addition to the three powerful S300 skid-steer loaders, Southern Grounds Landscaping uses its three other Bobcat machines for specific situations.

"We use our S185 for working in confined areas, such as when houses are just 10-ft. apart," says Mark Edwards. "The T300 is the ideal grading machine when it's too wet for the other equipment. Bad weather won't stop it. And we use our 322 excavator to put in drainage systems and dig holes for trees. It's another machine that works well between houses. The 322 has been a lifesaver plenty of times. It is one of the best investments we ever made."

All of the Bobcat equipment has played a significant role in the success of Southern Grounds Landscaping. "There is no doubt," says McCullers, "that we would not be where we are today without it."

S300 New!

Left to right: Bobcat S300 Loader

The ultimate in skid-steer loader design and function, the new K-Series S300 delivers all the performance you need when you need it—from lifting heavy loads of brick and block to loading dirt into tall dump trucks. It's all packaged inside a machine that's just a shade over 6-ft.-wide and 12-ft.-long with a bucket. Add in operator comfort, convenience and excellent visibility from the most advanced cab in the industry.

3,000-lb. (1361-kg) rated operating capacity
Vertical lift path
10-ft., 9-in. (3.3-mm) lift height
20.7 gpm auxiliary hydraulic flow
37 gpm high-flow option
81 hp (60.4 kW) turbo diesel engine
8,448-lb. (3832-kg) operating weight