WorkSaver Summer 2006
One key to business success is proper timing-showing up for work on time and completing the job on schedule. That's especially important in the construction business, where a delay by one contractor can have a snowball effect, delaying the work of every other contractor who follows on the project.No wonder savvy contractors choose Bobcat compact construction equipment. They know that they can rely on machines and attachments bearing the Bobcat name to deliver the performance they need, when they need it.
Bill Jenny, Flagstaff, Ariz., is a long-time Bobcat equipment owner and excavating contractor. His company, RAM, Inc., has an S300 skid-steer loader and a 435 excavator. He describes the value of Bobcat equipment reliability: "If I can't get my footers dug on time, the dominoes start falling. The general contractors I work for count on me to be there when I say I will. I've never lost a job because of downtime with my Bobcat equipment."
Standing up to tough duty
Haas Construction, Rockford, Ill., specializes in industrial construction projects. Most involve working inside factories and other facilities, on jobs such as replacing bases for industrial machines or digging pits for large printing presses.
"In most cases, our customers can't shut down their operations for very long," says Chris Haas, whose father, John, started the company in 1975. "Often we have only a limited amount of time, such as weekends or holidays, to get the work done. We need equipment that we can depend on to work quickly and efficiently in tight spaces."
That's why Haas Construction has relied on Bobcat equipment for the past two decades. "I don't think we've ever had a problem with one of our Bobcat loaders or excavators not starting or continuing to run," Chris says.
That kind of reliability, he notes, is one reason the company doesn't have to advertise for business.
Haas Construction currently has a 773 and an S300 skid-steer loader, a T300 K-Series compact track loader, a 337 and 430 excavator and half a dozen attachments, all purchased from Bobcat of Rockford.
The work requires equipment that can stand up to tough duty-such as using an excavator with a hydraulic breaker to demolish an 18-in.-thick concrete base, and one of the loaders with an industrial grapple or combination bucket to remove the debris. One time they spent a month tearing out the reinforced concrete base for a drop forge. The 40-ft.-wide by 60-ft.-long base extended 21 ft. below the factory floor. After removing a 6-ft.-thick layer the loader was lowered to the next level using a large crane.
"We also replace a lot of truck docks," Chris says. "That's hard on our equipment, too. I don't know how we'd do our job without Bobcat equipment. The machines work when we need them to."
Around the clock reliability
In the 22 years that Greenscapes Garden Center and Landscape Co., Whitesboro, N.Y., has been in business it has owned only Bobcat skid-steer loaders. "One reason we like them is because we can use them 12 months a year," says Dennis O'Neill. "For the most part, we don't have any problems with them."
In addition to two S185 skid-steer loaders, equipped with enclosed, heated and air conditioned cabs and suspension seats, O'Neill owns a Bobcat 328 excavator, a 2400 articulated loader and several attachments. He credits his dealer, Warner Sales & Service, Rome, N.Y., with helping to keep the equipment up and running. "It doesn't happen often, but if we have trouble with a machine, our dealer has been very good about giving us one to use until ours is fixed."
Located in a narrow belt where the effect of nearby Lake Ontario produces frequent, heavy snowfalls, snow removal work keeps cash flowing during the winter. That's when the ability of Bobcat equipment to perform on demand is especially critical to O'Neill's operations.
"It's not the end of the world if one of our machines should break down on a landscaping project because we can pick up another one from our dealer," he says. "But if a machine breaks down in the middle of the night when we're trying to clear a foot of snow from a parking lot before morning, then we've got a problem. When it snows, our Bobcat equipment has to keep running.
"The reliability of these machines over the years has been excellent. That's why I keep buying them."
Staying on schedule
By keeping projects on schedule and labor expenses on budget, reliable Bobcat loaders and excavators help protect profits of the Bremec Group, a landscaping contractor based in Chesterland, Ohio.
"The dependability of our Bobcat equipment is very important to us," says Bob Bremec, who owns the company with Brad Buckels. "If a crew is standing around in the morning because a machine won't start, labor costs can go right through the ceiling. We can count on our Bobcat units to work."
The company, which buys its Bobcat equipment from Bobcat of Akron, has owned Bobcat machines for the past 22 years. Right now, the partners rely on an MT55 mini track loader, an 873 skid-steer loader, a T300 compact track loader and a 331 and 435 excavator and several attachments. They use them on projects ranging from site preparation and finished landscaping to construction of retaining walls.
The improved flotation and traction of the track equipment, with its rugged undercarriage and durable rubber tracks, also help minimize any costly delays.
"With wheeled equipment we'd have to wait a day or more for wet ground to dry out before we could work on it," says Buckels. "Now, even if it's lightly raining, we can keep working. That's really helpful when we're under the gun and have to get the job done. The tracks help us keep production on schedule."
Three of the machines-the 873 and T300 loaders and the 435 excavator-boost machine availability in another way. They're equipped with the keyless start security system, which helps prevent unauthorized use and theft.
"Our Bobcat equipment has held up well for us," says Bremec. "We've been really happy with the dependable way it operates."
Satisfying the customer
Chuck Rouse manages Honey-man Rental, which serves contractors and homeowners in Omaha, Neb. The company's business depends on the reliability of Bobcat loaders and excavators to keep customers productive and coming back.
The company's inventory of Bobcat equipment, purchased from Bobcat of Omaha, includes three 463 and eight S175 skid-steer loaders, two T190 compact track loaders, and six compact excavators (a pair of 316s and four 325s).
He switched to the Bobcat line eight years ago. "They've cut our maintenance costs by one-third to one-half compared to our previous brand because they're more durable," Rouse says. "The Bobcat machines have stronger components, such as the drive chains, and the hydraulic cylinders don't leak like the other brand. They stand up well for our customers."
And, that's good for business. "If the machines are reliable, our customers are more apt to come back and rent them again."