“Bobcat® equipment has helped me build my business. The first Bobcat machine I owned was a used 643 skid-steer loader, which I purchased in 1993 from an employer who was a fertilizer dealer. It had been purchased new in 1985 from Bobcat of Saskatoon (formerly FGI Supply), and I still remember ‘Bobcat Brad’ delivering the machine, unloading it, and showing us how to operate it. My first jobs were mainly snow removal with no cab enclosure and a 54-inch material bucket. I did these jobs during evenings, weekends, and lunch hours, because I still was a wage worker at the fertilizer plant. Come fertilizer season, I rented the machine to the plant and loaded all their fertilizer. This was guaranteed work for my machine and continued until 2002.

“With some new home construction, I started getting jobs to do landscaping and other dirt work. My 643 was providing me with a nice sideline. With a need to become mobile, I purchased a trailer and started hauling the 643 loader to jobs outside of town. I started drilling pilings with an auger I’d rented from a buddy and began to get more calls. My sideline business was becoming more popular. It required early mornings and late nights, but running the 643 and finding out what I could do with it seemed to make that easier. It ran great and was small enough to get me jobs where no one else could fit. I added a cab enclosure and heater to the 643, and started pursuing larger snow-removal contracts.

“In 2005, after 23 years as a wage worker, the employer I worked for centralized their operation, and I was unemployed — but I owned a Bobcat machine! I turned my full attention to landscaping and snow removal for the upcoming snow season. I purchased my own auger and bits to save rental costs. My wife and I had the opportunity to purchase a car wash in 2005, and what a fit the 643 was for that work. With winter coming up, I added an 84-inch snow bucket and secured a few large snow removal contracts for the 2005 – 2006 season.

“That winter proved to be an old-fashioned Saskatchewan winter, with more snowfall than we had seen for a few years. I pushed snow from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. to fulfill my contract obligations and help customers who phoned throughout the day. I would come home for supper and my wife would have a list of new customers for the next day. The answering machine was always full. If someone wanted snow removal in Porcupine Plain, they phoned me. There was other snow removal equipment in town, but thanks to the 643's size and agility, I would get the call. The 643 was doing an awesome job.

"The vertical lift on a Bobcat machine is excellent for loading, and people always comment on how much snow I can get into my trucks."

“The snow continued all winter long. The biggest amounts came down in February and March. I was working the 643 hard and long and realized I needed help. One day, Brent from Bobcat of Regina was in town, and I spoke to him about a demo. ‘I have a Bobcat S185 skid-steer loader which you can demo for a few days,’ he said. He brought it down a few days later. I used it for a couple of days and was very impressed with the power and operator comfort. He picked it up and I went back to work with the 643. I soon realized what I could potentially do with two machines. I called Brent and we struck a deal on the phone. He delivered the S185 back to me, fully serviced. The date was March 2. We switched buckets, and my brother came to help me.

“Because of the amount of snow we had received, residents were shoveling snow off of their roofs. We came in, pushed the snow into piles, and then hauled it off. The vertical lift on a Bobcat machine is excellent for loading, and people always comment on how much snow I can get into my trucks. March was so busy that I didn't even have time to go for oil and filter service. I was getting close to the service date and wanted to use genuine Bobcat parts, so I phoned Brent. He delivered oil, filters, and hats right to where we were loading snow. Talk about service!

“By March 31, I had pushed snow every day except the 19th. After the spring melt, I moved directly into landscaping and kept busy until snowfall. The year 2007 proved to be a very busy year between snow removal and landscaping. The S185 was getting me more jobs than I expected. In June, a local woodworking shop’s forklift broke down. They asked me to do all of their loading and unloading. Using a pallet fork attachment, I unloaded plywood, dimensional lumber, supplies, and loaded core boxes, racks, and bundled paper for them until October. I purchased a 90-inch deep profile snow bucket to increase the S185’s productivity. I switched the 84-inch bucket back to the 643. I also purchased a 1-ton dump truck and added a variety of aggregate for sale, which can be delivered and placed.