Week 16 Winners

Paul Mason
Fairway Excavating, Inc.
Minden, Nev.

Bobcat Unleashed Me
“I started working in the construction industry as a youth during the early 1960s, as a laborer and wheelbarrow operator. I remember the first skid-steer loader I saw, while working on a large hotel project at Lake Tahoe. They brought the new skid-steer loader in to move material inside the building. Bets were being made as to how long the new ‘wheelbarrow’ would last. It didn't take long before most of the real wheelbarrows were quickly put out of work. For some reason, a light bulb went on in my head — it led me to believe I'd better learn how to operate equipment. Right now, I see compact excavators repeating the same role as the early skid-steer loaders did in the 1960s.

“Last summer, we rented a compact excavator to work behind a house on a hillside lot. The little excavator worked in conjunction with our Bobcat® 753 loader and moved about 200 cubic yards of dirt from behind the house. Years ago, a job like that would have been done with manual labor or not at all. As the building evolves in most subdivisions, the lots become crowded and efficient, smaller machines play an increasing role in getting the jobs done. We've lifted our Bobcat 753 over walls to access work that needs to be done. On lakefront jobs, the 753 and compact excavator allow us to get between buildings that other larger machines can't. In a larger work area, the diesel-powered Bobcat machine has better fuel economy than a larger machine doing the same light-duty work. I believe skid-steer loaders and compact excavators will play an increasingly important role in most construction projects.”

Bob Pedatella
Kodiak Landscape Design
Haskell, N.J.

Bobcat Unleashed Me
“I created Kodiak Landscape and Design in 1994 at the age of 17. My company was started with sheer determination, two lawnmowers, and every nickel and dime I had saved. I began renting machines from a place nearby. Unfortunately, all that was readily available were some real lemons. I dealt with bald tires and returned shoddy equipment because it had broken down on the job, but that was all I could afford. That changed one day when I was introduced to a real beauty that was used at my college for campus projects. It was a Bobcat® machine, and it was a sight to behold. It had real tires and was actually maintained. I became recognized as a pro on that machine. I was asked to operate and manage the Bobcat machine for all activities and lessons where it was required. I did this for four years, teaching the students and in the meantime getting to play with something that seemed forever out of my monetary grasp.

“While in college, I was introduced to the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association and through this group became acquainted with Pat from North Jersey Bobcat. It was then that I learned that ‘Bobcat’ is not just a machine — it’s a mindset embodied by the employees. In 1997, I bought my first Bobcat skid-steer loader. In 1998, I graduated from college with a degree in Landscape Management and Design. I also received an award from the Dean as a show of appreciation, for the years I spent teaching students the merits and functionality of the Bobcat skid-steer loader.

“As my company grew, so did my Bobcat purchases. The greatest benefit of owning a Bobcat machine is that it is a year-round machine. In winter, I use it to plow snow for the community as well as commercially. Not only does it move the snow, but it can clean curb-to-curb. It maneuvers in spaces that will not allow a truck to pass, such as driveways and sidewalks. I use it to log tree farms so as not to disturb private woods. In the spring, summer and fall, I use it to load leaves, grade and install topsoil on baseball fields, follow milling machines for cleanup, install trees, and haul materials. The capabilities are endless.

“Looking back, there was a large gap from the start-up of my company to when I bought my first Bobcat machine. When you have done things manually, you really understand the significance of a machine that allows you to cut time and spending, and just the plain headaches that were associated with so little time and so much to do. It has been 14 years and I own three Bobcat skid-steer loaders. I have grown up a lot as I have dealt with the good and the bad.”

Don Killebrew
Rocky River Refractory Removal, Inc.
Buda, Texas

Bobcat Unleashed Me
“Since Bobcat Company unleashed their first compact loader upon the construction industry in 1958, their continuing commitment to design innovation has remained steadfast. In 2007, my sons and I decided to take advantage of Bobcat’s inventive machines and placed several models into an exceedingly harsh industrial environment which had been reserved for German electrically powered hydraulic demolition machines. I have worked in the cement maintenance and production industry for over 30 years. I’ve watched the refractory lining in cement rotary kilns and clinker coolers be demolished by manual labor, and later by robotic machines that were expensive to purchase — and extremely complicated and difficult to maintain.

“The German robots were encumbered by electrical power cords that had to be wired into the host plant’s electrical system. This created a labyrinth of cords snaking through the worksite, causing a safety hazard at every turn. The cords were often damaged during refractory removal, bringing the job to a swift halt and delaying the project. Additionally, operators used wired or wireless remote controls, which created safety hazards by placing workers on the kiln or cooler floor without overhead protection. In April of 2008, we changed all that! Our company, Rocky River Refractory Removal, Inc., put two Bobcat® 425 ZTS excavators, fitted with Bobcat HB880 breakers, to a harsh test. At Texas Lehigh Cement Company just outside Austin, Texas, Rocky River demolished 115 feet of kiln brick lining from a 13.5-foot-inside-diameter rotary kiln, after first removing a thick layer of cement clinker coating that was over 2 feet thick in places. The removal was complete in 36 hours, including mucking. Two Bobcat S160 skid-steer loaders removed the demolished material.

“In all, 8,000 cubic feet of cement clinker coating and brick rubble weighing over a million pounds were removed from the kiln. Even when the customer requested additional work to remove coating and raw feed from the opposite end of the kiln, Rocky River’s Bobcat machines completed the job in only 12 more hours. The total job cost hundreds of dollars less than the closest bidder had estimated for the brick removal alone. There were no cords to create safety issues and delays. Operators were safe under the ROPS. And the machines performed flawlessly. Bobcat ZTS excavators and skid-steer loaders have truly unleashed Rocky River Refractory Removal and the Killebrew family to serve the cement, lime, steel, and other industries in a safer, quicker, and more economical manner. We have received an enormous amount of interest from the cement industry alone and have our next job scheduled for June 2008 at Alamo Cement in San Antonio.”

Randy Krasowski
Patriot Asset Management, LLC
Selma, N.C

Bobcat Unleashed Me
“Up until a year and a half ago, Patriot Asset Management, LLC, handled large debris removal and small demolition by hand with the help of costly day laborers. During a routine morning coffee break, we met Dan Jennings from Bobcat of Johnston County, N.C. Dan showed an interest in us and offered many helpful solutions to running a more time- and cost-effective business. As a small operation, we were initially intimidated by what seemed to be a large equipment purchase. Dan's reply was ‘You will know when it's time.’ Over the past year, we have built a friendship with Dan and rented numerous Bobcat® machines of various sizes with various attachments. Right from our first rental, the benefits were clear. A job that once took two or three days now took four to six hours. The Bobcat machine eliminated the need for day laborers, saving us hundreds of dollars on each job.

“It did not take us long to realize that a Bobcat machine quickly pays for itself. When all was said and done, Dan Jennings earned our small business’s respect and trust and earned Bobcat another lifelong customer. Dan waited patiently for a year and a half until April 15, 2008, when we decided it was time to make our purchase. We are now the owners of our first Bobcat machine — a S175 skid-steer loader with a grapple. Thanks to Dan Jennings and Bobcat of Johnston County, N.C.”

Kevin Needs
Kevin Needs Excavation
Laclede, Idaho

Bobcat Unleashed Me
“Bobcat has been a part of my life since I was 10 years old. My father purchased our first Bobcat® 943 loader in 1989. He had decided on a Bobcat machine as the perfect solution for all the different things that his log home company needed done. My dad demoed countless brands of machinery before a local dealer suggested trying out Bobcat's line of articulated loaders. He tried a 1600 loader and a 2400 loader and was astonished at their performance. They were excellent at handling logs, loading the sawmill, cleaning out sawdust pits, and maneuvering in tight quarters. Convinced by that performance, he purchased a Bobcat 2400 and still owns it today.

“When I began to run the equipment, I found the controls and user-friendly layout quite comfortable and forgiving for an inexperienced operator. Today, I own and operate my own excavation company and my 2410 articulated loader backhoe ends up being the right machine for 99 percent of my jobs. It seems that no matter what project you throw at it, or what the job requirements might be, my Bobcat machine has always outperformed any competitor’s machine that we run. Shortly after purchasing my Bobcat machine in 2002, I was working for a parks project at a local campground. Another contractor working with me had taken on the project of moving crushed material for trail topping throughout the park; however, when it came down to doing the job, he was unable to even start due to the poor maneuverability of his backhoe. When the supervisor asked me if I could do the job, I gave him my firm assurance my 2410 could handle the terrain and get this job done. Needless to say, I completed the job over a week early!

“It seems that no matter the season, our Bobcat machine has a job to do. We work full time during the winter plowing and removing snow. This winter was extremely harsh in our area, yielding over 6 feet of snow on the ground at one time and leaving many homeowners stranded in their houses. As we began to open up driveways with pickup plows — and watched them being snowed shut behind us — we quickly realized that we would need more equipment running long hours to keep our customers’ roads open. That’s when we enlisted our 2410 for yet another job! The machine ran 24 hours a day for a week straight and conquered — piling snow over 20 feet high and relocating iced-up snow banks that had been there all winter. The 2410 is also extremely easy to work with. My wife found it simple to run the first time she sat in the seat. We both know that when our son is old enough to operate his first machine, it will undoubtedly be from Bobcat!”