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Summer 2011

Competitive advantages from Bobcat tool carriers and attachments

Christ Brothers Asphalt, from left to right: Warren Christ, Carrie Christ, Mark Christ, Jerry Mueller (Bobcat salesman) and Lucas Christ.

Christ Brothers Asphalt, from left to right: Warren Christ, Carrie Christ, Mark Christ, Jerry Mueller (Bobcat salesman) and Lucas Christ.

In the extremely competitive business of asphalt paving, where bids of several hundred thousand dollars can be won or lost by less than a thousand dollars, something as common as end-of-the-day cleanup can make a huge difference.

For Christ Brothers Asphalt, Inc. in Lebanon, Ill., a large assortment of Bobcat® loaders, excavators and attachments gives them a competitive advantage.

"We bid every job knowing we will have Bobcat equipment working at the site," says Aaron Christ, a project superintendent for the company started 28 years ago by his uncle, Mark Christ, and father, John Christ. "We know that every time we use Bobcat equipment it will help us make or save money."

The Christ Brothers' Bobcat lineup is diverse, including compact track loaders, skid-steer loaders and a compact excavator. In addition, the company operates several attachments:

  • Angle brooms
  • Dozer blades
  • Hydraulic breakers
  • Planers
  • Root grapples
  • Soil conditioners
  • Sweepers
  • Wheel saws

All of the company's loaders are equipped with high-flow auxiliary hydraulics because the company wants maximum production from every attachment and loader. The equipment was purchased from the Bobcat of St. Louis store in Fairview Heights, Ill.

A large assortment of Bobcat loaders, excavators and attachments gives them a competitive advantage.

A large assortment of Bobcat loaders, excavators and attachments gives them a competitive advantage.

Able to adapt

Originally the company focused on commercial work, but when that slowed down the past few years, Christ Brothers had the expertise and equipment to transition to government projects. Today 85 to 95 percent of its jobs come from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The value of the Bobcat equipment is evident on every state project, says Christ, and quickly pays for itself.

"Typically we will bring a loader, bucket, planer and an angle broom or sweeper," he says. "We have this equipment available where we start to work, on the side of the road throughout the day, and where we end for the day. That's because this equipment combination saves us an unbelievable amount of time. For example, if our paver operator dumps a little too much asphalt, say a two-ton pile, we can clean it up in 5 minutes with the Bobcat equipment. Without it, two guys with shovels would be piling up the overtime hours."

Another example: "When milling a road, there will be asphalt left between the concrete curbs on each side," Christ says. "The best way to clean it up is for two loaders with angle brooms to windrow it to the middle and use the sweeper attachment to pick it up. We can keep the clean-up crew close to the milling crew because the Bobcat equipment can work just as fast as our bigger machines.

"As you can see, Bobcat equipment helps us out in every aspect of our business," Christ says. "We consider them a real advantage."

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