When GPS-based machine control technology made its impactful debut in the 1990s, it was heralded for the huge improvements it could make to a company’s on-site performance. Being a new technology, however, it carried a somewhat imposing price tag and the presupposition that it could only be used by industry’s bigger players. Today, machine control technology is faster, more accurate, more user-friendly and — as is the case with most evolving technology — much more affordable. That final point, affordability, has opened a whole new world to contractors like 108 Excavating, companies seeking to streamline their on-site workflow without breaking the bank. With three machine control systems already in place and more planned, the Flagstaff, Arizona-based site prep specialist has embraced the technology, welcomed the benefits, and seen the potential it offers as they grow.
A Desert Alternative
Though not experiencing the tremendous growth of Phoenix and its suburbs, north central Arizona (and Flagstaff in particular), has proven resilient, even through recently challenging economic times. With a more temperate climate, the main campus of Northern Arizona University and close proximity to Grand Canyon National Park, which draws roughly five million visitors each year, Flagstaff offers an attractive alternative to desert life.
“This is a great area that most people don’t envision when they picture Arizona,” said Billy Todd, owner and president of 108 Excavating. “We are situated in a higher elevation which keeps us a cooler than other parts of the state and the area is heavily wooded, again, not typical of Arizona. Often, these differences are the reason the area is attracting new businesses and new residents. That’s resulted in a steady stream of projects since we started in 2015 and has allowed us to grow to a staff of between 30 and 35 people.”
Despite being only 34, Billy Todd is no stranger to the construction world, having worked alongside his father — also an excavating company owner in Flagstaff — since he was in high school. “There is not a lot of competition between the two of us, though,” he said. “My dad’s company, called Todd’s Excavating, primarily does residential work where we specialize in mid- to large-sized commercial projects that can range in price from $5000 all the way up to $10 million. I learned a lot from him, not the least of which was his embrace of the Case brand on the equipment side of things. Today, I have a full complement of Case machines, including an 850M dozer, CX245D excavator and 856C motor grader — all equipped with Topcon machine control.”
"We are a much more efficient operation with machine control . . . if I need to change my focus for some reason, I can immediately start digging a building pad without needing to have it staked out - I see it on the screen and get right to work. That is huge for a company like ours where time is definitely money.”
— Billy Todd
Dealing With Change
That fleet of Case equipment was at work on a recent 10-acre housing development project called the Aura Flagstaff Apartments where, according to Todd, they once again tapped the benefits offered by the machine control solutions.
“Our preference for machine control stems from a single project we did in 2018,” he said. “At that time, we were working a site that had a massive amount of change in elevation — easily 100 feet or better. Given the staking that would have been needed — and the costs associated with it — I felt there had to be an alternative out there that could serve us better.”
That alternative, which the sales team at Branco Equipment, the area Topcon dealer, had already been talking to Todd about, was a GNSS-based machine control solution. “Based on what the sales rep told us, we felt it could pay for itself on that job alone,” said Todd. “Turns out, they were right, and I’ve been using the technology ever since.”
Production on the Rocks
Aura Flagstaff is an eight-building, 190-unit apartment complex. According to Todd, in many regards, it’s a very straightforward project, made a whole lot more challenging by the amount of rock they are encountering.
“The site is heavily laden with rock, so we are crushing and reusing as much material as we can for base fill or engineered fill,” he said. “But we are still taking close to 75,000 yards of material out of here in addition to moving another 15,000 yards on site. Our situation was helped somewhat when the owner asked us to use some of that material to create a landscape rock for use on site. That's another couple thousand yards that we're not going to have to remove.”
“Given how intuitive the Topcon system is, learning how to create the model was, in fact, the biggest learning curve we encountered with GPS.”
— Billy Todd
Whole New Machine
At the site, Todd and his crew tapped the dozer and excavator for the bulk of the site prep and utility work and will bring the motor grader in for the parking lots and driveways once the rock has been removed. He said that he has been particularly impressed with the added functionality the Topcon machine control solution brings to his Case 245 excavator.
“The ability to program utility lines into the excavator’s model has been huge for us,” he said. “We no longer have to wait for the surveyor to stake it out, then spend labor hours stringing out the points, painting out the ditch line, and utilizing a grade checker. Now, with me on the excavator my bucket is the rover. Plus, we can move seamlessly from one utility task to another without any downtime in between. It has also proven to be a valuable check for survey points. We have caught a number of errors that could have caused delays and possibly required the task to be redone if not caught prior to installation. As we continue to grow, I’m certain additional system purchases will be in our plans.”
Taking Control
Todd’s affinity for all things machine control is based on the level of benefit he said he derives from those solutions. While he will not dispute the fact that it is a straight-ahead cost saver, he adds that it goes much further than simply doing things faster.
“We are a much more efficient operation with machine control, there’s no denying that,” he said. “However, for me, it is about knowing where you are at on the project at all times. If I need to change my focus for some reason, I can immediately start digging a building pad without needing to have it staked out — I see it on the screen and get right to work. That is huge for a company like ours where time is definitely money.”
He added that projects in their area tend to be subject to numerous changes, modifications that ultimately end up costing their company in productivity. To alleviate bottlenecks in one facet of that workflow — the digital model which is at the heart of the machine control solution — he literally took matters into his own hands.
“Up here, plans are modified so often that I got tired of relying on somebody to build our models, only to have to pay them every time a change order came in,” he said. “So, I bought a subscription to a modeling package, worked to gain some real familiarity with their grade control modeling solution, and learned how to build good models. Now, not only are we saving those costs, we’re no longer at somebody's mercy. I don’t have to hear ‘I can't do next week,’ I get it done on our schedule. Given how intuitive the Topcon system is, learning how to create the model was, in fact, the biggest learning curve we encountered with GPS.”
“The number 108 was my racing number ever since I was little. So, I decided to have it continue on with me into my professional career.”
— Billy Todd
The 411 on 108
Todd purchased all of 108’s Topcon solutions through Branco Equipment, and said he attributes a good part of his overall satisfaction with the support he’s received over the years.
“Branco has been an outstanding dealer for us,” he said. “Every time I call them, I get an answer, no matter the time of day. And if I have an issue, someone will generally walk me through it and we're back at work. But truth be told, we haven't had many issues; it's been a great system for us.”
By now, the most obvious question begs to be answered: what is the significance of the 108 in the company name? Todd has a surprising response.
“Growing up I raced dirt bikes — and still do occasionally,” he said. “The number 108 was my racing number ever since I was little. So, I decided to have it continue on with me into my professional career.”
Progressive with an embrace of tradition — a nice mix indeed.
