Eco-Tech has found those attributes in several Komatsu machines it has purchased from Road Machinery & Supplies' Des Moines branch with the help of veteran Sales Representative Bob Newman. Among its fleet are one PC400LC-7 and four PC200LC-7 excavators. Eco-Tech equipped them with quick couplers for easy attachment changes, such as when they employ one of the four NPK plate compactors the company uses.
"We use the excavators primarily for utility work, but we also dig ponds and do removals with them," Jones said. "We've found that they will outperform the competition in the same size class. The PC400 has been especially good for concrete removal and digging ponds. We've found them to be excellent machines."
For backfilling trenches and grading operations, Eco-Tech uses two Komatsu D21PX dozers. The company also employs a Komatsu WB140-2 backhoe loader for several
Paving has long been a specialty of Eco-Tech. For the bulk of its equipment needs, the company turns to RMS for items such as this Gomaco GP300 paving machine.
Eco-Tech President Doug Jones (right) meets with RMS Sales Representative Bob Newman at Eco-Tech's headquarters in Grimes, Iowa. "They are very responsive to our needs," Jones said of RMS. "We've developed a good relationship with Bob and RMS."
applications, and relies on three Komatsu wheel loaders for a variety of tasks. "We've found them all to be very effective machines," Jones reported. "We've been buying used wheel loaders for quite some time because we're using them in the paving operations and as a loading machine in our asphalt plant. We believe buying used is the best value for us, and we've seen that because of the quality of the Komatsu machines. In most cases, the used equipment performs just as well as new. That keeps our operating costs down."
In addition to Komatsu machinery, Eco-Tech turns to RMS for the machinery it uses in its paving operations, including five Gomaco pavers, a Gomaco GT3200 curb and gutter machine and two Gomaco 9000 trimmers. The company also uses several Ingersoll Rand compactors. All machinery is maintained by Eco-Tech's maintenance team, with occasional help from RMS.
"We've been a longtime customer of RMS on the paving side because they carry quality equipment," Jones acknowledged. "But what it really boils down to is the service and support they provide. They handle warranty work and are very responsive to our needs. We've developed a good relationship with Bob and RMS."
Expansion now and in the future
Jones expects that relationship to continue well into the future as Eco-Tech poises itself for continued growth and possible expansion beyond the Des Moines area. The company recently threw its hat into the asphalt-paving arena, setting up a new plant near its company headquarters in Grimes.
"It's part of a natural progression in the list of services we want to be able to provide our customers," Jones explained. "It made sense to take this opportunity, so we pulled in a couple of our guys who had asphalt experience and began the process. We believe it's going to make us that much stronger.
"Beyond that, we've done strategic planning for the next several years and are looking for ways to take Eco-Tech and our other Gillotti companies into new markets. We're always planning ahead."