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Doosan solidifies its footprint in North Carolina
Winter 2014
As summer turned to fall in North Carolina, the days got shorter and cooler, but for the crew working on building the Highway 421 Sanford bypass, there was little time to enjoy the autumn season.
Crews worked on the job, seven days a week, from dawn to dusk, according to Dustin Crittenden, DeVere corporate fleet manager. "At times we even worked around the clock."
Battling rain delays throughout the project, the company was challenged by a very rocky terrain that added to the difficulty of moving 1.3 million cubic yards of unclassified excavation material in order to complete the final portion of the bypass.
"This was probably as difficult an environment as you can put your equipment through," Crittenden says.
Business expands in N.C.
DeVere Construction, a four-decade-old company headquartered in Alpena, Mich., is known for bringing comprehensive construction management, general contracting and design/build services to a wide range of projects. The firm saw opportunity in North Carolina in the late 1990s when Raleigh was identified as a growth area. Initially most of the work consisted of school construction. About three years ago, as much of that state money dried up, the company switched gears to take advantage of federal stimulus funds.
In August 2002, construction began on a 13.5-mile bypass around Sanford. DeVere Construction was the successful bidder on the final 4.3-mile northern section, which goes between U.S. Highway 1 and U.S. Highway 421. When completed, there will be a continuous four-lane highway from Greensboro to Fayetteville, N.C.
DeVere Construction started work on its portion of the job in February 2011. The contract from the North Carolina Department of Transportation called for the company to provide grading, drainage, paving, signing, signals and structures. The $30 million project has been challenging for the firm's 80 on-site employees and their equipment.
"The rocky ground just tears up the machines," Crittenden says. "Once you rip through or blast the rock, it breaks into a powder that wreaks havoc on fuel filters and air filters. Our Doosan machines on the job have been very durable. One of the excavators, a rented DX350LC, has more than 5,000 hours of use and is still performing very well."
The first piece of Doosan equipment to arrive at the Sanford bypass project was a 160-horsepower DL200TC (tool carrier) wheel loader. After almost 40 years in the construction business (25 as a manager or superintendent), DeVere Construction Assistant Project Manager Randy Perry has had plenty of experience with all of the major brands of equipment; however, this was his first experience with a Doosan product.
"I was impressed," Perry says of Doosan equipment. "We use it with both bucket and pallet forks to carry materials for our pipe and grading crews. The operators, who put in some very long hours, report that the cab is very comfortable and offers good all-around visibility. The DL200 made me a firm believer in Doosan equipment."
Next came the DX350LC, which further reinforced his favorable opinion of the Doosan brand. The 281-horsepower crawler excavator is operated with a hydraulic breaker to deliver high-impact production through exceptionally tough rock. It's also used with a bucket to load trucks.
And when it comes to trucks, Perry has also been pleased with the performance of the DA30 articulated dump truck, the third Doosan product on the Sanford jobsite.
"It is very mobile and agile, the operators like the comfortable cab, maintenance is simple and when working in wet clay, it displays very good traction," he says. "The truck was used to haul out unclassified material, typically 22 to 26 loads per shift. Most hauls are about one-and-a-quarter miles. The longest roundtrip is two-and-a-half miles."
Even after being involved in construction for more than four decades, Perry continues to learn things on each job. One of his takeaways from the Sanford bypass project is a newfound appreciation for Doosan heavy equipment. "I'm a firm believer in what Doosan is doing," he says.
Well researched
The machines used on the Sanford project, just like all of DeVere's equipment purchases and rental choices, are based on thorough research.
"That's a big part of my job," Crittenden says. "I compare every tidbit of information I can get my hands on when it comes to choosing one model over other similar machines. I have a spreadsheet showing how all our equipment performed over the last couple of years, right down to value per hour at each location. This is critical when evaluating products."
First impression
Two years ago, the company needed to rent a large excavator for a job in North Carolina. H&E Equipment Services, the Doosan dealer in the Raleigh area, had just taken delivery of a heavy-duty, 48-metric-ton DX480LC. "We were quickly impressed with its power and speed," Crittenden says. "When we compared it to similar competitive models, the superior load-out time of the Doosan product really stood out."
DeVere Construction's good experience with the Doosan DX480LC, which is now on its third jobsite, led the company to rent and purchase additional crawler excavators, in addition to Doosan wheel loaders and articulated dump trucks. "As our employees began to use more Doosan products, the reaction was, ‘Wow, these are really nice machines,'" Crittenden says. "Then the job superintendents started requesting more Doosan equipment because they performed so well. Since then, with every piece of equipment that has hit a jobsite, we have learned more and more what a good product Doosan makes."
After using the Doosan excavators and loaders for a couple of years, Crittenden was asked how the data accumulated on the machines compared with similar products from other manufacturers. "The simple answer," he says, "I just purchased six more pieces of Doosan equipment!"
Fuel efficiency
More specifically, the excavators rate high on fuel efficiency. "I am really impressed on how far we can make a tank of fuel go," he says. "With all the equipment we operate, every gallon of fuel we save is important."
In evaluating the wheel loaders, Crittenden says the Doosan units are durable and have great power for their size.
"I work with many different equipment vendors throughout North Carolina," he notes, "and of course they all claim their products are the best. However, based on our experience the past two years, I can say to them that's not the case because when I compare what their machine can do and what my Doosan machine can accomplish, mine is much better. Plus, the economics of ownership and operating costs clearly favor the Doosan brand."
