RMS Becomes Trusted Partner of DeCook Excavating

When Chris DeCook started DeCook Excavating in Byron, Minn., in 2004, he knew hard work and delivering for customers would lead to success. What he did not foresee was the trajectory that has led his business to include four separate companies and more than 150 employees.

“It started with two employees in 2004 — myself and my nephew, Levi Henson, and we focused on residential projects like digging basements,” said DeCook. “I figured we’d always have around 10 employees. We just kept getting more work and hiring great people. It’s led to 17 straight years of growth.”

Meeting customers’ needs fueled early and consistent growth for DeCook. The latest wave of expansion has been a result of acquisitions. The first was when DeCook bought out Bob Braaten Construction in 2017.

“That move really increased our capabilities and laid the groundwork for the last couple of years,” said DeCook. “Purchasing Braaten gave us the manpower and experience to move into commercial site development and municipal work because that’s what those crews were used to doing. It was a great fit with what we already had in the residential sector.”

It also eventually led to DeCook getting into the aggregate industry with Olmstead Aggregate. Today, Olmstead Aggregate creates a variety of products from its Tvedt Quarry in Byron.

“Bob maintained Bob Braaten Sand and Gravel after we purchased the construction side, but sold it to us in 2018,” said DeCook. “We renamed it Olmstead Aggregate for Olmstead County, where we’re located.”

The latest addition to DeCook’s portfolio is DeCook Drainage, which happened when it bought out L&E Farm Drainage in 2019.

“We knew the owner, Larry, and he did some field tiling for my brother’s farm,” said DeCook. “When we started, we had five employees, and now it’s grown to 15 and we added a second plow.”

DeCook credits the growth of the company to his employees. In addition to Henson, who is a project manager today, people like John Allen, estimator, and Jody Beck, project manager, have been integral in helping DeCook manage and fuel the company’s growth.

Closing Loop

The growth curve has been a rapid one. However, DeCook said that each move made sense and was a great opportunity to strengthen the overall operation.

“For the most part, each company complements the other in some way,” he said. “DeCook Excavation uses product from Olmstead Aggregate. Customers appreciate that we have DeCook Landscaping to come in after we perform site work because there’s no scheduling conflicts. The tiling is a little bit separate, but it still fits with what we do.”

An example of the synergy is on the Bigelow-Voit 8 project, a 46-unit residential subdivision in Kasson, Minn. DeCook Excavating performed initial grading, installed underground utilities and will dig the basements. It used material from Olmstead Aggregates to build the roads in the development and DeCook Landscaping will perform residential landscaping at the end.

“This is a really big project, and we are able to take it from a green field to a complete development,” said DeCook. “We were the first ones on the site, and we’ll be the last ones on it, too.”

DeCook said that the growth has enabled the company to offer a more complete package to customers on projects like this. It also has allowed it to do larger commercial ones as well.

“We started on a plant expansion for McNeilus Steel in 2019 that included a private street, water utilities, grading building pads and an expansion to the steel yard,” said DeCook. “It’s by far the biggest job we’ve had, it just keeps going. Before we expanded, I wouldn’t have even bid on the job. But now with the people we have in place, we can do it, and do it well.”

Equipment Upgrade

DeCook’s expansion and growth are not just limited to employees and project size, it also includes its equipment fleet.

“Our equipment needs have changed as we’ve grown,” said DeCook. “We not only needed more pieces to do more jobs, but we also needed larger equipment and better technology to help us improve efficiency.”

To accomplish that goal, DeCook turned to Jeff Bistodeau, Road Machinery & Supplies Co. territory manager. DeCook wasted little time in beefing up the fleet as he ordered 12 machines in a single order earlier this spring. He also tackled the efficiency aspect as nine of the machines were Komatsu intelligent Machine Control pieces that featured integrated, semi-automated GPS technology.

The order included four iMC dozers (D39PXi-24, D51PXi-24, D61PXi-24 and D71PXi-24); five iMC excavators (PC210LCI-11, PC360LCi-11, PC390LCI-11 and two PC490LCi-11s); a PC170LC-11 excavator; a PC238USLC-11 excavator; and a KPI-JCI 13-36150 conveyor.

“That was by far our largest one-time purchase,” said DeCook. “The reason we did it all at once was because we knew we needed GPS equipment. We had a few GPS machines, and once we started using them, we realized how much time and money the technology could save us.”

In order to maximize the investment in the iMC technology, DeCook crews required additional training. Chris Potter, technology solutions expert, was instrumental in making that happen.

“We were really green,” said DeCook. “The operators had been doing their jobs the same way for their whole careers, but Chris was great about explaining the technology to them and being patient. He probably came down more than he was supposed to, but he really wanted us to learn it.”

The machines have proven themselves in the field.

“You can program in your project, boot it up and dig to grade,” said Sean Kutzler, operator. “You don’t need to check anything. You can use a laser if you want, but the intelligent Machine Control technology is spot on.”

“Having multiple pieces of intelligent Machine Control equipment has helped our efficiency,” said Beck. “We can dig to grade faster, and it improves the capabilities of all of our operators. They have surpassed my expectations on what they can do, especially in helping us come up with competitive bids.”

Trusted Partner

Twelve-machine purchases don’t happen on a whim. They are the result of trust built over years. The relationship with RMS began in 2008, and it has only strengthened over the years.

“Jeff has been great to work with, and so has everyone at RMS,” said DeCook. “When we were small, we would get in spots where we needed something quick. They always worked with us to get us a machine, whether it was a demo, rental or RPO. Other companies weren’t as flexible. RMS trusted us, and that helped us grow. It’s led to a great relationship, and a lot of equipment purchases, too. They were there for us when we needed them, and I haven’t forgotten that.”

That commitment from RMS goes beyond just sales, too, said DeCook.

“We can’t afford to stop working because a machine is down. RMS does a great job of either fixing the machine quickly or getting us a replacement to keep us going. It’s pretty monumental, no matter what, RMS always seems to figure something out to keep us running. And it’s always been that way. Whether we had two guys or 100, they’ve been there for us.

“Whenever someone hires us for a job, we know we can get it done in a timely manner because of RMS.”

“On the service side whenever we need something, they are there for us,” said Beck. “Especially with the training on the iMC. Bar none, they are the best.”

DeCook said he considers RMS a partner in his business.

“It isn’t all about RMS when we’re working with them, they want us to succeed. They’re ahead of the competition because they understand that relationships are an investment. If we are successful, they are going to be successful, too. There is a lot of trust and respect between us because we are both looking out for each other.”