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Since 1971, Progressive Contractors Incorporated (PCi), headquartered in St. Michael, MN, has made its mark across the Midwest – from constructing and reconstructing bridges, highways, roads, and sewer systems, to grading and paving roadways and airport runways. State transportation departments and larger municipalities across MN, IA, WI, KS, MO, ND, and SD contract the majority of PCi projects.
Beating the Clock – Raising the Productivity Bar
Pushing productivity limits is status quo for PCi. In 2006, they proved they could deliver under the tightest deadlines with completion of their Valley Creek and Interstate 494 job in Woodbury, MN.
The project involved major bridge and interchange work, extensive road grading, and concrete and bituminous paving. As a test, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT) elected to shut down ramps and close intersections during construction – improving efficiencies by avoiding the time and expense involved with building bypasses. The roadway was reopened in just 100 days.
“We were in high acceleration mode on that job,” says Bill Hines, grading and underground division manager for PCi. “The Department of Transportation anticipated the work could have easily taken 145 days, but we got it done in the minimum time allowed,” he adds.
Pioneering with GPS: Overcoming Objections, Navigating the Learning Curve
Hines attributes much of the success of the Valley Creek job to having added GPS equipment, purchased from Ziegler, to their Cat® machines. The project was their first experience using GPS machine control, and the very first time MNDOT leveraged GPS technology. According to Hines, GPS offers a whole new dimension to the productivity their Cat machines already deliver. “The partnership between Cat and Trimble® could very well revolutionize this industry,” he predicts.
| “We work in harsh conditions, day and night, under traffic, many times in extreme weather. But anytime we have had a question or issue, Ziegler GPS specialists come out to the job site and take care of the situation to keep us up and running. It’s been a true team effort – everyone there extends themselves to help us meet our deadlines.” |
But, as with anything new and unfamiliar, buy-in wasn’t easy to achieve. “In the highway industry, we’re late bloomers with technology,” Hines says. “MNDOT had never used GPS, and we had never used GPS – it was a tough sell,” he adds.
To help PCi retain financial support from MNDOT, Ziegler acted as a liaison – educating key stakeholders on the benefits of the investment. “We didn’t know enough about GPS to convince MNDOT of the advantages. Ziegler helped make them believers,” Hines says.
With MNDOT approval out of the way, PCi needed training. “Once we had the go ahead from MNDOT, we jumped in with both feet. If we wanted to use GPS on the rollers, we also wanted it on the dozers and graders,” Hines says. “Ziegler made the transition from traditional grading to intelligent grading easy – through training sessions for everyone from the equipment operators to office support staff.”
Smoothing Out Bumps Along the Way
Despite his admittedly high standards, Ziegler manages to impress Hines with outstanding service and support. And, as with any new technology, questions and issues regularly surface from employees adapting to GPS.
“Ziegler continually exceeds my expectations with first-class service,” Hines says. “We work in harsh conditions, day and night, under traffic, many times in extreme weather. But anytime we have had a question or issue, Ziegler GPS specialists come out to the job site and take care of the situation to keep us up and running. It’s been a true team effort – everyone there extends themselves to help us meet our deadlines,” Hines says. “With this technology, I feel like there’s a continual learning curve. We all attend ongoing, extensive training from Ziegler to stay current,” he adds.
Driving Technology Forward
Since achieving success with the Valley Creek job, PCi actively seeks ways to incorporate GPS technology into more of their projects – working continually to demonstrate the benefits to stakeholders.
And the benefits stand out through noticeable productivity increases. “Since the technology is still new to us, it’s hard to quantify productivity gains in terms of numbers,” Hines says. “But it’s obvious to me that our operations have sped up – especially the grading. With GPS, we’ve virtually eliminated the need for staking – the machine places material to the proper elevation the first time. Without that lengthy grade checking process, we produce a lot more work in a day,” he adds.
A GPS novice-turned-advocate, Hines also wants to sell the benefits deeper into the industry. “I see this as a two-way street,” he says, adding: “Ziegler trained all of us – making PCi and MNDOT believers. Now we’re working by example and through MNDOT training sessions to push the technology ahead in the industry. The GPS technology will enable contractors to build safer, higher quality roads faster. I like what I see looking forward, and have changed my managerial style to include this technology that I feel will have a strong impact on the quality and safety of our infrastructure.”
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