News
Client Story: ProSite Earthworks Is Building A Solid Footing
Originally Printed in "On The Job" Magazine 12/2022
ProSite Earthworks achieves rapid rise with versatile Cat Mini Excavators.
For more than 20 years, Jon Young worked hard as a highly skilled machine operator to learn the ins and outs of the business, as he dreamed about starting his own business someday.
Following his dreams paid off in June 2020 when he launched ProSite Earthworks, headquartered in Anthem, Arizona. In just over one year—working solely as an owner/operator—his phone rings continuously, he’s swamped with work, and he’s about to take delivery of his second Cat machine.
Young created a unique market niche by handling tough mini excavator jobs that others are unwilling or unable to accept—for example, digging footings for walls on steep slopes or breaking up and removing large residential swimming pools adjacent to custom homes. Customers appreciate his “can-do” attitude.
“The difference between me and a lot of other contractors is that I’m an owner/operator by choice, because I enjoy it,” says Young. “I’ve found this kind of weird little niche, and it’s been amazing. I’ve only been in business a little over a year, and it is nice to see the brand name spreading so fast.”
The key to Young’s rapid rise is the huge diversity of tasks he performs for electricians, plumbers, and contractors—working primarily on sites for new, multi-million-dollar custom homes. Residential work constitutes about 80 percent of ProSite’s volume, while the other 20 percent is governmental heavy-highway and bridge work including projects for the Arizona DOT (ADOT).
ProSite’s applications include wall footings, backfills, backyard slope grading, street sidewalk and curb grading, demolition, trenching and digging laterals for plumbing contractors. One of Young’s particular specialties is tackling tricky footings and retaining wall placements on steep side slopes that require significant operator skill to handle properly. The broad range of his experience has proven to be a huge asset that customers appreciate.
Cat Mini Excavator + Attachments = Versatility
As a true owner/operator, Young’s key machine is a Cat 304E2 CR mini excavator equipped with a PAT blade (Power, Angle, Tilt) and quick coupler that enables him to mount any of his trailer full of attachments quickly and easily. He uses a hammer, plate compactor, tilt bucket and various-width buckets for precision trenching.
The ultra-versatile 304E2 with its compact radius is “just the right size to maneuver into the majority of tighter workspaces, areas with vertical obstructions and short enough to fit in commercial buildings,” Young says.
And with its powerful 40 hp Cat C2.4 engine, it handles digging in tougher materials and smoothly swings heavy loads to deliver high productivity and speed job completion.
According to Young, one of his favorite things about the 304E2 is its smooth, consistent hydraulic performance that facilitates extremely precise work, combined with its powerful performance.
“You can operate with slow precision or run it fast,” he says. “It’s just an all-around smoother hydraulic flow than other makes that I’ve previously operated.” Young also says the fuel efficiency on his 304E2 is better.
“Depending on the work tool and the job, I can burn as little as six gallons a day,” he says. “Of course, heavier work like using a hammer burns more. But I can run 12 hours a day, and I never have to fill up during the work shift.”
As the business continues to flood in, Young just ordered a new Cat 301.7 Mini Excavator to help meet the growing demand for ProSite’s services. Young’s many years of operating experience also provide a keen perspective regarding the value of taking good care of his equipment.
Young is a stickler for well-maintained machines. He works hard to keep them extraordinarily clean and in tip-top working condition. He does all the preventative maintenance himself and wisely utilizes Cat Fluid Sampling to monitor internal machine systems, while complementing his efforts with the expert parts and service support provided by his Cat dealer, Empire Southwest.
Young learned early on the value of arriving on a jobsite with clean, late-model Cat machines. That approach builds client confidence and projects a professional image. Young says that working with Cat Financial is another reason he prefers Cat machines.
“That’s actually one of the best things about them,” Young says. “All attachments are zero interest and financing is super easy—it’s a no-brainer, just a quick phone call. I can actually send a text and have the financing covered.”
Outstanding Dealer Support
Young’s veteran Empire sales rep, Mark Snow, makes everything go smoothly. “He’s a wizard,” Young says. “He’s definitely contributed to my success by providing valuable guidance on proper equipment sizing, configuration and attachment selection.
“The overall presale and after-sale support are excellent,” says Young. “The guys at Empire’s Deer Valley facility are awesome, and the parts availability is great. They always have the parts, even during these challenging times. At Empire Cat, I’ve never had someone say, ‘You have to wait three weeks for this part.’ It’s usually available that day or the next day.”
Working as an owner/operator with his extremely versatile 304E2 CR MHEX, Young says he’s able to capitalize on basically just about every opportunity offered by the local construction market. Plus, he’s able to easily rent any other attachments and/or support equipment from Empire’s Cat Rental Store.
“These Cat machines and range of attachments prove their value and versatility every day with the different types of jobs they enable me to take on,” he says. “It’s only been a little over a year, but based on the way things are going so far, I’m very optimistic about what the future holds.”
Attachments Add Versatility
ProSite Earthworks owner/operator Jon Young enjoys a clear advantage over most of his competitors by applying his extraordinary operating skills to perform his excavation and earthwork in creative, more efficient ways that speed job completion and enable him to move quickly from job to job.
Five key attachments which are changed out with a quick coupler add to the versatility of Young’s superb 304E2 CR Mini Excavator: Reversible standard bucket, tilt bucket, CVP16 tamper, trenching buckets, and hammer.
Young’s operating skill enables him to perform time-saving tasks such as efficient, one-step placement of fill snugly against inner foundation walls. Young first uses the bucket in excavator mode to gather/position material into an easy-to-reach pile. He then reverses the bucket using it as a front shovel to load and precisely place fill directly against the walls to eliminate additional handwork prior to tamping.
Another massive time-saver is Young’s use of the extremely versatile tilt bucket to quickly shape the rounded berms, undulating slopes and sweeping swales in the tight backyards of custom homes. The bucket tilt feature enables the bucket to precisely follow the contour of the earthwork design, turning quickly and easily with just a push of the operator’s finger, rather than constantly repositioning the machine.
Young’s operating skill enables him to perform time-saving tasks such as efficient, one-step placement of fill snugly against inner foundation walls. Young first uses the bucket in excavator mode to gather/position material into an easy-to-reach pile. He then reverses the bucket using it as a front shovel to load and precisely place fill directly against the walls to eliminate additional handwork prior to tamping.
Another massive time-saver is Young’s use of the extremely versatile tilt bucket to quickly shape the rounded berms, undulating slopes and sweeping swales in the tight backyards of custom homes. The bucket tilt feature enables the bucket to precisely follow the contour of the earthwork design, turning quickly and easily with just a push of the operator’s finger, rather than constantly repositioning the machine.