8 minute read
DRIVING SUCCESS:
Pacific Grading & Erosion Control’s Rental Equipment Strategy with Hawthorne Rentals and Its Impact on the Bottom Line
By Brian Hoover, Senior Editor Photos contributed by: Kerry Hoover, CMS, LLC, and Pacific Grading & Erosion Control
Eric Provience started working in construction at the age of 16 for RLF, Inc., a company his father and uncle started in the 1970s. He worked on weekends and during breaks from school, learning everything he could in the process. His first official full-time job was for Superior Ready Mix located in Escondido, where he worked as a laborer. Provience moved on to work for his father and uncle once again when they started Southwestern Equipment in 1996. Again, he started out as a laborer and moved on to become an operator, and eventually earned the right to serve as the operations manager for the large family paving and general construction enterprise. When his father decided to retire in 2008, Provience made the move to start his own company, Pacific Grading & Erosion Control, Inc.
Pacific Grading & Erosion Control started out taking on just what the name suggests: grading and erosion control projects. Additionally, the company performed stormwater management, treating polluted water systems through Best Management Practices (BMP). This work included the construction of bioretention fields, designed to remove contaminants and
sedimentation from stormwater runoff. Pacific Grading & Erosion Control continues to do this work today on a limited basis, but the bulk of their contracts are now focused more heavily on the grading of roads, retention basins, parks, slopes, and other earthmoving projects. “We maintain a diverse customer base and much of our work today is for developers and home builders. We focus on the projects for the smaller developers who are building 25 to 50 homes, and this is keeping us very busy,” says Provience. “We are currently working for Tri Ponte Homes on a large grading project in Fallbrook, along with several other projects.”
It has been 10 years since CalContractor Magazine last interviewed Eric Provience from Pacific Grading & Erosion Control. When asked what has changed the most over the past 10 years, Provience immediately pointed to the ongoing labor shortage in the civil general engineering construction industry. “You know I really love what I do and
I am going to keep doing it for a good while longer. However, things have changed a lot over the past 10 years, and I wish I could say that it was all for the better,” says Provience. “There is a labor shortage and we are in desperate need of passionate, hardworking young people, that have a sense of pride and vision to succeed in the construction industry. Everyone I talk to has the same thing to say. This is such a great business where you meet new people every day, get to work outdoors, and experience so many different surroundings and work environments. We all need to do what we can to encourage the next generation to get involved and experience the benefits and joy of working in the field of construction.”
Provience points out that the current labor shortage has forced many companies like his to get more done with the good, trustworthy people they currently have on staff. “I think when we spoke back in 2014, we had around 35 employees and we are now operating with 17 full-time team members. Business is good and we are able to pick and choose the jobs we want right now. We could take on even more projects if we had the qualified laborers and operators on staff. We only hire the best and will not settle for anything less. Having said this, it is interesting to point out that although our labor force has shrunk by half, our bottom line has remained close to the same. So, we are getting more done with fewer people and some of that is due to the ongoing relationships and partnerships we have formed with companies like Hawthorne Rentals.”
According to Provience, his family has been renting from Hawthorne Rentals since his father and uncle started their construction enterprise, Southwestern Equipment, in the late ‘90s. “Our family has maintained a longstanding relationship with Hawthorne Cat and Hawthorne Rentals. Back in the day, our family business probably rented 20 times more equipment from Hawthorne than we do today. We were a large construction firm and although my company is smaller today, we still rent anywhere from nine to 15 machines from Hawthorne Rentals on any given day. The thing is, large or small, Hawthorne Rentals always treats us like we are their number one customer, and that is one of the reasons why we keep going back. They are not just our go-to rental company; they are a partner, invested in our business and there for us whenever we need them.”
Pacific Grading & Erosion Control also owns and maintains their own fleet of equipment. They own the smaller to medium-sized machines like skip loaders, miniexcavators, along with mediumsized 50,000 lb. excavators, and other attachments and implements like mower decks. “Just about everything we rent is Cat equipment from Hawthorne Rentals. We rent the bigger machines and own the smaller pieces of equipment. We will rent everything from 623 scrapers and D6 dozers to 966 wheel loaders and water trucks,” says Provience. “Purchasing the big stuff requires a massive outlay of capital. Owning is great when the utilization is high, but when they are sitting in the yard, that can make a big difference to the bottom line. Then, you have to maintain the equipment and haul it from site to site. There is a time to buy and a time to rent, and we continually strive to find and maintain that delicate balance.”
Provience says that his company has been dealing with Mark Martini from Hawthorne Rentals for several years. “Mark and Hawthorne Rentals understand our business, and I get how their business works. It is a partnership where we both benefit. One call gets it done. Not the next day, or three or four hours later. We have relied on Hawthorne Rentals for as long as I can remember, and it is their service that keeps us coming back. Their service goes beyond what you might find out there with other companies today. If an inspector shuts down our job due to a damaged gas line or other emergency, Hawthorne takes that into account, and they work with us. That is golden, and it means a lot to our company.”
Pacific Grading & Erosion Control runs their business by the book and is recognized by many for their old-school attitude and work ethic. The company continues to stand by its reputation for fairness and reliability. Provience maintains that if it is not right, they will be back to fix it and do everything it takes to keep their customers satisfied. Provience has been at it for 32 years now, and he recognizes that none of it would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of all of his team members. “It truly takes a team to start and maintain a business like this, especially today. I wish there was room in this story to thank everyone who ever helped me, but I will start with my dad, uncle, my wife, Allyson, and my sister, Gina, who runs the entire office and has been here since the beginning. I also want to recognize Lourdes Carmona, our administrative assistant, and Robert Blake, our field superintendent and estimator. We all care and work together with companies like Hawthorne Rentals to keep it all going strong for another decade and beyond.”
Pacific Grading & Erosion Control offers their grading and earthmoving services to a variety of clients from the border to Los Angeles and into the Inland Empire. With office in El Cajon, Pacific Grading & Erosion Control stands ready to meet your needs. Please call Eric Provience at (619) 520-2699 for more information or services. Cc
