New Horizons Concrete: Takeuchi Loyal

New Horizons Concrete was started by Russ Wiegand in 2015. In the past, Russ had done some construction work around central Illinois and then began helping his cousin, who did concrete work on the side. After learning the job through his cousin, Russ decided to begin his own business in the concrete industry.

Today, New Horizons Concrete is located in Goodfield, Illinois, and is a proud family-owned and operated business. Russ’s mother, Pam Wiegand, works in the office and is essential to the organization and recordkeeping aspects of the business, while Russ and his seven employees, most of which are also his relatives, do the hands-on work on the jobsite. central Illinois, Russ says that they have been starting to do more work for farmers around the area too, such as machine shed flooring. Their hope is to steer their business to more local, agriculture-related jobs in the future.

No matter what jobsite they are working on, it is important to Russ that they have reliable equipment to use to get the job done. In the past, when he was doing construction work on the side, he would run a Takeuchi 130. Then, when he started New Horizons Concrete, he began using another brand of skid steer. He ended up having issues with the machine and remembered back to how much he enjoyed running the Takeuchi, so he met with Steve Schmidt at Central Illinois Ag to purchase a TL8 and has been a returning Takeuchi customer ever since.

Russ and his crew now have two Takeuchi TL8s that they use each day for building up dirt alongside the concrete, grade work, and transporting concrete to fill smaller areas with a hopper attachment. After running Takeuchi equipment for the past few years, Russ has seen many different features that make the machines stand out in comparison to other brands. One of his favorites is the functionality and comfort of the cab. He says that the visibility from inside the cab is outstanding and aids in maneuverability of the machine. Additionally, the roll up door makes it easier for he and his crew to get in and out of the cab without the door getting in the way and slowing them down.

Russ also pointed out that he likes the ease of use of the compact TL8, being straightforward and simple to operate. When it comes to service work, the Takeuchis are also much simpler to work on according to Russ. Whether he is changing the oil or tightening tracks, servicing the machine is no problem.

The overall stability and durability of Takeuchi track loaders is what has drawn Russ to the brand. “These machines should sell themselves,” says Russ. They are built to last and hold their value through the years, and Russ is looking forward to continuing to be a Takeuchi customer down the road.