Komatsu Company Stores - Connections - February 2022

Simple approach continues to guide Extreme Excavating & Landscaping Inc. even as it grows into larger projects

“Digging the world one load at a time,” has been the motto of Extreme Excavating & Landscaping Inc. since 1990, when Brett Rasmussen started out, and it’s carried through the last three decades and into a second generation.

Brett Rasmussen (left) owns and operates Extreme Excavating & Landscaping Inc., which offers full site preparation in the Park City, Utah, area. His son, Riley Rasmussen, is the project manager/superintendent. Photo taken in a non-operating environment.

“It’s as simple as that,” said Brett. “No matter the size of the job, it comes down to moving dirt one load at a time, and doing it as efficiently as possible. The projects, and the business, have gotten bigger and more complex, but we continue to take that simple approach.”

Brett founded Extreme Excavating & Landscaping in 1990 after he quit his job as a superintendent for a project in Park City, Utah. At the time, he had to drive about two hours round trip twice a week for meetings in Bountiful, Utah.

Operator Jack Blackham loads trucks with a Komatsu PC390LC-11 on a job site in Park City, Utah. “The excavator has good power, so it will get the job done whether it’s loading trucks, digging trenches, hammering rock or whatever else we need it for,” said Jack. Photo taken in a non-operating environment.

“I decided it was time to do my own thing,” he recalled. “Another employee came with me, and we actually started Extreme together. Our experience allowed us to take on some sizable projects right away putting in subdivision infrastructure that included water, sewer, curb and gutter, and more. We basically were doing full site packages from the beginning. On the side, we offered foundation digs for private homes.”

Extreme Excavating & Landscaping still does those kinds of jobs, as well as site work for commercial and other types of properties. Its services include mass earthwork, finish grading and utility installation. About 17 years ago, it added a trucking side that services Extreme Excavating & Landscaping and hires out to other contractors as well.

Jack Blackham, operator

Whatever it takes

Currently, Extreme Excavating & Landscaping has about 40 employees. Brett’s son, Riley, joined the company full time as a laborer after graduating from high school. He worked his way up to project manager/superintendent and has taken on the responsibility of running several jobs. His sisters are also full-time employees — Mindi Stuart is office manager, and Jaci Berman is safety manager. Field personnel are split among several crews, including ones focused on utilities and landscaping.

“While the ‘one load at a time’ motto has remained constant, we have had some shifts in focus to meet the times and market,” said Brett. “For instance, during the recession a few years ago, we were doing whatever was necessary to get by. We poured concrete and did framing, among other things. No job was too big or too small.”

Riley added, “Now, we generally are after larger site work, although we will take on smaller jobs to keep people busy and employed. For example, last summer we laid sod with full crews.”

“I have been willing to take chances if I thought they would be to our benefit,” Brett explained. “In the early 2000s, we did a lot of cell tower prep for a large cell provider. We put in hundreds of foundations throughout the West and even did a job in Hawaii, not too far from Waikiki Beach. Fortunately, we have not had to travel like that for several years.”

Extreme Excavating & Landscaping operators dig out a hillside with a Komatsu PC210LC-11 and a PC88MR-11 in preparation for a multifamily housing site. “The tight tail swings work great in confined spaces because they allow operators to be productive without worrying about the counterweight hitting a building, wall or other obstruction,” said Project Manager/Superintendent Riley Rasmussen. “The larger machines are perfect for those wide-open digs where high production is the goal.”

Nearly every project Extreme Excavating & Landscaping has done for the past year has been within a small radius of its home base in Park City, Utah. Most have been on residential sites.

“Housing has exploded and been a really solid market lately,” stated Riley. “It looks like that will continue to be the case for a while. We have several projects in that sector booked out into next year and beyond. One includes phases for a 7,500-acre subdivision. We actually started that first phase last year where we put in roads and the utilities.”

Loyal to Komatsu

Extreme Excavating & Landscaping’s job sites have varied terrains, such as steep slopes and retaining structures. To better handle projects, the company has added several Komatsu tight tail swing excavators to their fleet, including a new PC88MR-11 as well as PC78USLC and PC55MR models.

“We match our equipment to the work we have, and our local Komatsu personnel help us do that,” said Brett. “They have helped us since we started the business with a PC220-3 excavator and a D68E dozer. The service we have received from people like Jim Slade (Rocky Mountain Region General Manager of Sales), who I have known for more than 30 years, and our current sales rep, Chad Metzger, have played a big role in why we have remained loyal Komatsu users.

(L-R) Jim Slade, general manager of sales for Komatsu Rocky Mountain Region, talks with Extreme Excavating & Landscaping’s Brett and Riley Rasmussen and Chad Metzger, territory sales manager for Komatsu. “The service we have received from people like Jim Slade, who I have known for more than 30 years, and our current sales rep, Chad Metzger, have played a big role in why we have remained loyal Komatsu users,” said Brett. Photo taken in a non-operating environment.

“I also have to credit Komatsu Financial,” Brett continued. “I have worked with them from the beginning. They have financed several machines and helped us get the machines we needed when we needed them. I doubt we would be where we are today without Komatsu and Komatsu Financial.”

The tight tail excavators joined a fleet that includes standard PC390LC-11 and PC210LC-11 models. “The tight tail swings work great in confined spaces because they allow operators to be productive without worrying about the counterweight hitting a building, wall or other obstruction,” said Riley. “They also save a lot of hand digging, which our field people really like. The larger machines are perfect for those wide-open digs where high production is the goal.”

According to Brett, excavators are Extreme Excavating & Landscaping’s primary machines. For moving pipe and bedding materials, as well as other tasks, the firm relies on Komatsu WA270-8 wheel loaders. The company also pushes dirt with D65 dozers, grades with GD655 motor graders, and hauls large loads on job sites with an HM300 articulated truck.

“We have found that across the board, Komatsu gives us reliability — with little or no downtime,” said Brett. “If we do have an issue, like a code that pops up, we can often just call up the Komatsu store or our product support rep and get answers quickly. Often, we work through it over the phone, saving us and them a trip and the costs associated with that. We also like that we can track our machines, get parts and more with My Komatsu. Our service tech says it’s great for fleet management.”

An Extreme Excavating & Landscaping operator hammers rock on a hillside with a Komatsu PC210LC excavator. “We have found that across the board, Komatsu gives us reliability — with little or no downtime,” said owner Brett Rasmussen.

Next generation close to leadership

Brett Rasmussen said Extreme Excavating & Landscaping has always been on a growth path. He expects that to continue beyond his days with the company.

“I’m not somebody who wants to just sit and say that’s okay. I have to give a lot of credit to the staff for our ability to expand and continue to give our customers high-quality projects at the same time. The kids have become a big part of that, and as I look toward retirement, I believe they will take it and run with it someday. I’m sure that someday they will have 100 employees.”

Riley added, “I think the only thing limiting our growth right now is the ability to find more people, which is a chronic problem for everyone. We are working on doing that in a responsible way that respects our competitors and the market. Our belief is that we offer a strong family business with an atmosphere that everyone is part of the family. We think that’s attractive to prospective employees, so hopefully it helps us.” ■