Aspen Earthworks Inc.

Ryan Dustin, owner of Aspen Earthworks Inc., loves dirt work, says, “I have not worked a day in my life!”

Ryan Dustin’s uncle got him “hooked” on moving dirt the first time he ran a piece of earthmoving equipment. “He showed me a roller during summer vacation, asked if I thought I could operate it, and said, ‘Get to rolling,’” explained Dustin, owner and president of Aspen Earthworks Inc. “I’ve pretty much been moving dirt ever since.”

Ryan Dustin, owner/president

A couple of decades later, Dustin still has the same passion for earthmoving. “I have not worked a day in my life!” Dustin exclaimed. “I love the profession, I love the people in it, and I love the satisfaction of seeing my work at the end of the day. There is nothing like taking on projects and doing each one better than the one before.”

About six years ago, Dustin went out on his own and founded Aspen Earthworks in Truckee, Calif., — where his uncle’s business was based. Approximately 20 co-workers from the firm he left joined him in the new venture. They mainly concentrated on house pads as well as small utility and grading jobs.

Greg Sutton, vice president of operations

“Having a staff with their experience gave us the ability to take on multiple projects right out of the gate, so Aspen got a fast start,” recalled Dustin. “Fortunately, we were based out of a fairly recession-proof bubble around Truckee and Lake Tahoe, so there was a lot of work. We continued to build on that early success, and the projects, our list of services and our repeat-customer list all got bigger.”

Dustin estimated that about 70% of the 15 to 20 projects that Aspen Earthworks is working on at any given time are for clients he and his staff have built long-term relationships with. The remaining 30% are strict hard-bid jobs for new customers. In both cases, Aspen Earthworks offers a turnkey solution to customers’ sitework needs.

“We now perform everything horizontal — from clearing, stripping and silt fence installation to putting down asphalt and concrete,” said Dustin. “In between, we provide mass earthwork, put utilities in and prep the base for paving. Customers appreciate that we handle such a large scope of work because it reduces their need to coordinate multiple contractors. We like it because it gives us better schedule control, and it has increased our profitability relative to when we started.”

An Aspen Earthworks operator digs a utility trench with a Komatsu PC210LCi-11 intelligent Machine Control (iMC) excavator. “Because the excavators won’t let you dig past target elevation, we don’t have to replace and compact material or put in extra bedding,” said Greg Sutton, vice president of operations. “Our costs savings have been substantial. Add with less staking, and our profitability is even better with iMC.”

A big move

Dustin entered the Reno, Nev., market about three and half years ago. Within a few months, he decided that would be Aspen Earthworks’ new home.

“Reno is an amazing market that continues to grow,” Dustin said. “There is plenty of work to keep us busy in town, and within about a 45-minute drive. Nearly all of it is large multifamily, commercial and industrial construction. Only about 5% of what we do anymore is private residential, which is a major shift from when we started out.

He continued, “When we moved here, our revenue was around $10 million annually. It’s now about six times that.”

In order to meet demand, Dustin has steadily increased his staff. Today, he has a payroll of about 200, and he credits his employees for much of Aspen Earthworks’ success. Recent key additions include Greg Sutton, vice president of operations, who is mainly overseeing logistics, project management and equipment maintenance.

Operator Israel Delatorres places dirt with a Komatsu D61PXi-24 iMC dozer on a multifamily housing site in Reno, Nev. “I like that I can run the dozer in automatic, and it will put the right amount of material on the blade,” said Delatorres. “I get to grade faster, with less passes and staking.”

Getting to grade faster

Dustin and Sutton both said Komatsu’s equipment and support have been crucial to Aspen Earthworks’ success. In its early days, Dustin rented equipment with a rental purchase option.

“Every single rental became a purchase because of the dependability we experienced with each machine, and the service we got from Komatsu to support them was outstanding,” said Dustin. “I could see that the rental units were well maintained, so I never questioned whether they would get the job done. I also never questioned whether they were the right machines for the jobs we were doing because our sales representative, Dylen Getz, and the Komatsu team took the time to get to know my business and my goals in order to ensure we had the proper equipment to be the most productive and efficient.”

The philosophy on starting with rental machines changed a few years ago, and now Aspen Earthworks’ first choice is to purchase. Sutton said Komatsu still plays a vital role in machine maintenance.

Israel Delatorres, operator

“Complimentary service was part of the rental agreement and is for the first three years or 2,000 hours* with Komatsu Care on new machines,” Sutton noted. “We appreciate that Komatsu does that because it gives us peace of mind that services are being done right and on time, so we can concentrate on what we do best — moving dirt.” Sutton continued, “Komatsu tracks the machines with Komtrax, and we do too, so we can keep an eye on hours, idle time, fuel usage and production. Through My Komatsu, we can pull up that Komtrax information on our office computers — and tablets and smartphones in the field. Having that data available anytime saves us a lot of time and expense from driving to the job site or having to wait on someone to report it.”

Aspen Earthworks’ team members track the data on a fleet of Komatsu intelligent Machine Control (iMC) machines, including D39i-24 to D155AXi-8 dozers and PC210LCi-11 to PC490LCi-11 excavators. Dustin believes Aspen Earthworks is the largest iMC equipment user in the Reno area.

“We have seen up to 35% in time savings with the iMC machines compared to old school methods of moving dirt,” said Dustin. “Our operators are getting to grade faster, and that enables us to move onto the next task or project more quickly. In our experience, that has positively impacted how much work we believe we can take on and be confident about completing on schedule.**”

Aspen Earthworks’ Ryan Dustin (center) and Komatsu’s Dylen Getz (left) and Dustin Dupuis check Komtrax information through the My Komatsu app on their smartphones at a job site in Reno, Nev. “Having data available anytime gives us the ability to make decisions more quickly and maximize our time and resources,” said Ryan Dustin.

Sutton added, “The iMC machines are built to know where they are in relation to final elevation. Bottom line for us has been fewer passes with less material movement. Instead of handling dirt multiple times, it’s handled once. Because the excavators won’t let you dig past target elevation, we don’t have to replace and compact material or put in extra bedding. Our costs savings have been substantial. And, with less staking, our profitability is even better with iMC.**”

Aspen Earthworks builds site models in-house, with occasional help from Komatsu and Dustin Dupuis, a Komatsu Smart Construction consultant. Aspen recently began tracking production with Smart Construction Drone after a conversation with Dupuis about its benefits.

“He helped us get set up, and within a week, we were flying sites and recording data that showed how much material we had moved and our progress,” said Dustin. “We can make a flight, download the information, and know right away what our quantities are and how they compare to what we had in our plans and budget. We communicate that to project managers and superintendents in the field and make faster decisions related to machinery and personnel utilization.”

Aspen Earthworks uses Komatsu iMC dozers, including this D155AXi-8, to cut grade and move boulders. “They give us versatility,” said Ryan Dustin, owner and president. “We love the integrated GPS grade control, but not all tasks require it. The iMC machines give us flexibility to do standard tasks too, which is a great advantage in our eyes.”

New headquarters coming

Soon, Aspen Earthworks will move to a new headquarters closer to downtown Reno. The current offices, as well as two satellite locations, will remain open.

“We have grown beyond our current capacity, so this is a necessary move,” said Dustin. “It gives us great capability to meet our customers’ needs, and that’s what this business is, and has always been about. I want us to continue to provide them with world-class service. At the same time, I want to grow as well.

“I don’t foresee us moving into other areas,” he continued. “We are more than happy here in Reno, and we are comfortable in the markets we serve. Right now, I’m not interested in governmental work, for example, unless one of our clients wants us to. We are happy to help them out in any way that we can.” ■

*Komatsu Care is a complimentary scheduled maintenance program that is standard on all Tier 4 construction equipment during the first three years or 2,000 hours, whichever occurs first. **Statements made are based on customer’s actual use of product. Results may vary.