Under the Hard Hat with UCANE’s Officers and Board Members

with UCANE’s Officers and Board Members

Can you give us some information on your background and tell us how you got started in the construction equipment business?

I live in Carver MA with my wife Susan of over 30 years, and we have two daughters, Emily (26), engaged and lives with her fiancé in Stamford CT and works in marketing/ advertising, and Abbie (24), who’s in graduate school to become a Genetic Counselor, living in Boston. I’m a life-long boater, enjoy four-wheeling, snowmobiling, working in my carpentry shop, and spending time with my family.

I grew up loving heavy equipment and the construction industry since I was a kid. I lived on the Cape and when I was about five, my mom used to take me to the Eastham dump where Charlie Escobar ran the loader and I got to help “operate” the machine. I was hooked! During high school, I worked for Crosby Landscaping in Brewster and ran an old MF tractor and a Case 580C.

I then served in the Army and Army National Guard for nine years as a heavy equipment operator. I was trained to run everything from graders and loaders, to sling loading dozers beneath Chinook helicopters while with the 101st Airborne, to hauling scrapers across the desert in Saudi Arabia in the scorching heat behind AM General M920 tractor trailers during Desert Shield/Storm.

When I got out of the service and during college, I got my CDL and hoisting licenses and worked for Carrier Construction as an operator. I then left the industry for about 10 years to develop my career in business. I joined Enterprise Rent-A-Car in 1992, and was fortunate to have had the opportunity to help build Enterprise’s business, opening and overseeing numerous UCANE Board Member Erik Sveden C. N. Wood Company, Inc.

locations around the Boston area throughout the 90s.

But my passion for heavy equipment and the construction industry never faded, and I landed with Southworth Milton in 2001. I started in sales, then managed their rental alliance business, launched and ran the Challenger compact tractor business, then moved my family to Central NY to start and run the Agricultural business. Six years later, I was asked to move back to MA to launch and run their Vocational Truck business, which I did until CAT exited their on-highway venture in 2016. I then oversaw the large/key account sales force for MA/ RI until leaving and joining C. N. Wood Company, Inc..

I started with C. N. Wood as Director of Sales just over seven months ago, after nearly 20 years with Milton CAT. C. N. Wood is an outstanding organization, our team is top notch, and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve enjoyed every challenge and opportunity over the past 20+ years, and I look forward to working with the C. N. Wood team for many years to come! continued on page 37

New England’s Premier Precaster!

(800) 696-SHEA (7432) Fax: (978) 388-6959 www.sheaconcrete.com info@sheaconcrete.com

Other Products Include:

Median Barriers, Tanks, Pump Stations, Leach Chambers, Fire Cisterns, Utility Structures, Curbing, Precast Footings, Bollards, Stairs, etc… 773 Salem Street

Wilmington, MA 87 Haverhill Road Amesbury, MA 153 Cranberry Hwy Rochester, MA Mail: PO Box 520 ● Wilmington, MA 01887

773 Salem Street Wilmington, MA 153 Cranberry Hwy Rochester, MA 160 Old Turnpike Road Nottingham, NH

Mail: 87 Haverhill Road • Amesbury, MA 01913

Here we are midway through 2021 and there are still lingering impacts from the pandemic to the construction equipment business. What are the current problems that you see in your business and what advice would you give contractors to manage these impacts in the months ahead?

As a supplier, the greatest challenge we are all faced with right now is being able to provide the products our customer’s need, when they need them. Supply chain challenges are like nothing most of us have ever seen before, with costs at all-time highs. Planning is critical. If there’s a job on the horizon, dial in your suppliers as soon as possible so that we understand your needs, can forecast, and get orders placed well in advance, and can help get you what you need as close to when you need it as possible. If you can, beingflexiblewithspecificspecificationsandattachment requirements will help with lead times. That said, despite our best efforts, supply chain delays, surcharges, and related challenges appear to be with us for a while, so please try to be patient. We share your frustrations and we’re all in this together. continued on page 39

L. GUERINI GROUP, INC.

SINCE 1917 Material Placement Specialists

CONCRETE PUMPING EQUIPMENT “TELEBELT” MOBILE CONVEYORS STONE SLINGER SERVICE

Pumps Up To 200 yds/hr • Booms Up To 142’ Reach Line Pumps • Grout Pumps Material Placement To 106’

34 Topalian Street PO Box 260187 Boston, MA 02126

(617) 296-0290 www.guerini.com

Serving the Bonding and Insurance needs of the N.E.construction industry for almost 50 years.

Adam DeSanctis Gregory Juwa James Axon Michael Gilbert Br yan Juwa David Boutiette Paul Patalano Dick Caruso Jonathan Duggan Jordan Tirone

There has been lots of talk in Washington about a possible substantial infrastructure bill. Is the construction equipment industry positioned to support what could be an increased demand for excavators, loaders, heavy trucks, etc.?

It depends on how fast the demand ramps up. Machines are coming in, just slower than in the past, and some models are more readily available than others. Attachment availability has been particularly challenging. As I previously mentioned, supply chain challenges will likely be with us for a while, but at this point, it’s unclear just how long. Realistically, it appears there will be few changes until at least early 2022.

Why did you decide to volunteer to serve on the UCANE Board of Directors?

I’ve always thought that being involved with our industry’s organizations was important. As a supplier, we need to learn

“Supply chain challenges are like nothing most of us have ever seen before, with costs at all-time highs. Planning is critical.”

about and understand what’s important to the industries we serve, and the best way to do that is to get to know the people that take the time and care enough to get involved. Prior to joining C. N. Wood, I didn’t think I understood the utility contracting industry as well as I needed to, I wanted to learn more. So I got involved, I got my company involved, and it was an honor when I was offered the opportunity to serve on the Board. It was an even a greater honor when I was voted in for a second year after joining C. N. Wood.

What would you like our membership to know about being a UCANE Board Member?

Being a UCANE board member provides the opportunity to collaborate with some of the most knowledgeable and talented people in our industry. It’s also an opportunity to give back, to listen, to learn, and to help our Association and its members solve the problems that are most important to us. n

We capture more information, move it faster and use

it to work more collaboratively.

JOHN CASELLA II CASELLA CONSTRUCTION

Break new ground, win more work and complete it more profitably with the unified ONE Platform for heavy construction estimating, operational workflows and business insight.

HEAR JOHN’S SUCCESS STORY AND MORE AT B2WSOFTWARE.COM/JOHN