Technology is everywhere and it continues to work its way into every area of our lives. Whether you ask Alexa for the weather report each morning, do your banking from your smart phone or have your packages delivered by a drone, you have seen the advantages that advanced technology can bring to a variety of everyday tasks. Technology streamlines processes, ensures accuracy and, in essence, makes life easier.

The same holds true in the excavating and grading field…investing in better, more advanced technology allows construction firms to be more efficient, more accurate and get the job done faster. Sometimes, however, only the big companies have the most advanced technology and the advantages it brings. Advanced technology may not be affordable or practical for smaller firms; thus, putting them at a disadvantage.

That premise may hold true for some smaller firms, but not for Grade Tech Services.

Technology Evens the Playing Field

We are firm believers in innovation and technology and make it a priority to invest in the latest, most advanced equipment on the market. From the office to the field to our fleet of construction vehicles, we strive to keep pace with changing technology, upgrading equipment every 5 years. Continuous technology investment reduces downtime and repairs and enables Grade Tech to compete with firms that are much larger than ours.

This technology commitment coupled with our focus on two very specific niches within the industry – excavating and grading for the power industry – gives us an advantage over our competitors. Specializing in these two small functions of the industry allows us to narrow our focus, equipment and experience and be the best at what we do.

Technology in Use at Grade Tech

Grade Tech was an early adopter of GPS positioning equipment. In the early days – 15 years ago – we had to add this “after market” technology to enhance our existing equipment. Now, we have access to this type of technology straight from the factory.

Other examples of how we incorporate the most advanced technological equipment and advancements in the field and in the office are our use of:

 

  • Topcon’s Magnet Series – software that interfaces with our positioning tools to perform topographic and layout operations.

 

  • AGTEK’s 3D Modeling and Takeoff Solution – allows us to quantify our projects and bids by accurately estimating construction quantities and modeling efficient construction processes.

 

  • Propeller’s Drone Technology – We are one of only a handful of contractors that use drones to perform site surveys to track, map and measure site information. The Propeller technology enables us to collect, process and visualize the data easily and accurately.

 

  • B2W Software Suite – job-tracking software built specifically for the heavy construction industry allows us to stay on track and on schedule throughout the lifecycle of a job.

 

  • CAS-AT7 – The CAS-AT7 slinger spreads materials at the amazing speed of 2-4 yards per minute and is controlled by Conveyer Application Systems remote control. This machine gives us the ability to work and place material in tighter, hard to reach places, namely around high risk and high voltage electrical equipment and steel structures. Not only does this machine reduce risk for our clients, and us it is also more accurate and ensures safety.

 

  • Engcon Tilt Rotators – Tilt rotators allow a bucket, or other machine tools, to move 360* around its axis and tilt 45*. This means that our operators can perform multiple tasks more quickly, efficiently and safely. Tilt rotators reduce the need to move our machine multiple times, and it allows the operator to change the tools without leaving the cab.

 

  • Aviation – we utilize aviation as a tool to increase flexibility and mobility.  Based out of Utah, Grade Tech can be anywhere in the Western US within 24 hours.

Earning Your Pedigree

Many of our team members list our technology and equipment as one of the perks of working with Grade Tech. As part of our employee-centered culture, our team members have access to and training on the latest and greatest equipment in the industry. This gives them the opportunity to do the best job possible, learn new skills and gain experience that they can use in the future – whether that be here, at Grade Tech, as they advance their careers, or as an entrepreneur or owner of their own company.

No matter how you look at it – from an industry perspective or a personal/career perspective – having the most advanced technology allows our company and our team members to compete and to be the best at what we do. That is what sets us apart from other small companies and allows us to not only meet, but also exceed the expectations of our customers.