Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.” And while his philosophy was most widely heard in the sports arena, Lombardi’s words demonstrate the importance of teamwork in all areas of society. Just as the combined effort of athletes is crucial to the success of a sports team, teamwork plays a major role in the success of construction companies as well. Take Hill Brothers Construction, for example. Founded in 1978, Hill Brothers Construction has slowly evolved from a young contracting company into an established leader in its industry. Although the transition didn’t happen overnight, the company credits its ability to work together as the driving force in its success. “Teamwork and integrity is the way we operate our business,” said Steve Wallace, Hill Brothers Construction corporate operating officer. In its 25 plus years in business, Hill Brothers Construction continues to expand and diversify its capabilities as a contracting company. Located in northern Mississippi, the company specializes in grading, concrete foundations, bridge and highway applications. Most of the jobs it takes on require a highly- diversified firm capable of handling all aspects of an application. It is for this reason that Hill Brothers expanded further to encompass five ready-mix plants. The company also further expanded when it acquired Worshman Brothers, a general building contractor. According to Wallace, adding these divisions to the company has helped Hill Brothers maintain an advantage over the competition simply by allowing the company complete control over its work. “Before adding the Worshman Brothers, if we had a building project, we would have to sub it. Now we can build it,” said Wallace. “Ultimately we wanted to diversify our work. And we’ve done just that.” Hill Brothers’ most recent job with the Natchez Straits Parkway is a prime example of how the company uses its many different divisions to accomplish a certain task. The longest park in the nation, the Natchez Straits Parkway runs 440-mi. (708.1 km) from Natchez, MS, to Nashville, TN. Contracted to finish the last 8 mi. (12.9 km) of road running through the park, Hill Brothers relied on its many experts to get the job finished. Instead of having one unified labor force to work on the entire application, specialized crews took turns completing individual parts of the job, explained Wallace. The survey crews were responsible for job layout, while other crews focused specifically on the concrete, bridge and earthwork. “We never have the same crew all at once,” said Wallace. “One group comes and then another group comes.” Equipment Plays Large Role in Getting Job Done Taking a project from start to finish is not always an easy task. That’s why Hill Brothers has spent the past 25 years working to achieve higher levels of efficiency. During its peak season — July through November — average employment is 500 people. This volume is necessary for a company that runs more than 200 pieces of equipment on a daily basis, according to Wallace. Excavators, articulated trucks, dozers, motor graders and bottom dump highway trucks are a few examples of the diverse machinery used on a typical job site. Although each machine has its individual purpose on a job, every piece of equipment has a common goal — to increase efficiency and productivity. There is no doubt that having the proper equipment on hand greatly increases productivity on job applications. Maintaining the equipment, however, is the other half of the battle. Hill Brothers depends on its extensive service division and its distributors to ensure the longevity of the machines, said Wallace. The service division at Hill Brothers handles the day-to-day repairs and monthly servicing of the machines, while the dealers are responsible for technical issues and ongoing customer service. “We have extremely capable mechanics on our team,” noted Wallace. “But we still expect our dealers to be dependable and knowledgeable.” These standards were kept in mind when Hill Brothers made the decision to purchase a second Komatsu D65WX dozer in October 2002. After meeting with its Komatsu distributor, Power Equipment, Hill Brothers took ownership of the D65WX as much for the machine as for the distributor. The strong relationship that the company has developed with Power Equipment is an important factor in choosing the right equipment. “Our relationship with our distributor is one of the most important issues we focus on — especially because we deal with a lot of equipment,” said Wallace.” Matching a specific machine to an operator usually results in a productive partnership. Without the confidence in the machine an operator is running, he or she is unlikely to be as productive as possible. On the other hand, a machine cannot operate to its full potential if the operator has problems understanding or running the piece of equipment. The people of Hill Brothers chose to purchase the Komatsu D65WX because they were confident that the machine would benefit the company and operator equally. The company was first concerned with finding a machine that could increase productivity in backfill, highway and quarry applications. The DW65WX is equipped with a wide track gauge and large capacity blade, which makes maneuvering around in tight conditions easier than before. “The wider track on the D65 is what drove us to the machine,” said Wallace. “Its mobility allows us to work in more places for an extended period of time, which greatly increases productivity.” Whether it’s working on a narrow slope or on the side of a highway, the D65WX eases the strain of rugged conditions by increasing mobility and balance in any job application. The D65WX continues to gain acceptance with its operators not only for its efficiency but also for the way it handles. The machine incorporates a hydrostatic steering system (HSS) which allows the operator better control of the machine and enables the dozer to maintain power on both tracks — regardless if it is moving straight or turning. This specific contribution helps the operators at Hill Brothers maneuver in confined areas with less stress and greater stability, explained Wallace. While convenience and ease-of-use are all factors that aid in the machine’s popularity, reliability is where Hill Brothers sees the largest contribution of the D65WX. The lubricated track system eliminates internal pin and bushing wear, which extends the life of the machine and requires little maintenance. Further, the high capacity blades offer good penetration and are capable of handling tough materials. “The D65WX certainly says something about reliability,” said Wallace. “We’ve got machines that need trading and updating, but there’s no doubt that this machine is in for the long haul.” Whether the company is building a bridge in Alabama, grading a site in Louisiana or laying a concrete foundation in Tennessee, one thing is certain — Hill Brothers depends on its people, partners and machines to see every job through. Just as Lombardi took his philosophy of teamwork on the field, Hill Brothers uses the same underlying principle to drive success for its company. “Performance is key to success and we perform,” said Wallace. “We have the people, the equipment and the work. But most of all, we have the desire to go out there every day and do the best job possible.” CEG This story also appears on Construction Equipment Guide.
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