VIDEO: Three Generations Build Quality, Legacy, Innovation

Fri October 03, 2025
Linder Industrial Machinery

Quality Enterprises USA Inc. (QE) traces its roots back to 1969 when Howard Murrell III's grandfather, Howard Murrell Sr., walked away from his job to launch a small electrical company in Virginia.

Originally called Quality Electric Co., the business focused on 24-hour emergency work and rewiring gas stations, often under urgent conditions.

"My grandpa was the worker, but my grandma, Betty, was the structure," said Murrell III. "He would've worked forever without collecting a dollar. She made sure the bills got paid and kept the business running behind the scenes."

Over time, the family-run company evolved from electrical services to full-scale construction. Murrell III's father, Howard Murrell Jr., joined early, adding underground tank removal and installation, and QE eventually turned into a gas station builder with high-profile clients like Exxon.

"They had records for the fastest-built stations at the time," said Murrell III. "That became the foundation of what Quality is now."

Today, QE is based in Naples, Fla., and typically performs jobs in southwest Florida from Sarasota to Marco Island, with additional offices in Virginia, Texas and South Carolina. Murrell Jr. is the president of the company, and the third generation of the Murrell family is heavily involved, as well. Murrell III works primarily in the field as the construction technology manager, while his sisters, Allison and Rachel, serve as the chief information officer and the director of risk management, respectively.

"We've always been family-based, and I love it," said Murrell III. "I've always enjoyed it, and the cool part about being in this business is you can pursue different routes, like mining."

Along with QE's recent addition of mining, the company now offers a wide range of services, including earthwork, road construction, concrete production and utility work. QE usually takes on everything but land clearing and final touches like road striping or signalization.

"We try to be an all-in-one package," said Murrell III. "From utilities to slipforming curbs and sidewalks with our own concrete to importing and processing our own materials, we have control over nearly every step. If we prep a road today, we don't have to wait for a sub. We can come back and pave it tomorrow."

Increasing Mining Efficiency

At the center of that efficiency is a significant investment in equipment and technology. Murrell III helped launch the company's construction technology initiative, bringing in GPS, Total Station surveying systems and payload tracking to boost accuracy and productivity.

"We started with just a GPS rover and grew into full machine control across dozers, graders and even slipform paving," said Murrell III. "We do asphalt paving and concrete paving with the Total Stations for tighter tolerances."

That push into technology helped drive decisions in equipment purchases, especially for large-scale mining operations. At QE's Sunniland Quarry and 846 Quarry, Komatsu equipment from Linder Industrial Machinery Company plays a major role in daily production.

"We recently added a Komatsu PC900LC-11 excavator," said Murrell III. "We saw it at bauma in Germany. It's new, but we had a good experience with the Komatsu PC1250LC-11, so we gave it a shot."

The PC900LC-11 has logged more than 100 hours and is primarily used for heavy excavation following blasting operations. The machine digs and flips benches of lime rock, creating windrows that other machines load into trucks.

"The 900 has been great so far," said Murrell III. "Linder showed up on time, assembled it quickly and provided a temporary bucket while our XMOR bucket is being built."

At the 846 Quarry, the PC1250LC-11 excavator performs similar work, handling deeper blasts and digging beneath water levels to create new benches.

"With mining, if you told me you could improve efficiency by half a percent, that's huge," said Murrell III. "Downtime throws the whole system off. The 1250's reliability keeps our operation running smoothly."

Supporting both sites are two Komatsu WA500-8 wheel loaders, used to load tri-axle trucks with precision due to onboard payload technology.

"Payload helps us avoid tip-off piles and weigh station backups," said Murrell III. "It's faster and more efficient. We've had other brand wheel loaders, too, but the Komatsu machines have held up really well."

The switch to Komatsu equipment also marked the beginning of a deeper relationship with Linder. Murrell III credits Ray Henry, outside sales representative, and Joe DeOreo, product support representative, for being transparent and responsive throughout the buying process.

"We hadn't bought too much Komatsu, but we needed something in between sizes that we would traditionally use for an excavator," said Murrell III. "The 1250 was that sweet spot, and Ray and Joe backed it up with real support. They've always been great to us."

That support extends beyond sales. Linder helps with assembly, parts and ongoing service and even delivers temporary solutions to keep production moving during delays.

"In the environment we work in, stuff happens — bolts, hoses, whatever — but Linder shows up, fixes it and makes it right," said Murrell III. "Linder has kept their word."

Murrell III also noted that Mine Manager Matt Colagrossi, who oversees Sunniland Quarry's operations and leads the team on site, is an essential part of QE and relies on support from Linder.

"Matt's a lead-by-example guy," said Murrell III. "He's the one making the plans and calling the shots out here. If he has a question or needs something, Linder is a call away for him."

Commitment to Growing Operations

Looking ahead, Murrell III sees QE continuing to grow — strategically and sustainably. That means transitioning from mobile operations to permanent plants for mining, dirt processing and concrete.

"The 1250 was our first commitment to fixed mining," said Murrell. "You can't just move it to another job; it's six truckloads. We're serious about scaling this side of the business."

QE's goal is to keep up with the growth in southwest Florida and beyond, while staying true to its roots as a family-first company.

"Everyone's here for someone they love," said Murrell III. "We want people to build careers with us, not just jobs. If we treat people right and give them a future, they'll stick around and help the company succeed."

At the end of the day, Murrell III believes in building more than infrastructure — he's creating a team, a legacy and a standard for how the industry can operate.

"You can buy any machine, but you can't buy great people," said Murrell III. "That's what makes Quality Enterprises what it is."

*Article reprinted with permission of Linder

This story also appears on Construction Equipment Guide.