WF Botkin builds bridges with SDLG

When the Canadian construction company needed a wheel loader to support a new bridge project, it found an ideal machine in SDLG.

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Capital management is the hallmark of any successful construction company. Investments in equipment are expensive, and every machine must generate return on its investment. An expensive machine left idling can become a financial albatross for a small business.

It was this notion that led Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada-based WF Botkin Construction to invest in an SDLG wheel loader. Though the company has several material handling sites in its region, it only needed a machine to work a few days a week on a new bridge project. A large outlay on a premium wheel loader that wouldn’t be in continuous use would not have made financial sense.

“We recently won a project to replace some bridges in Regina and we needed a wheel loader to support our operations,” said Clair Botkin, vice president of the company. “We’re primarily moving barricades around the job sites and loading materials, so we didn’t need a wheel loader working constantly. We didn’t need the features of a more expensive loader for our work, either.”

Botkin brought his needs to Regina, Saskatchewan-based Redhead Equipment. The two companies had had a relationship for years, so Botkin trusted the dealer to suggest a machine that would be a good fit and to then support the wheel loader through its lifecycle. Redhead suggested the SDLG LG959.

The LG959 has an operating weight of 38,250 lbs. It features a Tier 3 Deutz engine with 224 hp and 777 lb.ft of torque; ZF transmission and axles; wet disc brakes; a hydraulic quick coupler and 3rd function hydraulics; a modern fit and finish with high visibility; and an operator-friendly cab. It comes with a 12-month, 1,500-hour warranty.

For its first project, the SDLG loader is building a box culvert bridge. There the machine is moving barricades that detour traffic around the site, and handling granular materials for the bridge’s construction. It’s also placing backfill around the structure’s culverts. The project began in late spring and is expected to wrap up in October. When the job is complete, Botkin will transfer the wheel loader to one of its stockpile facilities, moving concrete rock, base material, sand and peat rock, among other materials.

“The SDLG wheel loader has been working well on the job site,” Botkin said. “It came with bucket and forklift attachments, which we definitely need and utilize—these attachments were a big reason why we went with SDLG. I would consider purchasing more of them when the need arises.”

Botkin said that the SDLG 12-month, 1,500-hour warranty was another motivation for choosing SDLG. The company had considered a used wheel loader, but was won over by the brand’s warranty and the fact that it would be backed by Redhead Equipment. “Our relationship with Redhead gave us a great deal of confidence,” Botkin said.

WF Botkin Construction is a family-owned business with 57 years of experience. In addition to its bridge building activities, the company also has a concrete plant, stationary and portable asphalt plants, a dirt crew and it deals in general construction.

Redhead Equipment is a privately owned and operated heavy equipment dealership in Saskatchewan that has served the region for more than 65 years. Redhead has seven locations, making it one of the largest equipment dealers in the province. The company sells new and used trucks and trailers, and construction, agriculture and forestry equipment.