Customer Success Story
Turnkey sitework contractor Harco Construction takes on larger jobs, finds big savings with iMC technology
Since its inception in the backyard of Jeffrey Hardin’s family home, J.L. Hardin Inc. — widely known as Harco Construction — has expanded and evolved into the turnkey mass excavation and sitework company it is today.
With a personal interest in technological developments, Hardin decided to make investments in his fleet by adding GPS-equipped machines. After meeting with his local Komatsu distributor representative, Hardin quickly saw the value of purchasing intelligent Machine Control (iMC) equipment.
“We were one of the smallest GPS companies around, and we fell in love with the iMC technology,” said Hardin. “After we targeted GPS technology, I feel we got ahead of the game compared to other companies of our size, which allowed us to take on larger projects.”
Harco Construction has acquired about 25 Komatsu machines, including a D71PXi-24 iMC dozer.
“When Komatsu came out with the iMC dozers, it blew us away,” stated Hardin. “You upload the file to the machine, and the operator can go to work. There are no wires, poles or masts [to put up and take down], which saves us time and money. None of our operators want to run our dozer with an aftermarket system. They just want to run Komatsu machines.”
“Infatuated” with iMC excavators
Strict grade and compaction requirements on jobs mean precision is key. To increase its efficiency when excavating retention ponds and moving large quantities of material, Harco Construction added two Komatsu PC360LCi-11 iMC excavators to its fleet. The machines earned praise on a 400,000-yard cut and shift project where Hardin said he became “infatuated” with the excavators.
“The iMC technology kept our operators from over-digging or undercutting the slope,” remarked Hardin. “We were able to let our dozers work on other parts of the job site instead of double-checking the excavator’s slope. That’s a big time-saver.”
