Growing GAINS

The K&E Excavating team prides itself on delivering the best service for its customers, from single residential to multi-million-dollar infrastructure projects. Partnering with Powerscreen of Washington has helped K&E crews meet the highest standards of construction work, even in the most remote environments.

Building a trustworthy, hardworking team has been the focus for President Kerry Kuenzi and his business partner Eric Kuenzi since they established the business in 1998.

Based in Oregon, their respect for each other and the local community has driven this family-run construction company forward.

A DEALER TO DEPEND ON

Alongside mining their own materials from Davis Creek Rock Quarry, Silverton, Oregon, the team offers various construction services. With customers ranging from home builders to large businesses and state government, their 200-strong team delivers excavation, site work, highway, bridge, waterways and airport building alongside surveying and grinding.

Their contracting, mobile crushing and screening services require the easy movement and quick set-up of equipment from site to site. Most recently, this has included working on many excavation sites in Bend, Oregon, where the crew has been blasting and crushing rock. To deliver on this project, the team needed to bring and continuously run screeners, cones, crushers and conveyors.

Powerscreen were able to supply the range of dependable equipment the crew needed and keep it operating effectively for the duration of the work. As Dan explains, “K&E are one of the state’s premier and most trustworthy companies. They’re well-known for coming in and getting any job done well.

“When we came on board, we brought everything. This included a rental fleet they could use for particular projects and a local person who could call on them regularly to talk about what they need. Plus, for any new pits they needed to set up, we had the resources and range to help them put in big systems.”

EQUIPMENT TO RELY ON

To continue to grow and deliver quality work on their projects, Kerry made significant investments in new equipment. With mobility and dependability being top priorities, the Powerscreen range of high-performance, medium-scale machinery delivered exactly what they needed.

Alongside a Premiertrak 600 jaw crusher, Kerry added three Premiertrak 400Xs to his fleet. Designed to deliver high volumes of type one product, the hydraulic adjustment and release system is wear-resistant. Plus, it's quick and easy to set up, meaning the K&E crews can maximise their uptime on any project. With the addition of a 1300 Maxtrak cone crusher paired with a Chieftan 2200 two-deck, they can also deliver sub-base and aggregate materials from the same set-up.

Having two Maxtrak 1000SR cones helps the team ensure the quality of these materials. With a recirculating conveyor and double-deck post-screen system, the machine can deliver clean, well-shaped product consistently. Features like a heavy-duty chassis and a dust suppression system also help to keep it running well.

This efficient screening process is further enhanced by the addition of two Warrior 2100s. With a triple shaft screen and apron feeders, the model can meet any throughput needs easily. Combined with four MGL 836X stacking conveyors, Kerry and his crews have been able to maintain high levels of productivity alongside consistent product quality from sites like Bend.

“We really love these machines.” Kerry says, “Part of this is because they’re very reliable. With rock crushers, you expect a few breakdowns but we have no trouble getting them back up and working very quickly. We’ve got great people operating the machines and they love them too. They’re easy to maintain and keep running every day, you can count on them.”

A PARTNER TO GROW WITH

When Kerry’s ambitions grew beyond Oregon, the Powerscreen team were there to support him. With the establishment of K&E Alaska, Dan was able to recommend the best equipment for the fleet’s expansion and continue to support them with parts and servicing. Even in remote environments, Powerscreen has helped K&E to complete projects effectively to the quality standards their customers expect.

As Kerry explains, “We’ve worked with the Powerscreen team for quite a few years now. They have a lot of parts in stock we can get hold of. Plus, if we can’t fix something, they’re on the ball, we get what we need and they take really good care of us. There are lots of brands of equipment to choose from but it’s Powerscreen’s service that sets them apart.”

Just as K&E prides itself on delivering for its customers, so does Powerscreen. Their mutual commitment to building an expert, trustworthy team means they’ve been able to gain the most from their growth. “With us, K&E get what they need to flex and pivot to their customers’ needs,” Dan says.

“We can help them manage peaks in production or when they pop up in new pits. Plus, we give coverage across all the areas of their work. I think it says something about the commitment and character of our team that they can provide the same level of service in remote environments. They’ll literally go to Alaska and back to help trusted construction businesses like K&E.”