Unlike many long-term players in these markets, Lillig is a first-generation contractor that is proving it has the skills, capacity, and expertise to effectively compete against multiple-generation competitors. Lillig also is a certified minority-owned business enterprise* (MBE).
Yet, in another sense, the company is altogether typical. It is constantly searching for ways to increase productivity and complete jobs quicker at the lowest possible cost, while generating reasonable earnings for its owners and stakeholders.
All these factors and variables were at play in the microcosm of a recent apartment project, on which the company successfully bid and completed ahead of schedule in Kansas City, MO.
The 26-acre site involved 125,000 cubic yards of cut-and-fill to accommodate construction of an apartment complex of 16 multi-apartment units and garages.
Lillig’s work had to be completed in three weeks to keep the entire project on schedule. Added to this, the need arose to cut in an access road earlier than anticipated.
Topcon’s 3D-M2 system keeps the project on schedule.
And if that wasn’t enough, Lillig found itself playing uphill from the get-go-from a customer perception standpoint. “The project developer wasn’t familiar with us and our work, so that led to some concern on their part. But the general contractor was-and really stood up for us,” says Joseph Felten, a project manager and estimator for J.A. Lillig.
How did that all turn out? Felten proudly noted that the developer now views J.A. Lillig as a “go-to contractor for future projects.” Not only did J.A. Lillig meet the three-week completion date-it completed the work “four to five days early,” he adds.
Performances like this have allowed the Belton, MO-based J.A. Lillig to experience robust growth, moving from a $6 million to a $15 million a year company in a relatively short time. And Matt Jaspersen, a company project manager and estimator, gives a great deal of credit for that growth to the capabilities and benefits it receives from its Topcon 3D-MC² systems. The 3D MC² technology allows graders and dozers to operate at industry-leading speeds, dramatically boosting productivity while also yielding improved cost performance through tighter tolerances and grading accuracy. “It has really helped our company grow. It allows us to bid competitively against much larger companies that are full-blown GPS users.”
“In our business, production is everything,” Felten says. “The best thing I can say about the Topcon 3D MC² system is that it sells itself. We started out a few years back when we purchased our first one-and now we have three.”
“There’s no way we could have achieved the quality of precision we delivered on the pad sites and required road work on the apartment complex job without it” Felten continues. “And we didn’t just meet targeted completion date-we finished early.”
Lillig chose the Topcon 3D-MC² system because of Felten’s familiarity with its capabilities from a prior career stop. “When I moved here more than two years ago, we purchased this company’s first Topcon 3D-MC². Having worked with it previously, I knew it works well with the Agtek interface, and that is real helpful.
“But improved production is its biggest benefit. There’s literally no downtime for survey staking. We can set our own stakes and don’t have to wait for survey crews. That reduces costs and allows us to control our own destiny.”
Felten says J.A. Lillig is seeing a 25% production cost savings through use of the Topcon systems. “We’ve seen significant savings on man-hours and hours we run the machines. Our survey costs alone went down by 15 to 20% because of the capabilities the system offers.”
Such improvements offer dramatic benefits on the front end of bid projects, Felten says.
“To bid competitively against larger competitors, we had to be able to reduce labor hours checking for grade. And the precision that it’s capable of delivering is also a real benefit and differentiator for us.”
J.A. Lillig is presently using its Topcon systems on a large public road project, cutting roadway grades with high efficiency and precision. “We are also using them in conjunction with Topcon’s Millimeter GPS with Laser Zone.”
This helps Lillig in several important ways. It provides a superior level of horizontal and vertical accuracy. It also eliminates setup and sag errors that can occur from using conventional stringline as well as eliminating inconvenient delays and workarounds on busy job sites when conventional stringline is used. “This is especially helpful in putting large building pads to grade-within one-quarter of an inch” because of the system’s range of reach and ability to handle varying elevations, Felten says.
But even systems like the Topcon 3D-MC² that produce such stellar results will have occasional issues, Felten says. “That’s when after-the-sales support is critical. Our biggest thing is this: When that yellow iron is sitting at our facility or on the job site, we’re not providing service, and we’re not generating revenue-so support throughout the sales process and after the sale is key. The support Topcon offers really sets it apart. Pete Eliason [of Linear Positioning LLC, a Topcon dealer in Blue Springs, MO] has done a great job training our operators and being there when we have an issue that requires his help, getting us back in service quickly. And the great benefit is that the system is a simple and intuitive system to operate, and that makes it very user friendly.”
* To qualify as a MBE, an entity must verify it is at least 51% owned and/or controlled by minorities who meet established program criteria. By utilizing MBE-certified entities, governments and other hiring agencies extend these businesses equal contract opportunities in a host of areas: construction, professional services, goods, and nonprofessional services.
