Our Story
A History of Hard Work and Lasting Relationships
Our roots trace back to a small, family-run operation where quality craftsmanship and community values shaped every decision. Over time, we’ve expanded our services and grown our team, always staying true to the dedication, integrity, and personal touch that got us here.
A Family Tradition
Our family has been in the excavating business since 1964, when my uncle Eugene Kluck started his trucking and excavating company. My father, Roger Kluck, started his trucking and excavating business in 1966. In 1985, I started helping Dad during summer break from school with pipe work and general labor. As time went on, I started driving truck and running equipment. In 1988, I turned 18 and entered an apprenticeship for plumbing under my Dad’s master plumber license.
In June of 1989 I graduated high school and started working full time with my Dad and older brother Randy. At this point, my brother ran the excavator and I was helping with clean-up - running the end loader and grading tractor. In late summer of 1989 my brother decided to move on to a different employer. Dad came to me and said, “Well, I guess you’re running the excavator now.” I had no clue how to run one, other than the little bit I used it in the yard and watched my brother.
My first job as an excavator operator was removing contaminated soil from a diesel fuel spill at the base of the Steven Point water tower. We were digging around the main water line that supplied water to the city. We were digging to a depth of 15’ to remove all the contamination. Needless to say, it was a very nerve wracking first job for a new operator. We made it through the first job with no hiccups (thankfully!). I was glad to get off that job and move on to some easier projects to “get my feet wet” as they say. I learned to love running excavator and never got tired of running it. We were fortunate to have a wide variety of projects to work on.
In December of 1989, I passed my journeyman plumber’s license which now allows me to install septic systems with no supervision from a master plumber. In 1993 I passed my masters plumber’s license, which allowed me to sign permits and the ability to advertise plumbing repair and installation. I continued to work for my Dad until 2004 with some of the best “old school” coworkers you could ever ask for. It makes life so much easier when you enjoy your job and the people you work with.
Laying the Groundwork
In January of 2005 I saved up enough money for a down payment and purchased my first excavator. The machine was used but was in pretty good condition and was a great starter machine. By this time, I had a lot of experience as an operator, so I was comfortable working on any project. In the fall of 2005, I was able to purchase a dump truck, loader and trailer to haul my equipment. In 2006 I purchased a new bulldozer (thanks to no money down and 0% interest). I was fortunate to have friends and family to help me part time when needed during these early years.
Finding a Home Base
In 2007 I hired my first full time employee, which really made my life easier. Up until this time, I was the operator, laborer, dozer operator, truck driver, laborer and bookkeeper. In the fall of 2007, I purchased my Uncle Eugene’s property on Hwy 66 and finally had a place to call home. The timing of my uncle slowing down and me just getting going worked out great for both of us. With the purchase of my uncle’s shop and property, we also acquired his 24/7 security services to watch over things.
Growing with the Team
Over the years, we have grown to a volume of work I never imagined. We have had a lot of growing pains between balancing work, equipment and employees. We have had a lot of great employees over the years to help us with this growth.
At this time, we have over 20 people on staff between office personnel, truck drivers, laborers, pipe layers and operators. People often say this new generation doesn’t have the same work ethic as past generations. I would disagree with that statement. We have some of the finest, hard-working, dependable people you could ask for.
Our industry demands long hours, hard work and challenging weather conditions. With time, we have expanded into many different typed of work. I feel blessed to be doing what I love all these year and appreciate all the great people I work with and customers I have met.
Ready to begin?
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