After spendin g 16 years working as a foreman on union jobs, Chad Bickle decided to use his experience in a new venture, Green Tech Excavation Company. The company has allowed him to blend his construction background with his long held interest in the environment: “I’ve always been self-conscious about the environment, and so I decided, why not start a green construction business?”
The business began with two CAT rigs, a 257 skid steer, and a long boom 305 excavator. Bickle chose CAT for two reasons. First, he likes the quality of their products: “CAT is a leader in motors for heavy equipment.” Second, he likes the fact that his CAT machines are Tier IV, creating the smallest amount of carbon of any machines on the market.
The Tier IV rating was just the starting point for Bickle. He had the dealership, NC Machinery, convert the hydraulic systems to run on agricultural based lubricants-vegetable oil-so that he could “get as green as it gets.” According to Jim Plaisance of NC, the process is pretty straight forward: “We drain the tanks, purge the hydraulic cylinders of exiting fluids which contain lead, and replace it with the vegetable oil.” Plaisance estimated that the change over takes about a
day’s labor for a small excavator like Bickle’s to about three day’s labor for larger, more complex systems.
Even though it is an expensive process, about $2,000 for his rigs, Bickle thinks the switch is worth the price. Running green machinery for all his jobs gives him a unique position in the market place because he is one of the first to complete the whole process with new equipment.
The lubricants, Environmental Awareness Lubricants (AWLs), were developed by MOBIL as a less toxic, more environmentally friendly, alternative to standard lubricants. According to Bickle, the vegetable fluid meets the zero-fishkill test. If AWL is poured into a container of water which has fish swimming in it, the fish survive. Don’t try that with petroleum based fluids. Bickle added with some amusement that the synthetic grease he uses is USDA approved, but he doesn’t plan to try to eat any of it soon.
In addition to their environmental benefits, AWLs perform as well as standard fluids Bickle said. AWLs have had no negative effect on the operation of his equipment “no loss of power, nothing.” Plaisance, on the other hand, did note one potential drawback to the AWLs. They don’t dissipate
the heat as effectively as oil based lubricants, so on very hot days a machine might pick up some extra heat.
Because hydraulic hoses are under high pressure and prone to break, Bickle takes pride in knowing that any fluid leak from his rigs can flow directly into a storm drain with no environmental damage. Even though it is more expensive to “go green” in terms of fluid, grease, and biodiesel fuel, Bickle thinks he can carve out a profitable niche for himself. Realistically, perhaps only 20% of his potential customers will take his green approach into consideration when choosing an excavating contractor, but he still sees a strong and growing market.
Ultimately he hopes that his construction background combined with his commitment of protect the environment will provide a decent life for himself, his wife, and kids. “I’m taking what I learned working for really big companies and applying it to my own.”
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