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When James Perrone started working for his father’s landscaping company nearly 20 years ago, they had 14 employees.
Since then, A. Perrone & Sons Inc. Landscaping and Irrigation has downsized considerably to four employees, while expanding its operations and making forays into new markets.
A specialist in creating ponds and water features, Perrone attributes much of this success to the use of compact equipment.
“We wouldn’t be where we are today without it,” says Perrone. “Using two or three guys and Bobcats is just more efficient – and machines are never late for work.”
Perrone purchased a bulky front loader in 1993, yet soon found that the machine was difficult to maneuver in the small backyards of northern New Jersey, where his company is based.
The metal track also tore up turf and driveways that had to be replaced. That’s when Perrone discovered compact equipment, and never looked back.
He now uses a walk-behind track loader, track loader and excavator every day.
They’ve allowed A. Perrone and Sons to increase efficiency, reduce overhead, extend the season and take on new projects.
“We need equipment that works in large yards in rural communities, as well as small yards in urban neighborhoods,” says Perrone, whose office is located 15 miles away from New York City. “Compact equipment allows us to do both.”
Perrone uses the three machines simultaneously, taking advantage of their complementary features.
He uses the walk-behind track loader to move boulders in small yards. At only 36-inches wide, it’s the perfect machine for such spaces.
The track loader has an 8-foot-wide bucket, making it just the right size to fit inside of a fenced-in back yard. As such, it only requires Perrone to remove a single section of an 8-foot fence, if anything.
The biggest benefit of using compact equipment, Perrone says, is that it saves both time and money – cost savings that he can then redirect back into his company.
“On a rainy day, I don’t have to look for things for my machines to do, unlike with employees,” says Perrone. “There’s less overhead as a result.”
Perrone’s compact equipment “can pretty much work through anything,” he says – including the first snowfall.
“We’ll keep on working until there’s snow covering the ground, and we’re back out on the job in early spring. We’d never be able to do that without these machines.”
His fleet of compact machines has rubber tracks, rather than metal ones, and that means less damage and clean-up for Perrone.
Finally, Perrone’s compact equipment also allows him the ability to take on different kinds of projects when business is slow.
“If I have some down time and a buddy calls me, I can do another project, such as digging an addition, with this equipment,” he says.
One thing that’s surprised Perrone is how much he’s been able to maximize the use of his smallest piece of equipment – the walk-behind.
“I bought it for small backyards, but now I’m finding that I use it more than my other machines,” he says.
Compact machines have helped Perrone to tap into a niche market for pond and waterfall projects – a market that, he says, is expanding.
Owners are investing more in their homes because they can’t afford to spend money on vacations, he says.
“Having a water feature in your backyard,” Perrone says “is like a staycation.”
The author is a freelance writer based in Cleveland.
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