WF Botkin needed a wheel loader to aid in its bridge building efforts. SDLG provided the ideal solution.

The success of any construction company hinges largely on the strength of its capital management. Investments in equipment are expensive, and every machine must play a part in generating returns. A premium wheel loader left sitting in the yard can put the finances of a small operation in jeopardy. Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada-based WF Botkin Construction decided to invest in an SDLG wheel loader based on this notion. Though the company has several material handling sites in its region, it only needed a machine to work a few days a week on a new bridge project. The intermittent nature of the project would not have warranted the purchase of a premium loader.

“We recently won a project to replace some bridges in Regina and we needed a wheel loader to support our operations,” said Clair Botkin, vice president of the company. “We’re primarily moving barricades around the job sites and loading materials, so we didn’t need a wheel loader working constantly. We didn’t need the features of a more expensive loader for our work, either.” Botkin brought his needs to Regina, Saskatchewan-based Redhead Equipment. The two companies share a long history of collaboration, so Botkin trusted the dealer to suggest the optimal machine and to then support the wheel loader through its lifecycle. Redhead suggested the 4.0 yd3 capacity SDLG LG959.

WF Botkin uses its LG959 to move materials at its handling yard in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

For its first project, the SDLG loader built a box culvert bridge. The machine moved barricades that detour traffic around the site and handled granular materials for the bridge’s construction. It also placed backfill around the structure’s culverts. Botkin then transferred the wheel loader to one of its stockpile facilities to move concrete rock, base material, sand and peat rock, among other materials.

“The SDLG wheel loader worked well on the job site,” Botkin said. “It came with bucket and forklift attachments, which we definitely need and utilize—these attachments were a big reason why we went with SDLG. I would consider purchasing more of them when the need arises.”

Botkin said that the SDLG 12-month, 2,000-hour warranty was another motivation for choosing SDLG. The company had considered a used wheel loader, but was won over by the brand’s warranty and the fact that it would be backed by Redhead Equipment. “Our relationship with Redhead gave us a great deal of confidence,” Botkin said.

WF Botkin Construction is a family-owned business with 57 years of experience. In addition to its bridge building activities, the company also has a concrete plant, stationary and portable asphalt plants, a dirt crew and it deals in general construction. Redhead Equipment is a privately owned and operated heavy equipment dealership in Saskatchewan that has served the region for more than 65 years. It has seven locations across the region.