David Stavens, founder and owner of Barber Utilities, is no newcomer to construction equipment or civil engineering. Established in 1997, the company has built a solid reputation in Connecticut as a specialist in gas and water work, promoting it to main contractor status on many high profile projects. Barber Utilities also works with The Connecticut Water Company, installing water mains and services.
Working for Connecticut Natural Gas, Barber Utilities was given the task of replacing a leaking 6-in. cast iron low-pressure main with a 2-in. plastic pressure main beneath the main road in downtown Hartford, CT. This included unearthing layers of concrete buried beneath the asphalt and ensuring the protection of the century-old main line. Operating its Volvo ECR40D blue-painted compact excavator - inspired by Stavens' attendance at the Volvo Ocean Race and a tour of the Volvo CE factory in Belley, France - Barber Utilities’ five crew members worked 10-hour night shifts to complete the project on schedule.
“The ECR40D is... nimble enough to dig through the maze of utilities, plus its weight class makes it easy to transport to different jobs every day," said Stavens.
Barber Utilities has 25 units in its equipment fleet, including nine from Volvo. They were supplied by long-time dealer Tyler Equipment and span the size classes, including the L180F and L70F wheel loaders, ECR40D, EC58D, EC88D, EC160C, 240B excavators and a DD25 double-drum compactor.
The EC240B, EC160C and L70F recently completed a high-profile project for Connecticut Natural Gas. The project, called the Coventry Expansion, tasked Barber Utilities with the installation of a 3.2-mile gas main extension stretching from the city of Mansfield to office buildings in nearby Coventry. This included inserting an 8-in. gas main inside of a 12-in. steel casing.
“I try to give my crew the best tools for the job and Volvo fits the bill. They’re comfortable, easy to operate, and most importantly, the operators feel confident behind the controls," says Stavens. "When you’re digging around utility lines and don’t feel confident, that’s when something goes wrong.”
