Pulling out of the Idaho Falls parking lot of Arnold Machinery Company, Volvo Construction Equipment’s largest western US dealer, and heading east on the interstate, it was obvious that this is rowcrop country. There were lots of tractors but not a single Volvo excavator in sight.
Meeting the Great White Shark
Farm homes, acre upon acre of lush potato foliage, large irrigation apparatus, empty potato silos, and a few horses grazing by the roadside, dot the prairie-like countryside. After all this is Idaho, the Potato State. But as the miles rolled by, on this excursion to find some very special Volvo excavators and to meet the Great White Shark in Tetonia, the landscape began to change. The farm homes dwindled in number and the fields of potatoes gave way to vast fields of grain and dry grass hills dotted with cattle. Then, cresting another hill, like a mirage, they rose majestically on the horizon, the grand Cathedral Range of the Teton Mountains. Stopping to drink in the view, it became very evident why PC Development and West Rim, LLC had partnered and picked this location for the development of River Rim Ranch and the 18-hole championship Teton Rim Golf Course. But choosing this magnificent location was just one of the smart decisions that Michael Potter, Tom Clinton and Roger and Brent Hoopes, the principles of this partnership, had made. Additionally, they had chosen the world championship golf course design expertise of Greg Norman, the Great White Shark, and then put their partner, David Owen, one of the most respected contractors in this part of the country, in charge. David then turned to the Silver Service of Arnold Machinery Company to supply world class Volvo excavators, articulated haul trucks, wheel loaders and motor graders to make sure this gigantic construction project got completed on time and on budget.
Not A Normal Work Day
As the morning sun began to rise, it glinted off the booms and cabs of five brand new Volvo excavators poised quietly in an open field. But this would not be a normal work day for these five. The sixteen ton Volvo EC160C, the twenty one ton Volvo EC210C, and the three, thirty-six ton Volvo EC360B’s, were going to play a key role in the ground breaking ceremony for the exciting new Teton Rim Golf Course. So before anyone could call ‘fore’ on this scenic course, these ‘five’ stars from Volvo Construction Equipment would have to do their job.
Growing a Partnership
David Owen, president of Owen-PC Construction, LLC, started his career in 1979 and over the years, through a combination of hard work and acquisition, has built the company in both size and reputation.