McLeod Lake, B.C. – There are at least two things that Marvin Johnston can count on in January in British Columbia: that it’ll be cold outside and his Volvo excavators will be on the job.

“It’s 30 degrees below zero, and our Volvos are out there working,” said Johnston, general manager for Duz Cho Construction, reflecting on his company’s fleet of five Volvo BSeries excavators. “It’s the kind of day you’re glad the seat warmers work so well.”

Duz Cho Construction is one of several business units owned and operated by the 400 member McLeod Lake Band of the TseK’hene (pronounced “Seh-kenny”) First Nation. Headquartered in McLeod Lake, B.C., the McLeod Lake Band has aggressively pursued independent business opportunities since reaching a settlement over land ownership with Canadian and British Columbia governments.

The band and Duz Cho have relied heavily on their three EC290B LC and two EC330B LC Volvo excavators from the start.

Johnston says the operation’s Volvo B-Series excavators perform equally well year round, through eastern British Columbia’s long, brutally cold winters and brief, blistering summers. Whether it’s hot or cold, he said that Duz Cho pushes its Volvo machines.

Duz Cho is a complete site prep and reclamation operation, yet has found a niche supporting British Columbia’s booming oil & gas business.

“We build a lot of oilfield roads – clearing timber, grading, ditching and putting in culverts,” Johnston said. “We also do a lot of site prep for oil drilling rigs, which includes clearing land, removing topsoil and grading and leveling sites.” After the rigs are gone, Duz Cho moves in for cleanup and reclamation.

According to Johnston, the two biggest advantages he has found to using Volvo B-Series excavators is better fuel economy – he says Duz Cho has experienced 15-percent better economy with Volvo – and performance.

“Our Volvos are faster and more productive (than competitive machines),” Johnston said. “If we’re ditching on both sides of a road – using a Volvo and another machine – the Volvo will out dig the other machine.”

Johnston also noted an advantage to the Volvo boom, which he said offers operators better reach. “The Volvo boom allows us to reach far out into areas that are too soft to support the machine,” he said. “The extra reach also means we’re not constantly losing time repositioning.”

The name Duz Cho – which means “big tree” – was first used by the band’s logging company, Duz Cho Logging. The TseK’hene band launched Duz Cho Construction as a separate business unit in January 2003, with a half dozen employees and a mixture of used logging company equipment and rented used equipment. Midway through 2004, employment had grown to between 40 and 50, including several independent contractors.

Johnston says that Duz Cho had its eye on Volvo excavators from nearly its first day of business in early 2003.

“We knew we wanted Volvos from the beginning,” he said. “We knew they were competitively priced and that they would give us good value for the money.

“We also felt confident in Marcels Equipment (our dealer), due to the fact that they provide very strong and reliable product support.”

Duz Cho is serviced by Marcels Equipment’s Prince George location. “There are competitive dealers closer to us, but none we felt we could rely on as completely,” Johnston said. “Marcels has been very accommodating and very reliable.”

Reliable service at a distance is crucial to Duz Cho and to Johnston. “It’s a three-hour drive from Marcels location to our office, and usually another 2-3 hours to the machine,” he said.

“We work the equipment hard, and Marcels usually has someone here a couple of times a month. In fact, there’s someone working on one of our machines today.”

While Marcels Equipment and manager Tim Martin have been key to Duz Cho’s satisfaction with Volvo excavators, Johnston said the equipment has virtually sold itself.

“We bought our first Volvo excavator in June 2003,” he said. “Its performance was good, as was the performance of our next one. So, in a sense, each one ‘paved the way’ for the next.”

Duz Cho operators also appreciate the Volvo B-Series.

“Our operators really like the Volvo excavators,” he said. “The machines handle well, and they have outstanding breakout forces and fast cycle times.

“Plus, they’re comfortable to sit and work in, with control consoles that can be adjusted to meet the operator’s shape and size.” Electronic climate control and industry-leading cab room make the operator compartment in the B-Series machines comfortable places to work in any season, which minimizes operator fatigue and maximizes productivity.

“And, they have terrific visibility,” Johnston said.

The hydraulic system on Volvo B-Series excavators is both tough and intelligent, with enhanced performance that results in powerful digging force and fast digging and swing speeds that lead to faster cycle times and more efficient operation.

“Our people love Volvo’s hydraulic system,” Johnston said. “It cycles fast, and it’s smooth. You don’t get that constant knock and bounce all day long and that really makes a difference.”

Johnston said that from the start he had high expectations for the B-Series excavators, and they haven’t let him down.

“Knowing what I know today, I’d buy them all over again.”

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