Wagner_Spring15

WAGNER-WIDE NEWS

Spring 2015 | The Wagner Review

A B O U T Rio LLC

operation, and plenty of power for what we do.” Another plus is the excellent lift capacity, which enables Rio operators to place larger trench boxes, pipe and structures. “We can go as high as 72-inch reinforced concrete pipe, so we just have to position the excavator tighter to the trench,” Schaeffer says. “One of the reasons we went to the larger excavator was that it’s a pretty universal machine for the type of work that we do.”

Headquarters: Brighton, Colo.

Business: Utility contractor (water and sewer lines)

Employees: 20

What he likes about his Cat Dealer “These Cat machines are like Cadillacs. The newer ones can do everything, but you have to know how to operate them,” says Owen Schaeffer, owner of Rio LLC. “So a representative from our Cat dealer comes out and helps our operators if they have questions. “A representative from Wagner Equipment works with them to demonstrate different things that the machine will do. Rather than reading it out of the book, that’s huge for our guys to be able to learn hands on. A lot of times you miss things that you could be using, and Wagner is very helpful in that regard. “ What he likes about Cat equipment “This machine (the 320EL RR Hydraulic Excavator) is a good fit for us, and the fuel consumption is very good for our needs,” Schaeffer says. “It has the capability to operate at the high end or the middle end of the fuel consumption spectrum, so depending on what we are working on, we can adjust it — that’s something the support team from Wagner helped us work out.”

EASY TO TRANSPORT A factor in the selection of the 320E LRR excavator is the ability to transport the machine. Given its size, a special permit isn’t required for transporting from one jobsite to another. “We figured we could get it around town easier,” Schaeffer says. “We still have curfews and other restrictions in Colorado, but one of the things we looked at was the weight of the machine and the ease of getting it in and out of jobsites — so that’s a big plus for us.” When it comes to buying equipment, Rio prefers to lease new Cat machines and purchase them at the end of the lease period. “We went through Cat Financial on this one,” Schaeffer says of the 320E LRR excavator. “We’ve typically started with new machines for

a couple reasons. One, you know they stand up. We know that they have good warranties on them. That keeps them in good running shape, and we’re also looking at the financial return at the end of the lease period.” Rio has a Customer Support Agreement with its Cat dealer, Wagner Equipment Co., wherein Wagner technicians perform scheduled maintenance and oil changes. Rio also utilizes Cat Product Link ™ to receive accurate, timely and

useful information about the location, utilization and condition of its equipment. “We can monitor how a particular machine is doing,” Schaefer says. “Over the years, I have found that it’s very important to stay on top of scheduled maintenance in order to prolong machine life. That’s what we are hoping for on this machine (the 320E), and Wagner has been a big plus in that regard.”

Proud of Their Tractor

Kevin Rehor, Wagner Machine Sales Rep, received this photo from William Harman showing his family and the Challenger MT845C Tractor he purchased.

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