Rivercity Mini Excavating Ltd., long known as a go-to choice for contractors in Powell River when ground needs to be dug up and hauled away, is now more than just excavating. What people may not know is that the company has grown and offers even more services, says Rivercity owner Rick Ouellette.
“We’ve expanded in a lot of ways,” he says. “We offer a range of services. We have lots of solid equipment and great employees.”
Home or business, Rivercity can handle a wide array of excavation work. The company provides lot clearing for new homes, landscaping for residential and commercial properties, snow removal, concrete cutting and coring and much more.
Rick says the company, which has been in business since 2002, has recently moved into heavy landscaping and has the right equipment for any size of job. In addition to the company’s array of excavators and compact skid-steer front-end loaders, Rivercity has a five-tonne dump truck and three smaller ones, including a Ford F750, a Ford F550, and a one-yard truck for those tight spaces. Rivercity’s heavy-duty pickups have snow plow attachment capability.
“I have five different sizes of excavators from 4,000 pounds up to 30,000 pounds and three skid-steer loaders,” says Rick. “We have enough equipment to take on any size job and my guys are all versatile.”
Rick has a crew of eight full-time workers, five operators and three labourers. All are insured, skilled, hardworking and focused on doing the job right, he adds. Rick is not the kind of boss to sit in the office all day answering the phone. He is out on the job sites working side by side with his guys, he says.
“All we do is go to work,” he says. “To have a good company, you have to have good employees.”
In addition to Rivercity, Rick also owns Powell River Equipment Rental and finds natural synergy between his companies.
A few notable pieces of Rivercity's landscaping gear are the Harley Power Rakes for the company’s skid-steer loaders, its new rock buckets, and a hydroseeder, says Rick.
The power rakes connect to the front of the loaders and when run over an area will rake out debris and rocks, leaving the soil conditioned and ready for grass seed, he adds.
If equipment operators encounter ground that is too rocky and debris-laden, then they can go to work on the area, digging it up first with the rock bucket attachments for the skid-steer loaders.
“These buckets are able to separate larger, unwanted objects, rocks and debris while leaving the finer material behind,” says Rick. “The tines on the bucket retain the debris while the soil sifts through.”
Once an area is cleaned up, Rick and his team are able to run their hydroseeder over it in order to get large areas planted with grass seed quickly, he adds.
Rivercity’s hydroseeder provides a really effective way to plant grass, explains Rick.
“Hydroseeding an area can be completed in a very short period of time,” says Rick. “It can be very effective for hillsides and sloping lawns to help with erosion control and quick planting.”
Rick adds that while hydroseeding typically costs less than planting with sod, it is more expensive than broadcast seeding. Grass grows more quickly when hydroseeded because of the process’s high germination rates. With the grass seed, a fibre mulch is also spread and that accelerates the growing process by maintaining moisture around the seeds and improves the rate of germination, he adds.
Rivercity offers free estimates and competitive pricing. Rick welcomes new customers to call him to see how he can help. He adds that he has a no-nonsense approach to dealing with customers and always advises them to shop around before hiring him so they can see the value Rivercity will provide for their budget.
For more information about Rivercity Mini Excavating or to have Rick come by to provide a free estimate, customers can call 604.483.1294 or send an email to [email protected].
For more information, go to rivercity-excavating.com.
