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Aftermarket technologies help optimize irrigation operation

Greg Leeper understands the value of new equipment with added aftermarket technology. The owner/operator of Little Track Contracting Ltd. in Strathmore, Alberta, which specializes in rebuilding canals for irrigating crops and installing waterlines for farming communities, says that his investment in a new Komatsu dozer has been key to his success.
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“The machines that have built the backbone of the company are the dozers,” Leeper says.
 
He started up Little Track in 2007 after flying down to Texas and investing in a used dozer, a piece of equipment Leeper had several years of experience operating with previous employers. Leeper added additional used equipment to his fleet over the years, but after more than a decade of battling maintenance issues on his aging equipment, he decided it was time to invest in something new.
 
Leeper didn’t have to think too long and hard about the brand of equipment to choose. He had recently been approached by a sales representative from SMS Equipment, who had discussed the various options available through Komatsu, which intrigued Leeper since he was very familiar with the brand. In the end, he opted for a Komatsu D51PX-24 dozer.

D51PX-24 Specs       Watch the Video
Little Track equipped its Komatsu dozer with 3D aftermarket technologies installed by SMS Equipment. As a result, the company experienced significant improvements in operational efficiencies.

Little Track equipped its Komatsu dozer with 3D aftermarket technologies installed by SMS Equipment. As a result, the company experienced significant improvements in operational efficiencies.

“The efficiencies were through the roof,” Leeper mentions.
 
Thanks to Little Track’s investment in new technologies, the company has been able to complete some projects ahead of schedule and under budget. This year, his company completed a six-month canal rebuild in only five months.
“More of the industry is turning towards technology for efficiencies and more accurate grades,” Leeper says. “It’s definitely getting you more work and getting things done faster; and everybody wants that in the industry. It helps your contract bids come in a lot tighter and a lot more accurate than the old style.”

“Technology takes the experienced operator and makes him a better operator on top of that,” adds Jeff Martin, SMART construction sales representative. "It’s basically the way of the future now.”
 
As for the maintenance challenges Leeper previously experienced, they are a thing of the past with his latest investment.

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“We found more work, you didn’t have to be fixing on weekends, so my repair/maintenance went from peaks and valleys to kind of a flatline, which was a lot more manageable on the books at the end of the month” Leeper says.

Leeper says that his strong relationship with his local dealer has also been vital to his operations.
 
“I deal with SMS Equipment because they’re a one-stop shop. They’ve been able to fit me up with anything I’ve ever needed in the dirt moving industry,” Leeper says. “The biggest thing I like about SMS is that the little guys get treated the same as the big guys and that’s very important.”

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