Gary Kinsel of Kinsel Excavating Inc. Onsite At The Company’s Planned Location On Grant Street In Canton, Illinois

Gary Kinsel grew up around excavation and Case equipment, but now that he owns his own company, he truly understands the value of good equipment.

Kinsel started Kinsel Excavating Inc. in Canton about 15 years ago. The company performs a variety of residential and commercial work, including water and sewer mains, basements, crawl spaces, trenching, directional boring and septic tanks. With two work crews—headed by his sons Eric and Brian—to keep busy, Kinsel is ready to tackle any project that comes his way.

The company owns a variety of Case equipment to help on those projects, including a 580 Super M backhoe, CX130 excavator, 850H dozer and a 60XT skid steer. The Super M is Kinsel’s bread-and-butter piece, and he treats it well. “Typically on a backhoe, when it has 3,000 hours, we trade or sell it and get a new one. That way we don’t have major maintenance issues and there is zero down time for us. The only thing we have to do is daily and hourly maintenance,” Kinsel said.

Case equipment is excellent in holding its value, he noted. “We always get top price for our equipment. The salesman knows it’s kept in a heated building all winter, and any little nut, bolt or gasket that needs to be replaced gets replaced. We don’t let our equipment fall apart around us.”

Kinsel treats his Case equipment well and it does the job well. “The hydraulic pressure is ample and the break-out forces are good,” Kinsel said. “I really like the ease of operation. And it’s ergonomic and comfortable to operate. When my crews go out on a job, they don’t come back until the job is done. You don’t want a piece of equipment that will wear you out.”

“I trust Case quality. I’ve tried other equipment. I’ve had salesmen bring in other equipment, but Case equipment excels compared to other brands. It’s not that we haven’t tried other equipment, it’s just that, dollar for dollar, Case equipment is a better value,” Kinsel said. “I can’t imagine owning a piece of Case equipment and having something go wrong. It just doesn’t happen.”

Kinsel’s relationship with Birkey’s is equally as strong. He has been doing business with the dealership for years, and his relationship with his salesman, Greg Kromphardt, goes back even further. “Greg knows when I’m ready for a piece of equipment and what I’m looking for. We’re comfortable with each other and it’s not a long, drawn-out process. We get down to work and get our jobs done. It’s a good working relationship.”

Because Kinsel Excavating handles routine maintenance on its equipment, Kinsel appreciates the exceptional service he gets from Birkey’s. “The parts department is superb. They have a drop box in Fairview, and Birkey’s delivers there almost every day.” Even better, one of Birkey’s technicians lives near Kinsel’s office and will drop a part off on his way home. “That’s going above the call of duty. That’s what makes Birkey’s such a standout.” Kinsel said.

While 2009 started out looking like it might be slow, Kinsel is having a busy year after becoming an approved contractor for Peabody Coal for putting in culverts for the mining company. The range of Case equipment he owns helps bring in business, Kinsel noted. “The only work we chase is backhoe work. The rest of the work finds us because we have the equipment. We don’t advertise, all the business we get is word of mouth.”

When the phone is ringing with new opportunities, Kinsel appreciates his dependable Case equipment and the service he gets from Birkey’s.