Dealer Support Enables Contractor to Take Machine Control to the Next Level

Bryan Bailey fully understands the benefits of construction technology. He’s an estimator, project manager, and manager of all things GPS for the civil construction arm of Alvin J. Coleman & Son, based in Albany, NH. With an annual construction volume of $30 million, 250 construction vehicles, and 225 employees, there’s a lot that needs to be managed.

Bailey grew up in the company, starting his career in 1988 as a laborer. Over the years, he’s seen machine control technology evolve into an essential tool for completing the company’s large earthmoving and construction projects, whether it’s big-box retail sites, bridge construction, wind energy, or road construction projects.

“You need to have it on the size projects that we do,” says Bailey.

“Most of the decision to go with Leica was based on the support we were given, and still get, from ABTECH. We went with them because of their attention to detail and their willingness to work with us. And the Leica systems are very user-friendly.”

—Bryan Bailey, Alvin J. Coleman & Son

A significant benefit of machine control is reducing manual labor. “Without machine control, you need someone alongside a dozer or an excavator constantly pounding in grade stakes,” Bailey explains. “With machine control, you still need some labor, but you don’t need a full-time person constantly pounding stakes.”

According to Bailey, labor isn’t as available as it used to be. “With machine control, less experienced operators can get to finished grade a lot easier and faster.” He also appreciates that the risk of injury is greatly reduced with fewer people on the ground.

Alvin J. Coleman & Son was an early adopter of GPS technology and machine control in the early 2000s. Over time, they ended up with a mixed fleet using both Leica machine control technology and another technology brand. Bailey became involved in 2022, building the 3D models, specifying the technology, selecting a dealer, and supporting field personnel. Around that time, the company decided to move from using multiple technology suppliers to relying on just one: Leica Geosystems.

A key part of their decision to go solely with Leica and their dealer, ABTECH, was the people aspect.

“In this industry, the GPS systems work great—until they don’t,” Bailey says. “Support is a huge component of GPS technology.”

“Most of the decision to go with Leica was based on the support we were given, and still get, from ABTECH,” Bailey adds. “We went with them because of their attention to detail and their willingness to work with us. And the Leica systems are very user-friendly.”

“With GPS, problems are exposed a lot quicker. If the models don’t line up, or the grades don’t line up, it shows up on the screen, where you can visualize it.”

—Bryan Bailey, Alvin J. Coleman & Son

ABTECH is one of the leading Leica Geosystems distributors in North America. Their expansion of services in the Northeast U.S. in 2023 made it easy for Alvin J. Coleman & Son to unify everyone under the same system. This move significantly simplified operations and training.

The Leica machine control technology has proven extremely reliable. According to Bailey, any issues they do have are typically resolved with a quick phone call to ABTECH support. “If they have to come on-site, they’ll be here in a day,” he says. Since transitioning fully to Leica machine control with ABTECH, “there certainly has been less downtime.”

Bailey builds the company’s 3D models based on engineering plans, which are uploaded into the machines via USB drive. When the company standardized on Leica as their technology supplier, they purchased three Leica MC1 machine control units with the MCP80 panel and docking station, upgrading from an older Leica iCON 3D model. They now own six units in total.

In addition to its user-friendliness, Bailey appreciates the modular approach of the MC1/MCP80 system, which can be moved across different machine types (dozers and excavators) using a single panel and software platform. This simplifies workflows and reduces training time.

“If we don’t need it in the excavator, we can put it into the dozer and switch to dozer mode,” Bailey says. “It gives us more flexibility.”

Another key feature of the Leica MC1 system is the ability to receive real-time kinematic (RTK) correction data via radio. “We try and run off of cell service, but inevitably there isn’t cell service everywhere, since we work in some remote sites,” Bailey explains. “Then we need to turn to radio.”

A communication unit connected to the on-machine GPS/GNSS receivers makes it easy to move between cellular and radio communication. “On newer models, you just need a code to switch to radio communication,” Bailey says.

Bailey believes that “[machine control] technology is only as good as your models and your linework.” He thoroughly checks the engineer’s plans to ensure the model sent to the field is accurate. Though some issues inevitably arise, GPS, he notes, helps quickly reveal those discrepancies. “With GPS, problems are exposed a lot quicker,” he says. “If the models don’t line up, or the grades don’t line up, it shows up on the screen, where you can visualize it.”

Alvin J. Coleman and Son uses GPS data to identify quantities, which is helpful on projects with quantity overruns and for monthly pay applications. This saves time with the back-and-forth between owners/engineers and also ensures payment for items that otherwise wouldn’t be recognized.

ABTECH assisted Alvin J. Coleman & Son with initial training and continues to offer periodic refresher sessions.

According to Bailey, getting his team on board with all Leica technology wasn’t a problem. “We had one crew that was very comfortable with the previous technology, but once we got it up and running, I have not heard anything negative,” he says. “There wasn’t much of a learning curve, and they got comfortable and confident with the Leica system very quickly.”

Bailey has learned that the right partners and user-friendly technology are critical to machine control success. By working with Leica and their dealer ABTECH, Alvin J. Coleman & Son has simplified workflows, reduced training time, and minimized downtime.

With those trusted partnerships in place, Bailey feels confident about embracing future technologies.

To speak with a heavy construction expert who can guide you on your technology journey, contact us.