“The limitation of the engcon is your imagination”

Recently, we had the privilege of catching up with Matt Cornell, a second-generation company leader and Retaining Wall Installer. He talked to us about his experience with engcon equipment, the attention it’s “grabbing” from competitors, and how it’s opening up new business.

The Go-To Tool that Saves Wear and Tear on the Machine and the Operator
To help us understand Advanced Wall Structures’ business, he explained that they do a lot of retaining wall installation as well as demo work and tree removal. He calls his engcon tiltrotator his “go-to tool” for their five-foot bucket, three-foot digging bucket, hydraulic pallet forks, and grapple. “With our grab and our different attachments, we opted to get EC-Oil,” he said. “It makes everything super easy and we don’t have to get out of the cab to switch attachments. It saves time and wear-and-tear on the machine and the operator. Operator fatigue is a huge deal for us,” he added.

“It’s like the Swiss (or Swedish) Army knife of equipment”
We asked what prompted Advanced Wall Structures to take the leap with a new type of technology. Matt said, “I saw it on social media, thought it was super interesting, and I saw the potential in it.”
“Honestly, it was a tough sell to get everyone else on board, because it was such a different kind of tool to take a chance on. But we decided to give it a shot,” he said. “Everyone doubted me beforehand, but after the fact, everyone was like ‘wow, this is such a time-saver!’ No more wheel barrows, and hand-digging doesn’t happen anymore,” he added.
“And it’s like a Swiss Army knife—or maybe a Swedish one—since engcon is a Swedish company,” he said with a laugh. “It’s so versatile, it’s amazing what you can do with that attachment. Especially with so many different attachments you can form fit it to whatever you need to do,” he added.

Matt addressed common concerns about the engcon being difficult to learn. “It’s very intuitive, and it’s super simple to use. A couple hours and I had it figured out,” he said. “Of course, there’s a learning curve with anything that’s new, but I say spend a week in it and it’s like second nature.”

Grabbing Attention—And New Jobs
Matt talked about the attention he gets with the engcon, as well as kinds of jobs he couldn’t have taken on without it.
“I talk to other contractors constantly—even if you’re competing, you still talk,” said Matt. “They’re always curious about my engcon and they go ‘what is that thing?’ I get them get in my Doosan to try it out. When they’re done, they’re like ‘wow, that’s amazing. That’s the coolest thing ever!’” he said with pride.

Matt also talked about the opportunities that the engcon brings. “I’ve come to find that new jobs present themselves that only that tool can do. I had a job in one of the largest private communities in the U.S, and we had to rip down an old building that had a road around the entire thing, with traffic constantly moving by. I had to use the engcon with the five-foot bucket, the three-foot digging bucket and the grapple to rip out the foundation,” he explained. “I usually dig both sides of the foundation and pull up on it, but it wasn’t possible that day because of all the traffic close by. So, I sat inside where the building was, worked 16-foot sections of the foundation out and was throwing them into the dump truck in between cars driving by. I couldn’t have done that job without the engcon or it would’ve taken a long time. It would’ve been a headache,” he concluded.
And the engcon opens up even more jobs for Advanced Wall Structures. “Some of the commercial developers we work with have jobs that would be a hindrance before. But now, we bring the 140 out with the engcon and we just don’t even question it,” said Matt. “We just show up, get it done and move on to the next job.”

engcon Service: “One of the best experiences I’ve ever had”
Matt talked about how his great experience with engcon goes beyond the product. “Sales and service with engcon is amazing, probably one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, he said.
“Joanna, P-O, and the others, they’re all super nice and extremely knowledgeable. When I call, they greet me like I’m the only person they’ve talked to that day; it’s unbelievable how responsive they are.”

Parting Words
As our visit was ending, we asked if Matt had any advice for other professionals. “I would say if you’re questioning what an engcon can do, look and see if there’s a demo day near you,” he said enthusiastically.