Reinforced Wall Systems, located in Cumming Ga., is a small company in the business of reinforcing walls in residential developments. But, what they do goes beyond wall reinforcement. They are highly sought after because they also provide solutions for maximizing land use for homebuilders.
As urban areas mature, large tracts of flat land are becoming a rarity in many regions, so today’s homebuilders and developers are forced to build out on hilly or sloped terrain. As of August, newly built, single-family homes increased 18 percent—the highest level in six years—as mortgage interest rates continue to remain historically low. With the housing market back on its feet, businesses like Reinforced Wall Systems are in high demand because of their specialization in wall reinforcement. In hilly areas, extra wall reinforcements are needed in home building because of the amount of saturated soil the walls hold back. Reinforced Wall Systems not only underpins these walls to eliminate structural damage over time, but they construct large walls on these hilly areas, increasing plots for homebuilders.
Opened for four years now, Reinforced Wall Systems has a strong relationship with their dealer, Cowin Equipment in Mableton, Ga. where they get their equipment. The company features a big fleet of Takeuchi equipment, including three TL10’s, one TL230, and a TL12, for a total of five compact track loaders. They also have three compact excavators with a TB153, TB180FR (full rotation), and TB235. Half of the equipment is on lease purchase, while the other half is rented from Cowin. Reinforced Wall Systems appreciates the benefits of renting machines.
“With the economy we just got out of, being able to rent equipment is not a total commitment, which is a very nice alternative,” said Brian Hughes, owner of Reinforced Wall Systems. “By renting equipment, the maintenance on the machines is covered. We are able to have a full time mechanic without having him be on our full time staff. Cowin Equipment is an outstanding dealer for us and have very prompt customer service. I never have to worry about one of my machines breaking down because they always are right there for me.”
Cowin Equipment, a full-service dealer, specializes in heavy construction equipment for general contractors, mining/quarrying, industrial, and forestry. They primarily cover Alabama, Georgia, Northwest Florida, and coastal Mississippi with 10 total dealer locations. Highly regarded in the south, Rental Equipment Register has recognized them as one of the top 60 rental companies in North America. They carry the compact excavator and compact track loader lineup from Takeuchi.
While they have only worked with Cowin for the past year, Reinforced Wall Systems has been using Takeuchi for over three years. They work closely with Cowin Equipment’s sales and rental representative Alan Wilbert, who furthered their relationship with Takeuchi.
“I ran a few Takeuchi machines prior to our relationship with Cowin, but they definitely accelerated that for me in using their compact equipment exclusively,” said Hughes. “What drove me to Takeuchi is their smoothness. It is a very smooth operating machine and is very easy to operate. From my experience with equipment, Takeuchi usually lasts a little bit longer than anyone else and as an owner, I appreciate that quality in my fleet.”
Recently, Hughes and his crew traveled a few hours away to Columbus, Ga. for a $1.2 million project that required them to do a retaining wall repair. The 45-foot walls had structural failure that needed to be fixed. They brought their Takeuchi equipment with them; utilizing the TB180FR compact excavator, along with a TL12 compact track loaders. They used the machines for undercutting with the ultimate goal of doing an underpinning of the retaining wall. With structural wall failure, underpinning is a long process that requires operators to be delicate and not overly aggressive. The Takeuchi machines were able to dig underneath the wall in a very tight area and working space. It was another successful job by Reinforced Wall Systems, which took close to four months to finish.
“We couldn’t have done it without our Takeuchi machines,” said Hughes. “With the TB180FR and TL12, we were able to undercut slowly and carefully, while still being effective. The machines really were the driving force behind the entire operation.”