About six years ago, Jake Brison and Kendall Brison were busy planning their wedding. They decided that if they were going to get hitched, they should try to make another dream come true as well.

“We knew we were getting married, and we had talked about being in business for ourselves,” Jake said. “We figured we might as well jump in with both feet and see if we can make it work. That’s how Brison Excavating LLC came to be.”

Before officially launching Brison Excavating in 2018, the couple had been doing some “weekend warrior work” with a few pieces of equipment Jake had acquired over the years while working for other companies. The projects included concrete removal, pond construction, tree clearing, and building barn pads.

“I would run a loader, and Kendall would run the dump truck or roller — whatever we could do together to make it happen — and things kept evolving,” Jake said. “We decided to focus on the commercial market around the Kansas City area because that’s where my background was. Our services are extensive, including structural concrete from paving to walls, footings, utility installation, and site grading, and our projects tend to be fairly sizable and comprehensive in scope.”

He added that Brison Excavating typically has about six jobs going at any one time. Jake oversees projects as the Field Superintendent, and Kendall handles everything from bidding to billing as the Owner of the company.

Brison Excavating is committed to ensuring its operators have top-quality equipment and has worked with Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc. (KSM) Territory Manager Jason Woods to acquire Takeuchi TL12R2 Compact Track Loaders as well as Takeuchi TB280 and TB290 Compact Excavators. Woods has also assisted Brison Excavating with rentals such as Link-Belt excavators.

“Jason goes above and beyond to make sure we have what we need and always checks in on us,” Jake said. “We love doing business with Jason. He’s part of a really good team at Kirby-Smith that takes care of us with machinery, parts, and service. They’re honest and easy to deal with.”

The Takeuchi equipment has helped Brison Excavating complete jobs efficiently.

“Takeuchi is reliable, it’s rugged, and we have zero downtime,” Jake said. “Our operators keep asking for Takeuchi, so we know it’s the right brand. As our jobs have gotten bigger, we have added equipment to meet the needs. The TB290 is a perfect example. It’s a 19,000-pound excavator that lets us dig large footings and utility trenches, as well as doing smaller work, while still having the ability to quickly move them on a trailer behind a heavy-duty pickup. It’s just a great all-around machine.”

“The TL12R2’s design has been around a long time, and it’s proven to be tough while also being comfortable for the operator,” Jake added. “The versatility is great because we can move dirt with a bucket, then switch over to forks and carry pipe, conduit, forms, lumber, and more. It allows us to run additional attachments too, such as mowers, augers, forks, and brooms. It will handle anything we put on it and handle it well.”

Brison Excavating recently completed some sitework for a general contractor at a health facility in Olathe, Kansas, and is currently working on the installation of more than 10,000 feet of pipe at a bottling facility for another customer.

“We always make sure we have plenty of manpower on our projects, and we strive to have a great work environment, as we believe that directly relates to productivity and customer satisfaction,” Jake said. “We have built a great group of people who do a wonderful job. They deserve a huge amount of credit for our success and ability to complete work on time and on budget.”

The Brisons are looking to increase their staff to about 15 employees in the near future.

“That’s manageable and will allow us to take on additional work without sacrificing quality,” Jake said. “Our plan is also to continue to concentrate on the Kansas City area — as there is plenty of work here — and [to] keep our employees happy.”