Harrison Hoegh’s company has been operating for one and a half years in the Atlantic and surrounding communities.
While in Salt Lake City, Utah, Hoegh began working for an excavation company. Growing up on a farm in the Atlantic area, he enjoyed the trucks, being a mechanic, and doing dirt work. So working for an excavation company seemed a good fit.
Finding challenges in excavation work is only a stone’s throw away. “I worked on building a subdivision into the mountains north of Park City,” said Hoegh. We were cutting a road straight into rock, and dynamite was used to lay the utility lines.
Most of Hoegh’s work locally is done with his 2017 CAT 320F. One of the jobs he is proud of is cleaning up a fallen barn and taking out a silo. “I feel best about the jobs that look a lot cleaner after I have left,” said Hoegh. “Additionally, I plugged a well on that site, so the acreage was in much better shape environmentally. I find it interesting. I just try to solve the next problem in front of me,” said Hoegh. “Like working in tight spaces. I have to be aware of my swing radius and what trees, fences, and buildings are in the area.”
A business isn’t just getting to play with grown-up Tonka toys; there is the matter of logistics. “Operating equipment is a small part of what I do. Keeping an eye on equipment, truck driving, planning, and organizing takes up most of my time.”
Hoegh’s day starts with bookwork before taking his daughter to daycare. Then, greasing, fueling, checking for fuel levels, and cleaning the machine. Then the work day fun begins, getting to remove trees, cleaning up old building sites, or grading for a pad. Currently, the business is working with county secondary roads and farms.
Most farmers are too busy to run an excavator. Farms need to run smoothly. I hope it also creates jobs in the future. He would like to expand into commercial building work and, hopefully, hire a few people. He is currently hiring for his company.
He recommends getting a Commercial Driver’s License(CDL) if interested in this career work. “While in Utah, the people who always had a job were the ones with a CDL,” said Hoegh. “I knew if things slowed down in the winter, I could drive a semi for a company. Iowa Western offers CDL classes, and he recommends that upcoming seniors looking to get into the business consider such an option.”
