Re: 15\' bat winged bush hog
Gary,
Ok, here goes -- it may turn into a Novel.
My parents sold their home in 1980 near Chicago, and moved down to Cape Coral, FL. My dad had just quit his job -- he had enough of the cold Chicago winters -- and started a lawn care business. I also started one about a year later after not returning to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for my sophmore year. This was the time of the gas crisis and pilots were getting laid off left and right. I didn't want to be in debt up to my ears and have no where to get a job. After a few years of cutting grass, I decided to go back to college and gave all my accounts to my dad.
About the time I was graduating, the City of Cape Coral (which is the 2nd largest city land-wise next to Jacksonville in FL), decided to stop mowing the vacant lots (which each one is owned by someone) and contract it out to private industry. My dad offered me to join him in this venture, but with my new Engineering degree in hand, I opted out. So, my brother-in-law and my father decided to go after this new venture.
They did their homework and went to bid with bond in hand. There is something like 13 Districts that were up for bid -- they got something like 5 of them. 3 other companies got the remaining 8. The contracts were for 2 years with a 2 year extension. At the time, the lots needed to be cut only 4 times per year. They calculated that they would need three (3) tractors and three (3) 15' flexwing mowers. They bought 2 Kubota M8750's (actually one of them is now mine); 1 Deutz and 3 Bush Hog mowers. They took out a 2 year loan on all equipment. That way if they just got the 2 years without extension they would have everything paid for. The first 2 years were lean years for them, but after they got the 2-year extension, things started paying off. From there they kept bidding when new contracts came up and buying more tractors/mowers.
Now they must cut 6 times per year -- more money -- but they must complete things quicker, so they had to buy more equipment and hire more men. I think when they were at their peak they were running 8 tractors. My dad is ready for retirement and my brother-in-law is not the kind of guy that can run the business on his own (he is pretty much the in-house mechanic), so at the last bid a year ago, they only bid on 2 districts and have decided to end things 2 years from now. They only run John Deere 7210's now -- all air cabs, and all run 20' Rhino Super Heavy-Duty Flexwing's. When they are finished, I get first shot at buying any equipment of theirs at the family discount. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
At one point many years ago, they also did some Highway work -- but the logistics was just too much of a hassle. They have done very well for themselves.