After 30 years in the landscaping business, Greg Coleman of Visionscapes, Inc. has learned to put trust in the people and equipment that allow him to “work to live, not live to work.” That’s why he relies on his Cat® Dealer, The Cat Rental Store and Cat equipment.
In 1985, Greg Coleman started a landscaping service once he finished school, and for over 30 years his father and brother, Frank Sr. and Frank Jr., have helped his business flourish. As a close-knit family living in the same neighborhood, the Colemans work, vacation and spend time together on the weekends.
The Coleman’s company, Visionscapes, Inc., is still a family-owned business headquartered in Atlanta, providing landscaping services in 21 states across the country. As the CEO of the company, Greg Coleman handles all of the crews on the jobsites, so having his dad and brother handle the finances gives him the freedom to “run the jobs and play on equipment” as he says.
Cat Machines Make Life Easier
With the help of his Cat 308E Mini Excavator’s stability and rubber pads, Greg Coleman can dig twice as many holes per hour and unload tree trucks twice as fast too. “Our productivity on planting trees has increased by 33 percent,” he says. This helps his crew not be as tired at the end of the day and puts all of the harder work on the machines. The Cat 308E features a zero-turn radius machine to avoid hitting glass, a 200-degree bucket rotation to retain more dirt, a digital control panel to reset for a new operator and hydraulic flow is added to the head when the dirt gets tougher.
Not only does the E-Series provide Coleman with more flexibility, power and speed, but the comfort of its insulated cab makes Coleman feel like he is “sitting in a recliner chair.” He is not exhausted either because the cab is quiet, air-conditioned and has radio and air suspension seats. Coleman can operate his machine for 10 hours without a problem and still feel good at the end of the day because of the Excavator’s comfortable features.
Work Tools Keep Them Working Fast
For Visionscapes, Inc., Cat Work Tools are essential to Coleman because he uses everything from reverse tillers and augers to screeners and tree lifters. Work tool options are important since he can do more with one machine. “We just change out the work tool and start tilling within five minutes. The Cat work tools can be changed easily, which helps increase productivity. It’s what keeps me working so fast and doing multiple jobs.”
Rental Store Provides Latest Equipment
Since Coleman travels throughout multiple states, he works with The Cat Rental Store so he does not have to haul his own equipment. Previously, he owned everything from work tools to machines, but as the industry is changing and he travels more, he relies on the flexibility of rental assets. Today, everything Coleman rents when he is traveling is brand new. He says he receives "two-fold" because he gets to rent the latest equipment on the market and because he can try out the newest available upgrades. In addition, he receives service on the machines no matter where he is at because “Caterpillar is there.” Coleman explained how working with The Cat Rental Store helps Visionscapes, Inc. be more productive and that, “We know that we’ll have the exact tools we need to get the job done.”
Cat Dealer as an Extended Family
Reliability and dependability are critical to the Colemans, so their local Cat Dealer, Yancey Bros. Co. I think of Yancey as an extended family; they’re just great guys.” Coleman adds, “I don't have to call anyone else if the equipment I need is elsewhere. They just set it up for me. They make sure the machines run perfectly and they make themselves available.”
Overall, the Colemans choose Cat because, “We do quality work, we use quality equipment, quality materials, and so Cat fits right in with what we do. We work to live, we don’t live to work. That’s important and that’s what Caterpillar helps us do.”
