A Vermont business supports the community with DEVELON equipment and backing from local dealer G. Stone Commercial.
Working with heavy equipment has been his family’s business since Chris Griffin was a child. Now Chris is sharing his experiences with his own growing family.
“I’ve been around excavating my whole life with my grandparents,” Chris says. “We do site work, clearing, logging, anything that has to do with dirt.”
Chris Griffin is the owner of two companies: Bear in the Bush and Griffin and Sons Excavating. The North Fayston, Vermont, companies are well-respected in their community. Griffin and Sons builds roads, foundations, new homes and sewers. Bear in the Bush does property maintenance, such as snow removal during winter, for a mix of residential and commercial customers.
Entrepreneurial Spirit
Why does Chris own two companies? He couldn’t wait to get started and began his shop in 2011. Bear in the Bush began while Chris was working for another contractor. At the time, it was barely an idea in his head. But when a friend happened to be out of work, Chris bought equipment and hired his friend to fire up Bear in the Bush. Later he inherited Griffin and Griffin from his grandfather and changed the name to Griffin and Sons Excavating.
“Our family’s always done construction work and it’s a good job,” he says. “It’s a lot of fun. You get to work outside, take a lot of pride in your work.”
Chris hopes that his children will follow in the family business. He has two boys — Michael and Jay — and they go to work with him regularly. Chris is a fervent believer in family-oriented business. He treats everyone like family; like he wants to be treated.
“The guys that work for me, I want them to come to me with problems … and not be afraid to talk to me,” he says. “I try to keep it small: like a family.”
Devoted Dealer
A contractor is only as good as the local dealer, and Chris Griffin is in good hands. He is backed by another family-run business: G. Stone Commercial in Middlebury, Vermont. That dealership grew from a single, small garage to a two-division shop thanks to elbow grease and ongoing determination.
Contractors like Chris depend on dealerships for equipment, parts and service and general advice. So finding a reliable dealership like G. Stone Commercial is critical to business success.
“I had a code come up on a wheel loader one weekend, and I had to call the dealer. It happened on a Saturday and they called me back on Sunday,” Chris explains. “I’d strongly recommend G. Stone Commercial. They treat people right. It’s a great place to do business. It’s great to deal with people like that.”
Winter Brings 100 Inches of Snow
G. Stone Commercial introduced Chris to the DEVELON construction equipment brand. His most recent DEVELON purchase, a DL220-7 wheel loader, has impressed Chris with its cold-weather capability.
“It performs well in the cold,” Chris says. “I haven’t had any problems with it. It’s a great loader. It’s got good visibility. It’s very comfortable to sit in for a long time. It’s got good power and it’s good on fuel. It’s got good traction.”
Chris pairs the DEVELON wheel loader with a 12-foot snow pusher attachment to plow large parking lots. He will also switch attachments to a bucket and pile the snow higher. The region where Chris works often receives more than 100 inches of snow annually.
This next-generation wheel loader is the latest in the DEVELON -7 Series lineup. The 160 hp wheel loader is built with a standard Z-bar lift-arm linkage system, which is ideal for digging, heavy lifting and general construction tasks. It’s an ideal all-around, versatile machine, which is exactly what Chris needs for year-round success.
It's a great Loader. It's got good visibility. It's very comfortable to sit in for a long time. It's got good power...It's got good traction."