 The Connecticut River and Long Island Sound converge
near the quintessential New England town of 0ld Saybrook,
Conn., home to B&L Construction. With one of the region's
largest concentrations of 18th century colonial and 19th
century federal buildings, 0ld Saybrook is a fitting headquarters
for a construction company devoted to lasting quality.
Allen Hull made quality the B&L hallmark from its beginning in 1993. Prior
to that time, Hull developed a sand and gravel business, and also worked in landscape
construction. "We are a small company that does projects ranging from paving
a driveway all the way up through a large commercial complex," Hull said
of B&L, which handles all aspects of site work from clearing the land and
grubbing to site utilities, paving and some landscaping. B&L is also bondable.
"We provide our customers with a quality job, completed on time at a fair
price." B&L started with seven employees and now serves clients throughout
southeastern Connecticut with a team of 35. Hull eliminates the superfluous layers
of management by dealing directly with clients and then coordinating job requirements
with seasoned foremen and superintendents.
"There is no successful company without a great working staff because the
owner, whether it be one person or a joint partnership, cannot do everything
himself," Hull elaborated. "The owner can't be on every job every day.
We would not be where we are without good people in the field."
 The good folks in the field include Frank Soares, Pete Taylor, Bob Moon, Scott
Hoyt, John Serbaschewicz, Rod Brown, Jim Mack, Peter Rodgers and Bruce Sypher.
At the helm in the office for B&L is manager Denise Sypher. "The reason
this company is successful is because we have great people and great resources," added
Hull.
Although relatively small in number of employees, the range of B&L projects
is vast, from $500 up to $4 million. The quantity of projects is impressive as
well. B&L typically completes from 40 to 50 projects a year in the $50,000-plus
range and another 40 to 50 jobs of paving smaller driveways.
"As our client's schedules change, we have to be able to change the way
we operate and adjust both equipment and personnel needs in order to meet the
completion date, especially on the commercial end," the owner explained.
 "With site work, there are many different problems
that you can run into. For example, subcontractors on the
job may not perform their services when they are supposed
to, which can affect the completion date of the project.
However, we have a large enough staff and fleet of equipment
that we are able to adjust to meet these schedules. That
is why we primarily have repeat customers."
The region is dotted with improvements by B&L, such as
Waterford Medical Group outpatient facility, water main work
for the Connecticut Water Company, and North Cove Crossing
and Hill Farm developments for those over 55 years old.
"It is very rewarding to start a project from concept ion, to take a set
of plans, and evaluate how to approach and complete the job," Hull recounted. "It
is also challenging because on many projects, owners are looking for ways to
cut costs. We are able to provide the owner with ideas for cost savings. I like
negotiating and bringing a project to fruition."
A first-time visitor to B&L headquarters might mistake
the company for a Komatsu dealership given the well-kept equipment
and the broad selection of models. With 24 units, the ratio
of B&L field employees to Komatsu machines is nearly one
to one.
"I started buying Komatsu back in 1984, and have had outstanding success
with the product in general and especially as far as downtime and repairs," Hull
reported. "I'm a firm believer in the product."
 With 14 units ranging in size from Komatsu PC30s up to PC300s,
the excavator is the most well-represented machine in the
B&L fleet. This year, B&L purchased a new Komatsu
PC300LC-7 Power Plus excavator.
"Not a day goes by on any of our jobsites that we're not using an excavator," asserted
Hull. "We use them daily, from the stumping right up through earth cuts
and fills, utility work and excavation backfill for foundations. Our crews use
excavators from the start to the finish on most any construction project."
B&L also puts several attachments to work on its Komatsu
excavators. Grapples and hydraulic hammers extend the effectiveness
of the machines. The JRB quick coupler greatly trims the time
needed to switch attachments and, therefore, cuts expenses.
"When you have a pipe crew that is costing you a couple hundred dollars
an hour on a job and you have to go from a hammer to a bucket or vice versa,
you can save 75 percent of your transfer time by using a quick disconnect," Hull
noted. "That is all added savings on a project."
Hull supplements his excavators with five Komatsu dozers,
the smallest is the D31 and the largest the D65. The dozers
are matched in quantity with five Komatsu wheel loaders, starting
with a new Komatsu WA250-5 up to the WA380. Hull says the
Dash-5loader with hydrostatic controls is a favorite among
his operators due to its ample cab design.
 "The visibility from the cab is one of the big selling points of the machine.
It gives the operator a wide range of vision so he can see what he's actually
doing, whether he has the forks on to move pipe on the site, off-load trucks
or if he's using a side dump along a trench," Hull said.
Two generations of sales representatives from East PBE have
partnered with B&L: Walter Augur Jr., and before him,
his father Walter Augur Sr.
"We rely on our dealer to respond in a timely fashion
when we have problems or need repairs, parts or adv ice," Hull
maintained. "They are not literally a financial partner,
but they are a partner just the same. If you don't have a
dealer who can supply you with your parts and repairs as needed,
and you are not capable of doing a repair in-house, every
day a machine is down you either stop production on a job
or you're forced to rent equipment. So the partnership with
an equipment dealer is quite a serious aspect of the bottom
line of any site-construction business."
East PBE has access to a replete stock of parts to keep machines rolling. A part
that is ordered one afternoon is often installed and the equipment is back in
service by the following morning.
"The parts inventory for Komatsu is excellent," Hull adds. "Basically,
within 24 hours or less, I have what I need. East PBE can usually supply us with
a machine for the interim until we get ours up and running. They have a large
rental fleet to back up any situation."
 The nearly 100 projects B&L completes each year are a reflect ion of the
company's dedication to quality. The same can be said for the type of equipment
it operates as well as its commitment to maintenance.
"Machines have to be well-maintained, and cosmetically, we do normal painting
every five or s ix years because I believe that your equipment is your image," the
owner related.
"We have records of every machine we own from the time we acquire it to
the time we sell it. We track hours and log every repair and every bit of maintenance.
We bring every piece of equipment we own into our facility during December through
February for a complete overhaul."
Another ongoing B&L program underscores the importance of keeping the entire
crew focused on safety first.
"Safety is a very important part of the industry today," Hull pointed
out. "We have our weekly toolbox talks about safety, and once a year, we
bring in a speaker to discuss safety with the entire staff. It is a necessity
today to emphasize trench safety, working around construction sites and working
with moving equipment."
 Hull doesn't expect B&L to grow in numbers of employees. The additions he
plans for the future, however, will help secure the natural beauty and preservation
of the picturesque Connecticut Shore.
"I would like to eventually increase the recycling end beyond what we do
today," Hull predicted. "We already have crushers that we use with
material we used to discard from a project. We actually take that material into
our yard and make a product, which has helped us become very competitive.
"As the area where we are located continues to grow, there is more need
for recycling facilities, which we have. That end of the business will probably
grow. But as far as enlarging our company by adding employees, I have found that
30 to 35 people among our gravel operations, our paving and our site work is
the right number for B&L Construction.
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