Ulland Brother Inc. incorproates latest technology to thrive after century of operation

 

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For successful operations, different eras of its history serve as touchstones that propelled them to where they are today. For Minnesota’s Ulland Brothers Inc., it has over 100 years of moments to point to.

 

In the 1920s, it was when brothers Oscar and Palmer Ulland moved back to the Austin, Minn., area after a wheat farming venture in Montana and started hauling gravel. In the mid-1930s, the brothers moved to St. Louis County in northern Minnesota with a crusher. They started winning crushing bids and expanded their project area throughout the state. From there, the company continued to grow and add services.

 

Today, Ulland Brothers has roughly 375 employees split between its locations in Virginia, Minn., Albert Lea, Minn., and Cloquet, Minn., with a focus on heavy highway and civil projects in addition to aggregate and underground divisions.

 

And Ulland Brothers isn’t done creating moments.

 

 

Young, committed employees

 

The last century helped Ulland Brothers develop a strong foundation that was built on four core principles: safety, adaptability, integrity and investment. While successful jobs and adequate equipment fleets were a part of the journey, the most vital element of the company’s tenure has been its people.

 

“We’ve built a pretty good group of people who care about the business and like the industry,” said General Manager Andy Wagner.

 

“We all carry a lot of pride here at this place. Our employees do as well. We’re fortunate to have 20, 30, 40-year employees,” added General Superintendent Jordan Moser.

 

Ulland Brothers has also been able to navigate an issue facing the construction industry: attracting young employees.

 

“I think we do better than most,” reflected Moser. “I think the biggest reason is we give people a chance and understand that they’re not going to be a superstar day one. What we’ve found, especially with these young people, is that if you give them a chance, they give you loyalty, and they stick around.”

 

“We take a lot of people who are new to the industry but have the right attitude and work ethic. Skills can be taught. Attitudes typically can’t,” stated Wagner.

 

 

Technology era

 

Ulland Brothers is in the middle of another period that will undoubtedly have a lasting impact: a commitment to incorporating technology into its fleet.

 

In 2023, Ulland Brothers began working on a stretch of Highway 169 in Aitkin, Minn., for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). A unique requirement of the three-year project was that MnDOT needed GPS data to be collected and reported. While Ulland Brothers already incorporated Komatsu’s intelligent machine control (IMC) dozers into its fleet, this would be the first time it would use Komatsu’s IMC excavators.

 

“MnDOT was very involved on getting every detail during the project,” explained Wagner. “Every month, we had to report quantities, and the data collected from the machines made the process very smooth.”

 

“The biggest benefit was that we were able to keep personnel out of dangerous situations on the jobsite, and we knew exactly what our data was every day,” described GPS Coordinator Joe Johnson. “It made the reporting extremely easy. The data is the data. There was no guessing when we turned the numbers in.”

 

Ulland Brothers’ belief in the technology is reflected in its fleet, which includes a Komatsu PC490LCi-11 IMC excavator and two Komatsu PC390LCi-11 IMC excavators from Road Machinery & Supplies Co. (RMS). Of the company’s 10 dozers, nine feature IMC. The benefits of the technology from the MnDOT project continued on the jobs that have followed.

 

“With everything being integrated into the machine, it all just seems to work better,” commented Johnson. “We are able to work faster and waste less material, but the biggest benefit we get is that our operators get a crystal-clear picture of what they are working on.”

 

The integration of Komatsu’s Smart Construction solutions has also been a great advantage.

 

“If there is a problem, I can remote in from my office and troubleshoot. That saves a lot of time,” noted Johnson. “Plus, we can monitor the data as its happening. Every project has something unexpected from the initial plan, especially with quantities. If that happens, we capture it right away — and we have proof. It allows us to execute beyond the contract for our customers.”

 

 

Maximizing returns

 

Purchasing the IMC machines was one thing; understanding the technology and how to get the most out of it was another. Ulland Brothers turned to RMS and Technology Solutions Expert Chris Potter for training.

 

“Chris was a huge help,” declared Johnson. “There is so much this technology can do, so having someone teach us how to get the most out of it has been a great help. There were a lot of phone calls at first, but it’s been smooth sailing since then.”

 

“Having Chris and RMS as a partner in implementing the equipment and training the staff played a huge part in our decision to go with IMC,” emphasized Moser.

 

For Ulland Brothers, it’s another example of the partnership it has with RMS, including Sales Manager Brad Carlson, Territory Manager Matt Orvedahl, Potter, and the service teams across the state of Minnesota.

 

“Service is the driving factor for us,” said Wagner. “Whether it’s service, training, or we need a machine in an emergency, we have trust RMS will take care of us.”

 

 

Creative solutions

 

In addition to Ulland Brothers’ extensive Komatsu fleet that boasts 10 dozers, 10 excavators and seven wheel loaders, the company turned to RMS for a solution to its aggregate operation. In conjunction with Ruffridge Johnson — part of the RMS Family of Companies — RMS Aggregate Sales Specialist Tim Olson presented a one-of-a-kind design, an Astec K400 cone crusher mounted on a Masaba-built plant.

 

“We needed a mobile solution for our bituminous production,” stated Crushing Superintendent Brad Joki. “They took our input and made any changes we wanted. Not a lot of vendors will do that.”

 

Since being put into operation, the results have been great.

 

“It has knocked quite a bit off the cost per ton,” reported Aggregate Manager Adam Thompson.

 

 

A true partner

 

It’s no surprise that two organizations with 200-plus years of combined history in the same industry and territory have a lot of similarities, but there is a fair amount of shared DNA between RMS and Ulland Brothers. There are several examples of employees who have worked for both companies or have parents who have worked at one company and children who worked at the other.

 

“It’s really a neat thing to see. We have a long history with RMS, and we appreciate them,” concluded Wagner.