Kurguz Paving Inc., owned by Tim Kurguz, has been a leading asphalt and concrete company serving residents, business owners and industries in Columbus, Ohio, and the surrounding area since 1982.
As the company has grown over the years, it has come to rely on The McLean Company, Ohio’s authorized LeeBoy dealer, for its paving equipment needs. Headquartered in Hudson, Ohio, the LeeBoy dealer has branch locations in Columbus and West Chester as well.
Kurguz Paving had purchased a LeeBoy 1000 asphalt paver from McLean Company a number of years ago and was pleased with its performance but felt it was time for a bigger machine that would help them maximize efficiency on larger projects.
Given that Crew Chief Verna Mayes would be in charge of operating the new paver, Kurguz put her in charge of reviewing the options and ultimately, making the final purchase decision. While Mayes had a long standing relationship with the team at McLean Company and a good deal of experience with LeeBoy, she felt that in order to perform a complete due diligence, she should investigate other machines as well.
Mayes worked with McLean Company’s Tom Wade to arrange a demo of the LeeBoy 8500C paver and with another dealer to demo another machine. When compared side by side, Mayes found that the LeeBoy 8500C paver provided several benefits lacking in the other machine. The LeeBoy 8500C was faster, not as bulky, offered greater visibility and was easy to operate, said Mayes.
The fact that the LeeBoy 8500C was set up like the LeeBoy 1000 was a definite plus given her familiarity with that paver. Her time working with the LeeBoy 1000 paver over the years also gave her a good deal of confidence in the winning combination of LeeBoy’s quality and durability backed by McLean Company’s excellent record of service, she said. Mayes added that the training process went very smoothly with LeeBoy Territory Manager Tony Wight joining McLean Company’s lead mechanic, Rick Frazier, to spend a day to bring them up to speed.
According to Wight, customer’s like Kurguz Paving are what has made LeeBoy a success, explaining that their line of seven paver models offer a size range to meet customer needs as they grow. He added that his job is easier and more rewarding when he has the opportunity to work with people that have the level of enthusiasm and professionalism as demonstrated by Mayes.
The LeeBoy 8500C asphalt paver is powered by a fuel-efficient 74 hp Kubota Tier IVi turbocharged diesel engine. The 8500C pavers, outfitted with two 36 in. (91 cm) wide automatic conveyors along with a wide hopper design allow for faster paving in confined areas. The feed system is designed to deliver asphalt more evenly and efficiently while producing a smooth asphalt mat. The paver offers a choice of high deck or low deck configuration to meet a contractor’s specific operational needs.
Kurguz Paving Inc. opted to have its LeeBoy 8500C asphalt paver equipped with the Electric Legend Screed for improved mat quality on its job projects. As opposed to the also available Legend Propane Screed, the Electric Legend Screed comes with two heating elements on the main screed and single elements on each hydraulic extension. The screed’s longwearing 3/8 in. AR 450 Hardox screed plates with bull-nose leading edge are bolt on for easy servicing. According to Mayes, the paver lays down a beautiful mat that, when the material is hot, is truly seamless.
At a recent job on a pharmacy parking lot, Kurguz Paving’s new LeeBoy 8500C asphalt paver was hard at work laying down 1-½ in. top overlay. The 6,700 sq. ft. (622 sq m) job was done in stages to avoid interruptions to the pharmacy’s business and was completed in three days. In all, the paver has layed down 750 tons (680 t) in two months. Key features that appeal to Mayes are the machine’s dependability and maneuverability. The new LeeBoy 8500C asphalt paver has cut their paving time in half, said Mayes.
Kurguz Paving Inc. employs a can-do approach toward its business, tackling everything from new construction on large industrial projects to crack filling and all related services in between. The company specializes in laying asphalt and pouring concrete slabs on jobs in central Ohio down through Cincinnati and into northern Kentucky.
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