When Brendan Gallivan founded Gallivan Corporation in 1994, he wasn't thinking about building one of eastern New York's most diversified site development and landscape construction companies. He was simply a teenager who enjoyed working outdoors, operating equipment and finding ways to build something of his own.

More than 30 years later, that entrepreneurial spirit continues to define the Troy, N.Y.-based company. What began as a lawn mowing business has evolved into a full-service contractor employing approximately 120 people and performing everything from excavation, grading and utility work to commercial landscaping, hydroseeding, swimming pool installation, masonry, snow removal and specialized blower truck services throughout the Northeast.

"I've always liked equipment and moving dirt," Gallivan said. "Growing up on a horse farm, my brother and I were always building something. That's really where my interest in construction started."

Gallivan officially launched the business while still in high school. Within only a few years, the company was performing major hydroseeding projects, including approximately 180 mi. along the New York State Thruway.

"My senior year I had about 10 people working for me," Gallivan said. "The business just kept growing."

Instead of pursuing a traditional college education, Gallivan focused on industry training, business development courses and continuing education while expanding the company's capabilities. His sister, Shannon, who serves as vice president, has been involved since the beginning, helping manage the administrative side of the family business.

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Today, Gallivan Corporation maintains one of the region's more diverse construction fleets, supporting everything from landscape maintenance crews to heavy construction operations. The company also has developed a unique blower truck division capable of placing engineered soils, composts and mulches on projects throughout the eastern United States, including green roof installations on multi-story buildings.

Despite that growth, Gallivan said one philosophy has remained unchanged.

"I'm always looking for ways to make our crews more efficient," he said. "Labor continues to be one of the biggest challenges in our industry. If we can use technology to do more work with fewer people while improving quality, that's what interests me."

That mindset has led Gallivan Corporation to embrace equipment technologies that many contractors are only beginning to explore.

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Among the company's most significant investments has been pairing Hitachi excavators with Engcon tiltrotators and Trimble machine control systems.

Gallivan currently has four excavators equipped with the combination, and he believes the technology has fundamentally changed the way his crews approach construction projects.

Instead of constantly repositioning an excavator to attack a job from different angles, the Engcon tiltrotator allows the attachment to rotate and tilt, giving operators far greater flexibility while reducing unnecessary machine movement.

"We look at projects differently now," Gallivan said. "Instead of moving the machine all the time, we're moving the attachment. It saves time, improves production and allows us to do things that simply weren't practical before."

Each excavator is equipped with an assortment of attachments, including grading buckets, digging buckets, trenching buckets, grapples and plate compactors.

Combined with Trimble machine control, Gallivan said the machines have become multi-purpose tools capable of replacing additional labor and equipment on many projects.

"When we decided to go with the tiltrotators, we also decided to install Trimble machine control," he said. "We wanted to build what I call a Swiss Army knife. Once operators become comfortable with the technology, they begin looking at every project differently."

Gallivan estimated operators become proficient after roughly 20 to 25 hours in the seat, but said the learning process never really stops.

"The more you use it, the more applications you find for it," he said.

One recent residential project demonstrated the technology's potential.

Working alongside his 11-year-old son, Gallivan completed excavation for a home foundation, garage foundation, backfilling and compaction using two Hitachi excavators equipped with Engcon tiltrotators and Trimble machine control.

"In most cases there wasn't anyone on the ground," Gallivan said. "The two of us completed the work ourselves."

The project also highlighted another source of pride for Gallivan.

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His son already spends summers working alongside the company's technicians, learning equipment maintenance, inspecting machines and developing the same appreciation for construction equipment that inspired his father years ago.

"It makes me proud," Gallivan said. "He loves equipment. He likes working. He likes fixing things. Hopefully he'll continue to enjoy being part of the business."

Supporting Gallivan Corporation's growing fleet has been an equally important relationship with Tracey Road Equipment.

Gallivan first began working with the dealership around 2016 while expanding the company's blower truck operation. What started with purchases of Western Star trucks eventually grew into a broad partnership that today includes Hitachi excavators, Hitachi wheel loaders, trailers and additional equipment.

Gallivan credits Scott Collins of Tracey Road Equipment with helping evaluate new equipment technologies while understanding the company's long-term growth strategy.

"We've built a great relationship with Scott Collins and the entire Tracey Road organization," Gallivan said. "They understand our business and how we operate. Whether it's trucks, excavators or support after the sale, they've always been there for us."

That relationship has become increasingly valuable as Gallivan Corporation has standardized much of its excavator fleet around Hitachi equipment.

Today, the company operates nine Hitachi excavators along with multiple Hitachi wheel loaders supporting excavation, grading and winter snow removal operations.

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Gallivan believes Hitachi's hydraulic performance has proven especially beneficial when operating Engcon tiltrotators and other hydraulic attachments.

"The hydraulic power is impressive," he said. "The machines are smooth, powerful and extremely fuel efficient. Once you start running hydraulic attachments every day, you really appreciate the way the Hitachi hydraulics perform."

Gallivan also believes the combination of Hitachi excavators and Engcon tiltrotators has become one of the company's greatest productivity advantages.

"The two products really complement each other," he said. "The Hitachi hydraulics make the Engcon perform the way it's designed to. Together they've allowed us to take on projects differently and complete work more efficiently."

While technology continues to reshape the construction industry, Gallivan said the company's future will remain rooted in the same principles that helped launch the business more than three decades ago: Keep learning. Keep investing. Keep finding better ways to serve customers.

"It's all about improving," Gallivan said. "There's always a better way to do something. If you're willing to embrace new ideas and keep learning, your business continues to grow."

For Gallivan Corporation, that philosophy has carried the company from a teenage lawn mowing operation to one of the Capital Region's most respected construction firms — and continues to shape the next generation of the family business.