When the two-hour season finale of “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” airs on May 17, Phil Paull, Final Grade Excavating Inc., Noblesville, Ind., will be watching. Final Grade Excavating was one of the contractors that donated time and labor to building not only a house for an Indianapolis family, but also to building a library and making other improvements to the surrounding neighborhood.

“We got the job through company recommendations. We’ve worked for Estridge [the builder on the Extreme Makeover project, located in Carmel, Ind.) for years. We have done a lot of specialty housing projects for them. A lot of other companies we’ve worked with also recommended us. I was really honored to be so highly recommended by so many people,” said Paull.

The work took place between March 28 and April 5 and Final Grade’s participation totaled 101 hours divided between Paull and the other three volunteers from Final Grade.

“The first day, I’d say we worked 45-and-a-half hours straight. The rest of the time we’d get a few hours of sleep and then be right back out there. All my guys were great and so generous in donating their time,” Paull said.

Paull had the essential job of “taking the wrecking ball up in the helicopter and dropping it on the house,” which started the whole process rolling. Paull and his crew were then constantly involved in various projects, with the end results transforming a neighborhood.

In order to keep up the pace, Final Grade used a number of items from Southeastern Equipment’s Indianapolis location including a New Holland dozer and track skid steer and a Kobelco Blade Runner excavator.

“With the equipment I had from Southeastern, I could do anything,” Paull said. “The Blade Runner from Kobelco was unbelievable. We were using it everywhere. Don Miller, our sales rep, is a great guy and very helpful with whatever we need.”

Paull thoroughly enjoyed the experience. “It was so incredible because we had 2,500 people out there night and day. It rained on us all the time. And yet through all that there was not a single accident and one argument and the rest of the time everyone was helping each other. They were the best contractors out there working together. The police were there directing traffic; there was catered food at all hours. It was like a barn-raising party. And the house and library are just beautiful. The whole thing was great,” Paull concluded. CEG

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