In addition to Standard Pacific and Elliott Homes, Rescue Concrete regularly completes jobs for Centex Homes Land Department.A recent project for Centex Homes in Sacramento involved removing and replacing all the sidewalks in the development.

“The City of Elk Grove required Centex Homes to repair every square of concrete sidewalk that was damaged during home construction,” Nicholas says.

One of Rescue Concrete, Inc’s specialty crews repaired and replaced 5,000 square feet of sidewalk in five days using their Gehl compact skid loaders.

The company owns four Gehl compact skid loaders—the 4835, 4840E and 5640E—and one Gehl 353 compact excavator. The skid loaders range in operating load from 1,900 to 2,050 pounds. According to Gehl’s website, the E-Series skid loaders’ “longer wheelbase and low center-of-gravity offers a smooth, stable ride” and the “drivetrain features heavy-duty drive components.” Gehl offers a full line of attachments for the skid loaders. Also according to Gehl’s website, they offer the most complete line of compact excavators in the business. Rescue Concrete purchased their Gehl equipment from WB Equipment in Livermore, California.

One of the most recent memorable jobs completed by Rescue Concrete was for JTS Communities in Lincoln, California. Rescue Concrete’s work on the two-phase project began with installing the 5-6 foot deep concrete footings and all the concrete flatwork for the model homes in the community. The second phase involved installing a one-foot high concrete curb or border with attached wrought iron fencing for the property line marking. The catch to the whole project was that the development was built on a 2-to-1-slope grade, making the use of even compact equipment impossible. The Rescue Concrete, Inc dispatched a specialty crew to complete all work on both phases by hand. Adding to the complexity of the project was the underlying mertex rock, or lava rock, which, according to Nicholas, is harder than concrete.

“We were literally digging six-foot diameter boulders out by hand,” Nicholas remembers. “I think everyone on our crew was an experienced mountain man by the time we completed the project.”

Part of the safety precautions for the project included installing a system of hay bales and netting to catch wayward boulders, rock and debris, so that it wouldn’t end up on the golf course below.

“Despite the difficult conditions, the work ended up looking beautiful,” Nicholas says.

JTS Communities called on Rescue Concrete a couple years ago for a project in Woodland. JTS needed 8,000 to 10,000 square feet of concrete sidewalk to be removed and replaced in a five-day turnaround in order to get their bond money released. That kind of deadline isn’t normally a problem for the company, Nicholas says, but this time the project was taking place in the winter and it rained for three of the five days.

“We had 10 to 12 people on the job and we used our resources and vast experience to solve the problem while not sacrificing quality to get it done in the required time frame.” Nicholas continues, “We used three of our Gehl skid loaders on the project and multiple 10-wheelers.”

Rescue Concrete was able to get the job done in the allotted time.

In addition to their residential work, Rescue Concrete completes concrete flatwork, including curbs and removal and replacement, for commercial clients, such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot. They are also skilled at completing highly specialized concrete work. These specialties include bomanite archutechual concrete, precision concrete, demolition and pour back as well as high end custom homes.

Rescue Concrete offers same-day or next-day service to clients, which Nicholas feels is unique in the industry. The company responds well to client emergencies, with the ability to mobilize a crew on short notice. He feels that they also offer a higher level of quality and service.

Rescue Concrete is a National Housing Quality Control (NHQ) Certified Trade Contractor, which means that personnel from the NAHB Research Center audit them each year. Their quality of work, safety program and record, and warranty paperwork are reviewed. Nicholas says that many home developers require their sub-contractors to be certified, but it is a way for Rescue Concrete to continually become a better company.

One way that Rescue Concrete was able to partner with NHQ was to pioneer technology to reduce paperwork through the use of Blackberry messaging.

As one of only seven NHQ Certified Concrete Trade Contractors in the state, the company is proud to make safety a high priority. Rescue Concrete provides continuous training on safety procedures, conducts bi-weekly safety meetings and performs daily jobsite audits to insure the safety of its employees, as well as its customers. 

“We’re finding that it’s better to train people, investing skill sets and a good work ethic as we go,” Nicholas says. “The downturn in the market has given us time to focus on training our employees and take them to the next level in the company.”

“We always want our employees to step up to the next level, moving from laborer to foreman, and foreman to superintendent,” he continues. “Truly, our employees are our future.”

Nicholas says that Rescue Concrete is fortunate to have Mirella Campos as its Dispatcher. “Mirella’s knowledge of the equipment and the staff, and the fact that she is bi-lingual has contributed to taking us from a well-run family company to an even better run corporation.”

The company’s office is in Rancho Cordova and where they employ 38 individuals.

For more information look online at www.rescueconcrete.com, call (916) 852-2400, or e-mail Nicholas Winn at ncwinn@rescueconcrete.com.

(Top) Rescue Concrete, Inc. using their Gehl 4835. Even though this is an older model Gehl, it is more than adequate to get the job done! (Middle, L-R) Nicholas Winn (Project Manager), Laura Winn (CFO) and Noah Winn (Equipment Manager). (Bottom L-R) Mirella Campos (Dispatcher) and Delia Campos (Office Manager).