Having the right equipment makes it easy to grade on a 2 to 1 slope.

John DeMaria has been working with dirt since he was 12 years old and started helping his dad with his landscape maintenance company. Nearly 30 years later, John runs a $6 million a year full-service landscape contracting company that employees just over 40 people. DeMaria Landtech is known for its award-winning design/build landscapes for multi-million dollar custom homes.

John DeMaria, President of DeMaria Landtech.

DeMaria Landtech has gone through various transformations throughout its13-year history. The company began as an installer of softscapes only—the actual plants, trees, bushes and flowers. After four years, they added masonry work, including concrete patios, retaining walls and fireplaces, to their repertoire. About six years ago, they began installing swimming pools and will soon begin doing their own swimming pool plastering and pebble surfacing, spinningoff Pool Tech, Inc. in the process.

The reason for the expansion is simple: John doesn’t like to have to pace his work around other sub-contractors schedules. Because DeMaria Landtech handles the whole landscaping package, they can complete a project in three months, including a swimming pool.

DeMaria Landtech owns seven pieces of compact Caterpillar machinery, all purchased from Hawthorne Machinery in Escondido, California. They own compact skid steers, mini excavators, and compact Multi Terrain Loaders and wheel loaders. They have a machine for every use, John says, with plans to buy more in order to cut down on the time it takes to complete each job. The small size of the compact equipment makes it the perfect fit for the space constraints associated with residential landscaping work.The Caterpillar mini excavators feature a compact radius that makes it possible to work in close areas. This enables them to fit through gates, and between retaining or privacy walls. The upper structure remains near the width of the tracks so that the rear of the machine doesn’t hit obstacles when turning—called zero tail swing.

	Excavators dig and the track loaders grade. Very simple.

One of DeMaria Landtech’s current projects is the complete landscaping for nine custom homes in Rancho Santa Fe. They started the project six months ago and it will last 2.5 to 3 years. The homes range in value from $13-21 million each and the softscape portion of theproject for each home runs from $250,000 to $600,000.

DeMaria’s CAT 287B Multi Terrain Loader is getting a workout on this project. According to Caterpillar’s website, the CAT 287B has many work tool options and is highly versatile.

“It is designed to deliver traditional Cat reliability and productivity in the toughest working conditions.” Additionally, Caterpillar’s Multi Terrain Loaders are built on the upper frame of a Cat Skid Steer Loader, using a specially designed, suspended rubber track undercarriage. The result: the machine exerts less pressure on the ground and gives it better traction in soft, wet conditions or on sloped terrains.

One of DeMaria Landtech’s most memorable projects was three model homes for Barratt American Inc., one of California’s premier homebuilders, located in Carlsbad, California. The $1 million project included three custom landscapes and one swimming pool. It took 3.5 months to complete, and was an award winner for DeMaria.

DeMaria Landtech is based in Encinitas and completes work from LaJolla to Carlsbad.

(Left) Building a soil ramp for easy access. DeMaria says, “Track machines are essential for slope construction.” (Right) With the right equipmemt, DeMaria says he can plant a quarter acre slop in 3 days!

John enjoys designing many of the company’s projects. Although he has no formal training in landscape design, he says his 20 years in the landscape business have helped him develop a good style. The company’s projects have won eight first place and numerous second place regional prizes in the design/build category in the past ten years in the California Landscape Contractors Association yearly competitions. Their projects have also been featured on the cover of Better Homes & Gardens magazine three times.

All the large tree holes were dug with a CAT mini excavator.

It seems that John was destined to end up in some kind of construction career. His grandfather was a concrete contractor, his father a landscape maintenance contractor and his brother owns an equipment rental business. After several years working alongside his dad, John managed his brother’s equipment rental business for several years and learned the equipment. His first jobs as a landscape contractor weren’t glamorous. A big job, he says, was a $1200 sprinkler system installation.These days, John is having fun doing many different types of landscape projects. He feels like his company provides excellent service and superior quality work.

“I’m really into the details, like making sure the grout joints are the proper thickness,” he says. “That mentality just goes down through all our employees.

“There’s nothing we can’t or won’t do when it comes to landscaping,” he continues.

Any expansion the company makes will just be an extension of the work they are already doing.

John says Justin Cummings is his right hand man, overseeing servicing of all the equipment, as well as splitting the scheduling of projects and material handling with John. In addition to Justin, DeMaria Landtech has two superintendents.

The company’s biggest challenges are related to overhead costs of worker’s compensation and insurance. John feels that having the right machinery is crucial, as well, because getting the most done in the least amount of time is always a goal for him.

For more information call (858) 481-5500. Cc

With the 287B Cat skid steer, DeMaria Landtech can actually carry 48” box trees up a 2 to 1 slope and put them in a hole with no crane needed.