MOLINE, Ill. –Today, John Deere announced Rector Excavating Inc. of Kentucky as the winner of its “Building America” Excavator Contest, a nationwide competition celebrating the dedicated construction businesses whose work helps build, support and strengthen communities across the United States.
Rector Excavating was selected following a nationwide public vote among three John Deere-selected finalists. The company will receive a New Generation John Deere Mid-size P-Tier Excavator to support the family-owned company’s continued work on water, storm sewer, site development and other infrastructure projects throughout Northern Kentucky.
“Rector Excavating’s story demonstrates how building America starts at the community level,” said Jon Gilbeck, global marketing manager, excavators, John Deere. “The work Patrick and the Rector Excavating team perform helps provide families, schools and communities with the infrastructure they rely on every day. Their commitment to their customers, their community and the next generation embodies exactly what we hoped to celebrate through this contest.”
Patrick Rector, co-owner of Rector Excavating, submitted the company’s story for the contest, sharing how the family-owned business has grown alongside the northern Kentucky community it serves. Rector grew up in the excavation business after his father started the company in 2000. Following high school, he joined the business full time, progressing from operator and laborer to foreman before taking on estimating, customer relationships and crew management responsibilities alongside his father.
Today, Rector Excavating performs water main and service installations, storm sewer projects and site development for schools, apartments and other projects throughout Northern Kentucky. The family run company includes Rector’s parents, Randy and Tina, his wife, Trisha, and several other relatives and team members.
Among the projects that have meant the most to Rector was installing water service and fire protection at the elementary school he attended as a child. The school had relied on well water that was becoming insufficient, giving Rector and his team the opportunity to help provide a clean, reliable water source to a place that remains an important part of his community.
That work extends to residents throughout the region. Rector said his team has installed tens of thousands of feet of waterline for people who previously relied on wells, cisterns or hauled water, while also completing stormwater projects designed to help protect homes from flooding.
“That’s the thing about building America, you’re really here to make your community better than it was when you showed up,” said Rector. “I feel grateful that I’m in a position to give back to the community and get the younger generation involved with the trades.”
The new John Deere Excavator will immediately provide another tool for that work. Rector said the company already has a project in mind for the machine: replacing stormwater infrastructure in an established neighborhood where runoff has created flooding concerns for nearby homes. The project will require installation of 36-inch storm pipe and deep manholes, an application Rector described as an ideal fit for the new excavator.
For Rector, the contest also represents an opportunity to highlight the importance of skilled trades and encourage another generation to pursue careers in construction.
“Doing a good job here and representing excavating can help bring people into the trades who maybe never thought about it before,” said Rector. “It’s important for the next generation to keep going, give back to the community and get younger people involved.”