Owner operator Richard Baker shares his successful technology journey with Leica Geosystems and Engcon

Peter Haddock first interviewed Richard of Baker Groundworks in September 2019 when he purchased his first Leica Geosystems 3D machine controlled excavator, complete with the co-pilot system to operate his Engcon UK Ltd tiltrotator. Fast forward to May 2021, and he has just invested in a brand new Liebherr Construction R920, with the Leica Geosystems MC1 system and an updated Engcon unit. He also now has 17 buckets and five additional attachments, and a Scandinavian spec machine with a full LED lighting system and safety light bars.

This will add more time in the winter months to do the job, and the machine is very fuel efficient. Turnover has increased by 25%, plant onsite has reduced by 66% and labour by 45% to do the same work for key customer Chasetown Civil Engineering. The Chasetown team also now use Leica Geosystems machine control and surveying equipment, so everything is on the site model, uploaded 'over the air' using the Leica ConX Cloud based system. Richard even works with avoidance zones to ensure utility strikes don't happen. It's just a great story.