Source: Awesome Earthmovers
Connop & Son, a family-run contracting business from Herefordshire, England, has been leveraging Trimble GNSS technology for over a decade. This technology has revolutionized their operations — and today, the company cannot imagine functioning without it.
Provided by SITECH UK & Ireland, Connop & Son’s suite of Trimble solutions includes Trimble® Business Center office software, Trimble WorksManager software, Trimble Earthworks grade control platform and Trimble Siteworks positioning systems. These tools work in harmony to significantly enhance the company’s efficiency and productivity across numerous projects.
Founded in the 1970s, Connop & Son initially focused on agricultural contracting, handling tasks such as plowing, planting and harvesting to support a small farming operation. Over time, they expanded into construction, adding excavators and other plant equipment to their arsenal. One of their early projects was constructing a poultry unit, and the company has continued to grow ever since.
In the poultry industry, Connop & Son offers services such as earth movement, groundwork, foundations, mass concrete walls and laser screed flooring. In agriculture, they provide silage pits, biomass buildings, potato and grain stores, livestock sheds and dairy units. They have also ventured into the commercial and industrial sectors and more recently into soil stabilization.
Trimble technology has been instrumental in the company's growth, particularly in concrete pours and laying, which remain core activities. “Currently, we are pouring between 500 and 1,000 cubic meters of concrete per week,” said Chris Connop, company director, with much of it within the poultry sector.
The company operates a large fleet of plant and machinery, including dumpers, dozers and excavators, with a workforce exceeding 60. “One of our first pieces of technology was a 3D Trimble laser system used to take levels and mark out sites, and we have been upgrading the technology ever since,” Connop added.
Recently, Awesome Earthmovers visited one of Connop & Son's work sites in Ledbury, Herefordshire, where a skid steer grader was involved in soil stabilization and prepping for concrete and tarmac slabs. The skid steer grader utilized Trimble Earthworks with Trimble SPS930 universal total station control for high accuracy leveling.
Another site visit in Malvern showcased an excavator and dozer, equipped with Trimble Earthworks grade control systems, working on a new farmyard project involving soil stabilization, site stoning, drains, footing and foundations. The Trimble Earthworks machine control system integrates positioning sensors with computer displays, providing operators with better insight and control over their work. This technology allows precise positioning of buckets, blades and other implements, eliminating the need for surveying, staking and constant progress checks.
Connop & Son also utilizes Trimble Business Center, Trimble Siteworks software and Trimble WorksManager, which enable operators and site engineers to work more accurately, quickly and efficiently. This integrated, cloud-enabled environment facilitates real-time access to data, machines and workflows.
Siteworks positioning systems handle complex survey files and 3D data sets swiftly, enabling users to identify and resolve issues before they cause delays.
With Trimble Business Center, the company efficiently calculates earthwork and material quantities for bids, prepares data for construction stakeout, builds 3D models for optimized machine operation, tracks productivity, and delivers first-class as-built documentation. “The Trimble technology today is much more user-friendly and visual, providing our team with greater flexibility on site,” Chris noted.
The company invested in its first Trimble machine control system (Trimble GCS900 grade control system) about a decade ago, ideal for bulk earthworks, compaction and finished grading. This system allowed even less skilled operators to work faster, more consistently and with less rework.
“We upgraded to Trimble Earthworks a few years ago. The current technology is more user-friendly, visual and significantly improved, giving our team more flexibility and reducing site marking time. Everything can be uploaded onto a screen, aiding the design process and smoothing the transition between design and site integration,” said Chris.
Trimble Earthworks systems have been fitted to various machines, including two Cat dozers, a Komatsu dozer, a newly acquired Liebherr dozer and two Volvo excavators. One of the 20-tonne Volvos also features a Steelwrist tiltrotator, enhancing the excavator's flexibility and site accessibility.
“The integration of the Steelwrist with the Trimble Earthworks system makes the excavator much more versatile. We can access areas on site that we wouldn’t have been able to reach otherwise,” Chris added.
In conclusion, he said, “Trimble technology is indispensable to us. Our investment in it is yielding significant returns. It has been a tremendous asset on our various projects, and our operators find it easy to work with, given a little training on the products. The support and backup from SITECH are much appreciated.”
