Ask Conte Company how they grew their small construction company into one of the leading installers of helical piles in the Northeast, and you’ll always get the same answer. Deep roots in the community, powerful innovation… and their incredible team.
A big part of Conte’s great team are the valued strategic partnerships they’ve built over the years. In particular, Hubbell-Chance®, Caterpillar®, Earth Anchoring Suppliers and H.O. Penn top the list. These legendary companies have formed a team that supports Conte with timely innovation, fantastic customer service and loyal friendship.
Hubbell-Chance: The strongest, longest-lasting piles on earth
Since 2007, Conte has grown its helical pile work steadily from a small construction company, and is now the foremost installer of Chance helical piers in New England. This newer type of business specializes in design-build installation of helical pile foundations, which are steel screw-in ground anchored systems used for building and repairing deep foundations. This geotechnical/structural work is led by third-generation, Matt Conte, who received an engineering degree from Syracuse University.
“With the type of industrial work that we do, a driven pile or a vibratory pile is not allowed. The helical pile system is not as cumbersome on a site that’s more sensitive because it’s just screwed into the ground with very small equipment. And the soils in the northeast actually work pretty well with the helical pile system.”
Conte is often the first choice of general contractors in need of helical piles for deep foundations, because few have the expertise and partnership support of a great company like Chance.
Caterpillar: Equipment that gets the job done… day-after-day
Many foundation jobs require equipment that must fit into very small spaces. And, while Chance helical piles are the best in the industry, they might never get drilled into the ground if it weren’t for Caterpillar machines.
Caterpillar has a tremendous selection of small equipment that keeps Conte Company working in places that other small construction companies dare not go! For example, Conte uses the versatile Cat®314C Small Excavator to bore into the soil and drive the helical piles deep underground.
“We own nothing but Cat equipment in all different shapes and sizes. All our machines are equipped with quick couplers, which make switching attachments easy. Each machine is able to operate with the various attachments, which is one thing we’ve always liked about Caterpillar—with our backhoe and wheel loader the attachments work on all the machines. And all three of our mini excavators can use the same attachments.”
Today, Matt’s brother Anthony Conte, who heads up many of the specialty site work projects, says that the interchangeability of Cat attachments increases versatility for his entire fleet. They can now do more with less and that’s huge when it comes to foundation work.
“We’re always working in rock or poor soil conditions. So having equipment with versatile attachments—whether it be a hammer, a pile driver, an auger, or a different style bucket—it helps us perform our work that much faster and more effectively.”
Matt and Anthony also admire the sheer power of their Cat machines, which are really handy for lifting heavy equipment and boring large diameter piles.
“The smaller equipment is stronger and it can lift a bigger pile driver. We can now use a three-ton, where maybe with another brand we would have to use a four-ton pile driver—and there’s a big difference between those two size-wise when you’re going underneath a building or going inside a garage or a basement. This makes it a lot easier for mobilization, and it’s a much smaller piece of equipment to bring on the job site, and that’s why Caterpillar has been great for us.”
Earth Anchoring Suppliers: Always there for anything we need
Conte Company has been working with EAS for years. As exclusive distributors for Chance Helical Pile in the Northeast, their team has an extensive knowledge and understanding of deep foundations and helical pier products, that goes well beyond their competitors.
“They really do have some of the best prices in the industry, and they’re always willing to work with us on the cost. Of course we’re one of their best customers, but they always treat us like the only one they have.”
When your business consists of installing helical piles, it’s really important to have a good relationship with your pile supplier. EAS always gets back to us fast with material quotes, they almost always have exactly what we need in-stock.
“EAS brings the piles where and when we need it… We barely even have to think about delivery anymore.”
It’s no coincidence that Conte Company shares a similar service area with Earth Anchoring Suppliers. We have a common interest in developing long term relationships with our customers and we both understand that providing a superior product, at a great price, is the best way to do that. Once you can provide that consistently, everything else… the mutual respect and the loyalty fall in line. EAS has been an incredibly valuable partner over the years, and we expect many more to come.
H.O. Penn: Conte Company’s exclusive distributor for Caterpillar machinery
Patriarch, Jim Conte, made his first purchase of Cat equipment for his small construction company in 1990 when he was starting a new project that required more powerful machinery. “At that point, it seemed like a good idea to start fresh with new equipment and we gave it a shot,” he says. “And we haven’t left since.”
“Whether it’s a rental we have from H.O. Penn or a piece of equipment that we own, we never have a problem with Cat machines.”
It’s true that if you take care of ’em, Cat machines will last a long, long time. But none of that matters without sheer power. By renting a Cat machine as opposed to another brand, Conte is able to lift a 400-pound pile driver with a two-ton machine, with plenty of power left over to drive the piles. “To have that ability with a smaller machine is a real advantage for us.”
H.O. Penn has been an incredible partner over the years. Even when a small construction company like Conte isn’t quite ready to purchase, they will always offer a temporary solution.
“They’ve always worked with us to come up with a solution, and 99 percent of the time, we end up purchasing the equipment anyway.”
Adds Anthony, “You’re not going to beat the relationship that we have with H.O. Penn. They really stay on an even keel, whether it involves purchasing equipment, service, parts—there’s never an issue, and they are always there for us no matter what we need.”
From a Small Construction COmpany, To all of our Valued partners
Conte Company wouldn’t be where it is today without our strategic partners like Chance, Caterpillar, H.O. Penn, and the dozens of other companies we work with every single day. Every single one helps us create a better product, which leads to happy customers.
“So to all of our incredible partners, Thank You!”
– The Conte Family
