James Julian Grading, LLC utilizes new technology to offer turnkey grading work for subdivisions near Greenville, S.C.

James Julian has nearly five decades of experience in the heavy equipment industry. He spent his early career as a truck driver before starting his own contracting business. A love of working with the soil initially drew him to the industry and keeps him involved to this day.

“My dad and I were farmers, and I grew up loving the smell of dirt,” recalled Julian. “I bought my first tractor while working for a trucking company, just to play with. It was an old machine at the time, but I enjoyed being in the open air.

“In 1972, I quit trucking and started a small clearing business with my brother,” continued Julian. “We worked together for 10 years before the bottom fell out of the economy, and I went back to trucking. Shortly after, I realized I had grown to enjoy moving dirt and quit trucking for the second time to establish James Julian Grading.”

The company is based out of Simpsonville, S.C., and runs a small crew of five employees. While that number has fluctuated over the years, Julian prefers the smaller operation.

“I enjoy being on a tractor more than I do filing paperwork, and having a small crew allows me to get out and run the dozer,” said Julian. “It’s a lot simpler once I’m operating. At the end of the day, I’m able to look back and see what I’ve accomplished. To me, these jobs are more than making money. I take a sense of pride in what I do and want that to be reflected in my work.”

Today, James Julian Grading primarily focuses on residential projects but historically has completed a wide range of commercial and private work. The firm provides turnkey operations and will partner with other local contractors to complete jobs.

“Typically, we will take a project from clearing to a point where it’s ready for landscaping,” explained Julian. “Sometimes we’ll subcontract for one of the contractors that I’ve mentored over the years. Being able to pass on my knowledge and teach young people that are eager to learn has been a blessing and has paid dividends for me over the years.”

Making operating easier

At a residential subdivision west of Greenville, S.C., Julian is subcontracting for someone he helped train.

“I am grading the roads, building the ponds and creating roughly 100 pads,” he noted. “Coming from mainly having worked on commercial projects, there was an initial learning curve for us of how to build subdivisions. Now that we’ve figured out the process, we’ve come to prefer this type of work.

“Historically, we always moved soil with scrapers which were ideal for large, flat job sites,” continued Julian. “We have recently transitioned to using GPS machines, which have exceeded my expectations. The GPS technology has changed how we move dirt and improved our efficiency.”

James Julian Grading uses a Komatsu D61PXi-24 dozer with intelligent Machine Control (iMC) technology as its GPS solution for residential projects.

“Normally we’d use the scraper to take off all of the topsoil, pile it somewhere, then grade the project and respread the dirt,” explained Julian. “With the D61, I can work on a single pad and know exactly where I’m at as I go. It allows me to work on an individual pad as I see fit. It’s completely changed the way I grade a project.”

Removing stakes from the job site was a quick transition for Julian. “At first, I didn’t believe it was possible to grade without stakes in the ground. I had wondered how people did it but didn’t take the time to find out the difference it could make in productivity. By the second day of running the 61i dozer, I was comfortable with the GPS technology and really saw the difference it could make on any project.

“I’m able to get on the machine and go straight to cut instead of worrying about stakes,” continued Julian. “When I’m moving dirt, I can push it to where it needs to go instead of piling it up and then transferring it back. Our productivity and efficiency have greatly improved since adding the dozer.”

While Julian was used to operating open cab dozers, the enclosed cab on the D61 was an unexpected benefit for him. “I never used to like cabs that weren’t open but have come to love the enclosed cab. On cold days I can work out here by myself without stopping. I have the project layout on the screen in front of me, my body isn’t cold and the seat is comfortable to operate from. Everything about the machine makes life a lot easier for me.”

Expert support

Since the early ’90s Julian has worked with Komatsu equipment. To find the right machines, he partners with Linder Industrial Machinery and Sales Rep Andy Chapman.

“I’ve built a very good relationship with Andy and Linder over the years,” said Julian. “I enjoy Komatsu equipment because it has stood up over time and is backed by great support from Linder. Whether I’m working with someone in Linder’s shop or in the sales department, they are always willing to stop what they’re doing and help me.”

When Julian added the Komatsu D61PXi-24 dozer, he received training from Linder Technology Solutions Expert (TSE) Rhett Pilgrim. “Rhett was great about teaching us the capabilities of the machine when we first got it. He’s been there to support us every step of the way whenever we have a question. He and Linder have been a lot of help to get us up and running.”

Looking ahead

Julian remains enthusiastic about working every day and has no plans to slow down operating the equipment.

“As long as I’m enjoying it and my health is good, I plan to keep operating,” said Julian. “At some point I might not be able to jump on the machines anymore, but I suspect that if I were to quit operating, I wouldn’t be around much longer. A lot of people my age enjoy fishing and golfing — my passion is moving dirt.”