Most excavation and heavy civil contractors don’t fail because of bad work—they fail because of poor cash flow, bad equipment decisions, and overcomplicated growth.

In this episode, Nate Morello breaks down how he’s built a lean excavation business by focusing on payment schedules, job rhythm, and technology that replaces labor instead of adding overhead. If you’re running municipal, commercial, or excavation work and feel like the business is starting to control you, this episode will hit close to home.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Cash flow beats contract size: Nate explains why payment schedules, retainage, and holdbacks matter more than landing “big” municipal jobs.

✅ Technology should replace labor, not add stress: Grade control, rotators, and attachments only work if they fit your operation—not because someone else has them.

✅ Don’t buy gear for ego: Nate breaks down how screener buckets, rotators, and attachments paid off only because they matched his workflow.

✅ Rhythm over perfection: Over-perfecting jobs kills momentum—focus effort where the customer actually sees value.

✅ Time is the real cost: Renting, hauling, waiting, and delays quietly eat profit faster than most operators realize.

Why It Matters:

If you’re trying to grow without losing control—or wondering why the work feels harder even though you’re “busy”—this episode shows how experienced operators think long-term.

Links:

➡️ Check out Nate Morello’s MC Build Facebook Page:⁠ https://www.facebook.com/mcbuildnh

➡️ Shop Attachments: Build your business with the right attachments. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.skidsteernation.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

➡️ Marketing Help: Marketing built for blue-collar contractors. ⁠⁠⁠ https://getthrottledup.com/