Posted by Brian Taylor
Tim and Tom DeVivo, co-owners of Willimantic Waste in Willimantic, Connecticut, say their newly purchased Sennebogen 818 material handler has been a more than worthy replacement for the excavator it has replaced, which was a “workhorse” that provided 30,000 hours of dependable service.
When shopping for a new handler, the brothers say they knew there were now more efficient options available, and they set their sights on obtaining a purpose-built material handler.
“The old one didn’t have an elevating cab,” says Tim DeVivo, noting that high-rise visibility would help operators to sort the incoming bulk items delivered to the site. “A purpose-built machine gives us fuel savings, too, which add up over eight-to-10-hour shifts every day.”
A search of local equipment dealers narrowed their choices down to two contenders. By spring of 2020, they decided on a tread-mounted Sennebogen 818 R-HD from Tyler Equipment, which carries Sennebogen handlers at its dealerships in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
“We knew what we wanted, but the other company just wasn’t listening,” Tim DeVivo comments. “We don’t need a wheeled machine here; it sits in one place all day, picking through the material as it comes in and loading the shaker table. I felt very comfortable with Tyler, with their service and warranty package. They made the commitment to respond within 24 hours when we need service.”
Constantino Lannes, president of North Carolina-based Sennebogen LLC, praises Tyler for responding to the business needs of its customer. “This is a core value at Sennebogen: to think ‘beyond the machine’ and look at what the customer needs to be successful. The waste stream at Willimantic never stops, so we have to be ready to keep them up and running throughout the life of the machine.”
The unit Tyler delivered is an 818 R-HD E-Series fitted a 30-inch rotating basket sorting grapple. Its K10 ULM boom provides a reach of up to 33 feet, two inches, lifting a maximum load of 15,870 pounds, or 7.9 tons.
Tim DeVivo says his operators appreciate how Sennebogen’s hydraulic controls allow operators to handle the grapple easily, allowing them to sort right from the pile. Tyler also had the 818 equipped with limit stops on the boom that let the machine work quickly and safely indoors. According to DeVivo, “The lock allows it to reach its maximum height without hitting the roof – it eliminates operator error.”
The 818 is now on duty sorting and loading as much as 500 tons of construction and demolition (C&D) material per day, and in a typical day handles about 250 to 350 tons. DeVivo’s C&D operation is on one of three adjacent Willimantic sites, including its maintenance yard and material recovery facility (MRF).
C&D processing begins with Willimantic’s large bin fleet for construction and demolition projects, along with household bin rentals collecting bulk items that range from sofas to hot water and propane tanks. The bin operation, including three feeder stations north of the city, serves a 30-mile radius in eastern Connecticut.
Willimantic Waste began recycling metal, rags and paper in the 1940s with the DeVivo brothers’ grandfather, Patrick. Their father, Jim, expanded the business into a full range of recycling and collection streams for residential and commercial customers.
Today, the fourth generation of the DeVivo family is also taking place in the family enterprise. Tim DeVivo says family values shared with Tyler Equipment and Sennebogen – also multigenerational businesses – help the companies see eye to eye.
DeAnne Toto
Posted by Megan Smalley
