Despite frequent delays caused by inclement weather, contractors have made significant progress in preparing a 75-acre (30.4 ha) site for the latest phase of the Village at Weatherstone in eastern Cherokee County, GA. When completed, the live-work-play community now under development by The Landon Group will have a total retail value of $138 million, which will make it the largest development of its kind in the county.
Site preparation for the latest phase of the Village at Weatherstone began last October, when Clyde Gilleland Contractor Inc. of Jasper, GA, began clearing the heavily-wooded hillside with the help of logger Mike Richards and Bobo Grinding Service of Woodstock, GA. Bobo’s workers utilized a Daewoo 290 equipped with a shear and a Morbark 1300 to handle the grinding portion of the project.
In addition, the team from Gilleland had to demolish two houses and several barns that occupied the site before equipment operators could begin mass grading. Another house fronting Highway 92 also will be moved before Gilleland workers can finish grading the development’s commercial section.
“We expect to move half a million yards of earth during the mass grading for the latest phase of The Village at Weatherstone,” said Scott Gilleland, vice president of Clyde Gilleland Contractor Inc. “We have encountered a few boulders, but the project has mainly involved ripping so far. Based on our testing, we don’t expect to do any blasting.”
Gilleland currently has more than 20 pieces of heavy equipment at the site, including seven scrapers, six bulldozers, two compactors, three excavators and a rubber tire loader. Caterpillar manufactured most of the equipment being used on site. Gilleland also has Herc, Terex and Case scrapers involved in the project, as well as a Komatsu excavator. Gilleland obtained most of its Caterpillar equipment and parts from Yancey Brothers through the years. The company gets parts for its Herc and Terex scrapers from Cowin Equipment in Alabama, while Southern Power and Equipment in Atlanta supplies Gilleland with Case parts and equipment. The contractor got its Komatsu excavator and obtains replacement parts from Stith Equipment in Forest Park, GA.
“Weather has been a big challenge for us throughout the project,” Gilleland explained. “On the hillside sections of the site that retain less moisture, we have used our double-barrel Caterpillar 14s to strip, then brought in Caterpillar scrapers to move the heavy dirt. In the dryer areas, we have found that our Caterpillar scrapers do a better job.”
“In lower-lying areas, we rely mainly on the Case, Herc and Terex scrapers, which do a great job of handling the mud,” Gilleland added. “They go just about anyplace.”
When the Gilleland team completes the mass grading portion of the project, which is now scheduled for mid-April, Leroy Head Pipeline Contractors will come in to lay sewer lines and install storm drains. Gilleland will then shift its focus to grading individual lots and pods. When that process is finished, each site will be within a half-tenth of grade, according to Scott Gilleland.
“By the time we get finished, all Colony Homes will have to do is throw down border boards, pour slabs and, maybe, bring in a Bobcat to dress up a little around the slabs,” Gilleland said.
He added that Clyde Gilleland Contractor Inc. takes great pride in providing this high level of quality service to all its clients. Scott Gilleland’s father, company president Clyde Gilleland, founded the company in 1977 with a single scraper. The company has since grown to include more than 40 pieces of heavy equipment and two service trucks.
“As the old saying goes, my father has always believed in providing an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay,” Scott Gilleland said. “As a result, we have never had to bid on a job. All of our work is repeat business, and some of our developer customers will even wait for us to become available before they’ll start a new project.”
He added that all of the company’s 25 employees share the Gilleland family’s old-fashioned work ethic. In addition to equipment operators and office staff members, the company has two self-employed mechanics who work exclusively with Clyde Gilleland Contractor.
“We have hardly any employee turnover in our organization,” Scott Gilleland said. “Several of our operators have been with us since the early days of our company. Some even say that they wouldn’t work anywhere else.”
“Clyde Gilleland and his team do excellent work,” said Don Hausfeld, president of The Landon Group. “With their help, we expect to begin marketing new homes and office space in The Village at Weatherstone by early this summer.”
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