M.E.G. Contractors owned by Michael Goldberg, a site contractor in Pennsylvania, is eyeing growth with the help of a new Komplet K-JC 704 mobile jaw crusher. The company focuses on residential and commercial-industrial projects, using crushed concrete for fill to cut costs and considering expanding their equipment lineup to meet growing demand.
CEG photo
Michael Goldberg
Many boys are fascinated by heavy equipment in their formative years, although those interests are prone to frequent changes, as things like dinosaurs, Star Wars and sports compete for attention.
Not for Michael Goldberg.
"I was probably six when I knew I wanted to do this," he said. "I was just always fascinated by heavy equipment. I just enjoy going to work every day and being in the machines."
Goldberg owns M.E.G. Contractors of Jenkintown, Pa., a full-service site contractor that works on both residential and commercial-industrial site construction projects in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
The company, which dates to 2009, lives by the motto, "If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life."
Goldberg definitely loves what he does, and he also loves a new addition to his equipment lineup: a Komplet K-JC 704 mobile jaw crusher.
"We were looking for a small mobile jaw crusher," he said. "That kind of machine was only offered by Komplet last year. When we went up to watch the demo, it was exactly what we were looking for."
The K-JC 704 crusher features a 27-in. by 16-in. single-toggle jaw crusher that can be adjusted hydraulically. Its sensor above the jaw inlet turns the vibrating hopper on/off to control the feeding of material and prevent jamming. It offers an output size of ¾-inch to 3¼-in. at a rate of up to 90 tons per hour. The back of the jaw crusher has two swing doors that open for access for routine maintenance on the diesel engine.
Goldberg grew up in Huntingdon Valley, Pa., and now lives nearby in Abington's Elkins Park section. After graduating high school and working with Associated Paving Contractors of Warminster, Pa., Goldberg attended Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, Mass., earning a bachelor's degree in construction management.
"I learned a lot about the business and the business end of project management," he said.
Goldberg worked with paving contractors around Boston while in school but soon moved back to his old stomping grounds.
He founded his company in 2009, at that time buying a skid steer and a dump truck. Various jobs followed and word began to get around. Some of those projects grew in size and scope.
That included excavating work for both individual houses and housing development. There even were some commercial site work contracts.
A key point in the development of both Goldberg and M.E.G. Contractors came a few years later when he began working with Casey Haney, who had a strong background in excavating.
In 2017, the duo landed a job doing site work for an indoor boat and storage facility.
"We had to buy a bunch of new equipment then," Goldberg said.
One thing followed another, and soon the company was doing earthmoving work for a local utility, along with work in Bucks, Montgomery and Chester counties, as well as some work around Delaware County, the Allentown area and occasionally in New Jersey.
Goldberg and Haney complement each other on the job.
"Casey pays attention to detail," he said. "I still work in the field."
Goldberg said many of its excavating projects are for D.J. Pinciotti Construction Co. of Ivyland, Pa., a site contractor specializing in underground utilities.
The company now counts seven employees and fields a good mix of experience, youthful energy and versatility.
"We're interchangeable," Goldberg said. "We're all truck drivers. We're all mechanics. We're all operators. We pride ourselves on how we leave our jobs."
The Komplet mobile jaw crusher has made a huge difference for M.E.G. Contractors.
"We use all of the crushed concrete as fill," he said, noting that helps eliminate dump fees and hauling costs.
Considering that dump fees run from $100-200 per load and trucking costs approximately $120 an hour, that adds up. So does not having to buy fill, which can cost approximately $13 per ton, Goldberg said.
In addition, a couple of local townships have hired M.E.G. Contractors because of the new capabilities.
"We crush their concrete, and they pay us for it," he said. "We can go from a three-quarter-inch stone up to a 4-inch stone, which can be used for anything from structural fill or a subbase for housing."
Goldberg is considering adding to his Komplet machinery.
"Right now, [the crusher's] handling our need, but as we get larger, there's the possibility of more of a screener," he said.
Goldberg is looking to grow the company.
"We can probably use another three or four guys at the most," he said, noting that they don't perform paving or concrete work at this time. "We want to do complete site work."
Goldberg stressed the team element, adding that many of his employees have worked for him for years.
"It's nice to provide a home and family and a living for the employees," he said, noting that his team shares a common mentality of service. "Most of us were or are firefighter volunteers."
Rising fuel and equipment prices, not to mention many more rules and regulations have changed the profession, but Goldberg said it's manageable.
M.E.G. Contractors will look to update and maintain its fleet, taking advantage of modern technology such as Trimble GPS to make jobs easier and more efficient.
The company's growth has occurred in fits and starts, something that's proven challenging,
"I wish that I was busier earlier, but the way the opportunities aligned, I have no regrets," Goldberg said.
The recently ended 2024-'25 winter found the company busier than ever, a trend continuing into spring, as one large job got delayed last year. That residential housing development excavating project has kept the company's schedule busy today.
M.E.G. Contractors' equipment fleet includes a Cat 352 hydraulic excavator, Cat D8 and D6 dozers, articulated dump trucks, a John Deere tractor scraper, two Terex scrapers and compaction equipment.
"I like having a nice fleet of equipment that's functional and clean," Goldberg said, adding that he also collects scale models of construction equipment. "The stuff I started with I still have."
Continuity also plays a role in the company's fortune. That original equipment still gets used for small projects with initial clients.
"With original clients, the stuff I did then, I will still do today," he said. CEG
This story also appears on Aggregate Equipment Guide.
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