In 2026, Duininck Inc. will celebrate 100 years of operation. In that time, jobs, equipment and applications have changed. One constant has been the foundation of its sustained excellence: people.
"One of our core values is valuing the person as a whole," said Courtland Acosta, equipment manager. "That includes our employees, vendors and customers, but also the communities we work in through infrastructure improvements and community service."
Another constant at Duininck Inc. has been the Duininck family, which is in its third generation of family ownership with the fourth generation already involved.
The path to success began in 1926 when Duininck brothers Henry, Amos and Wilbur started a road construction business from their hometown of Prinsburg, Minn. Growth and expansion of both services and territory was the legacy of the second generation, also a trio of brothers in Harris, Larry and Lee. During this time, Duininck Inc. grew to add more applications and became more diversified with its offerings.
Today, Chris Duininck, president, carries on the family ownership legacy into its eleventh decade of operation with a focus on modernization and integrating technology into the operation to position the company for continued success in the modern construction industry.
"This is a very competitive industry, so you have to do things right to succeed," he said. "The Duininck name has a reputation for getting projects done in a timely manner without cost overruns or delays. It's something we've been doing for 100 years, and that's due to a solid foundation the Duininck family has instilled and continued to prove."
Community Building
An entrepreneurial mindset has led to Duininck Inc.'s continued growth. Today, the company regularly works on heavy civil construction, asphalt paving, utilities and grading projects in the $3-5 million range. With 350 employees at the height of construction season, Duininck completes projects in west-central Minnesota, but will occasionally go as far north as the Canadian border and south to northern Iowa.
Another focus area for Duininck is aggregate production. The addition of crushing allows Duininck to provide material for construction projects in its footprint and feed a sister company that makes ready-mix.
"We like to focus on our main service area for a lot of projects," said Acosta. "Especially those where we can utilize our own aggregate material as opposed to purchasing and trucking some in. It allows us to be more competitive and have the quality control we pride ourselves on."
True Partnership
When Acosta joined Duininck five years ago, he estimates that only about 5 percent of its equipment fleet was Komatsu pieces from Road Machinery & Supplies Co. He said that number has doubled in the last three years. Duininck Inc. has found a true partner in RMS.
"I was familiar with Komatsu equipment from my past jobs," said Acosta. "I had used Komatsu's large mining equipment and excavators a lot. I believed — and still do today — that Komatsu is a quality product. I think it can go up against any of the other brands and outperform them," he said. "But what has really helped us add more pieces is the support we get from RMS. I've never heard ‘No' from RMS. From Mike Sill [CEO] to Mike Buchanan [territory manager], they are invested in our success. Duininck Inc. and RMS are partners."
Developing a relationship takes more than successful equipment sales. While reliable equipment is the first step in the process, the service and support Duininck has received from RMS is what has taken the relationship to another level.
"Just recently we had a machine that was down, and I called Mike to see when we could get a technician out to the site," said Acosta. "Mike called me and said the tech was tied up at another job, so he was going to the site to start working on it himself. That isn't his job, and it was late. He's got a young family, but he was ready to do what it took to get the job done.
"Then at 7:00 p.m. I got a call from Jason Guggisberg [RMS field technician]. He told me he was getting fuel and heading to the site. A couple hours later, Jason called me back and said the machine was back up and running. It saved us a day, but the thing that meant the most to me is that he told me ‘I'm here to help you guys.' You don't get a lot of that attitude anymore today."
Continued Growth
Komatsu isn't the only equipment from RMS making its way into Duininck's fleet. Last year Duininck purchased an Astec KPI-JCI K500 cone crusher — it's first piece of Astec aggregate equipment — to the aggregate spread at its Scott Quarry in Hardwick, Minn. Once again, going the extra mile led to the deal.
"We rented a crusher last season, and we weren't sure if it was the right fit," said Acosta. "We met with Ben Schmidtlein [RMS aggregate division manager] and then visited the Astec plant in Eugene, Ore. We got a real hands-on experience and were confident that Astec and RMS would be the best fit. After that, we were excited to put it to work in the toughest application that we have."
The K500 is currently working as the plant's secondary crusher. The Scott Quarry produces .75-in. product for a large ready-mix operation in addition to material for FOB sales and Duininck's asphalt operations. While the application is tough, the K500 has exceeded expectations.
"We are producing about 200-tons more per hour," said Acosta. "It's performing flawlessly."
Production numbers and machine performance can be forecasted from the manufacturer. However, until the machine is in the field, it's merely an estimate you hope is right. One thing that Acosta said he didn't have to worry about was the service and support he'd receive from RMS.
"Never in the process of buying the K500 did I ever doubt RMS' ability to stand behind the machine," he said. "Their reliability was one of the reasons we bought the crusher."
Modern Integration
The Duininck's strong sense of guiding principles has delivered nearly 100 years of success and will remain its driving force for years to come. However, Acosta acknowledges that remaining competitive in today's construction industry also will require modernization.
"Right now, we run a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to technology in our fleet," said Acosta. "One of things we're looking at is incorporating more of the latest technology. That's going to happen sooner than later."
To meet its technology goals, Duininck has looked to RMS and Komatsu's Intelligent Machine Control equipment.
"We've been to the Komatsu Demo Days in Cartersville with RMS," said Acosta. "It was a really good opportunity to get in the machines and run them, but also get information and training on how and when to use them. The technology is great but making sure it is used on the right jobs with the right crews is what will make it even more valuable to us. So, we're really checking boxes and doing homework right now to make sure we hit the sweet spot."
With an impressive track record of growth and a trusted partner to help with the process, it seems highly likely that Duininck Inc. will find success in its plan.
"It's the direction we have to go, and I'm confident we'll be able to do it and do it well," he said.
