Kevin and Keith Milne grew up with a father in the general engineering construction industry. Because of this, they were given an early orientation into some of the details of this business, including learning to operate machinery like excavators and skid steer loaders. Both Kevin and Keith went to work early on in their teens for their father on a labor crew where they would operate skid steer loaders, skip loaders and other pieces of construction equipment. While Kevin eventually went directly into the business as an owner-operator, Keith started out from college

working in financial services. It didn’t take long for Keith to realize that this particular type of work was not for him and so he decided to turn back to what he had always loved, and that was operating construction equipment. “My heart was set on working in the construction industry, and so I made myself a deal where I would bid on a couple of projects and just see where fate would take me,” says Keith. “I got those initial jobs, and so I got with my dad in 2004, and together we started KML Contracting, Inc., which is an acronym for my father’s existing business

at the time, Kenneth Milne Landscaping.

Kevin Milne joined his brother and father

a year or two later, and all three worked together

as partners. Keith and Kevin have been taking care of most of the day-to-day operations since 2010, with their father, Ken, focusing most of his time on his other construction enterprise, while also beginning to enjoy a little bit of semi-retirement. “We started out doing mostly landscape construction jobs for my dad's company and other landscape construction firms. We also decided early on to just keep it simple by focusing on the equipment end of the business, working primarily for other general contractors as a subcontractor on grading and excavating projects,” says Keith. “Today, 90 percent of our work is on pool excavation jobs from North San Diego to the Temecula Valley, where we are headquartered.” KML Contracting, Inc. (KML)has three additional operators/laborers working for the company. “We have grown a bit since 2004 with the ability to work on several projects at a time. Kevin will run a crew, and I will run a crew, and everyone is capable and cross-trained in operating everything from excavators and skid steers, to driving dump trucks or serving on the ground as a laborer,” says Keith. “My wife, Michelle, also

By Brian Hoover, CMS, Senior Editor

Above: Keith, Ken and Kevin Milne, Partners, KML Contracting Inc. on a pool dig in Carlsbad.

KML Contracting, Inc.Grading & Excavating Company Specializing in “Mini-Dig” Pool Excavations Since 2004

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works for the company as our corporate secretary, and she does an outstanding job running our office.” KML has a long list of loyal customers, and they just recently finished a pool job in La Costa and just started another in Carlsbad. One of their repeat customers is Mike Welch from California Pools out of Carlsbad, and it was while working for Welch that KML was given the opportunity to experience a little bit of the television limelight. “We were working on a job for California Pools that was scheduled to be featured on Pool Kings, an ongoing show on the DIY Network,” says Keith. “We were called out on this particular job for our mini dig abilities. We get a lot of work from other pool contractors because we specialize in this type of work and have the equipment to

get in and work around in tight access areas. Imagine excavating a 30 to 40-foot long pool down six to 8 feet deep with a three-foot-wide machine and a two-foot-wide bucket. That is around 200 yards of dirt excavated one scoop at a time. A lot of our business comes from other pool contractors who can’t fit their conventional machines into a backyard, and so they gladly call us out to perform a mini dig, which is our specialty.” KML is currently on another mini dig job in Carlsbad where they are utilizing their specialized equipment to dig out a pool in a relatively small backyard with very tight access. KML has invested in the appropriate machines to get into and work around

in these environments. They currently own and operate five skid steer loaders and four mini excavators. Six of these units are Cat machines purchased from Hawthorne Cat, while the other four units are from another manufacturer that is one of only a few companies to offer three-foot-wide skid steer loaders. “We purchased our first Cat skid steer loader in 2004 and I fell in love with and have been partial to Cat ever since,” says Keith. KML’s fleet currently includes a Cat 305C CR Mini Hydraulic Excavator, a Cat 303C CR Mini Hydraulic Excavator, a Cat 303 CR Mini Hydraulic Excavator and a Cat 301.7D CR Mini Hydraulic Excavator with a 3.25 foot retracted undercarriage. They also own a Cat 226 Skid Steer Loader and a Cat 246D Skid Steer Loader, along with three other skid steer loaders.

Above: Kevin Milne operating KML's Cat 303C CR Mini Hydraulic Excavator on a pool dig project in Carlsbad.

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“The biggest single factor for going with Cat is their

tremendous service and support,” says Kevin. “If any of our

Cat machines were to go down, I could call

Hawthorne Cat, and they will have a solution for us that will get us up and running as soon as humanly possible. Even if they don’t have a part in stock, they will tap into their amazing supply chain and service network and have that part to us by as early as 7 a.m. the following morning.” Keeping their machines up and running is of utmost importance to KML and their bottom line. “Keeping our machines healthy and working is everything in this business. Downtime is a killer, and we need a company like Hawthorne Cat that we can depend on in any and all circumstances,” says Keith. “I started working with Matt Higgins, our Hawthorne Cat Sales Representative, in 2008. I have dealt with a lot of salespeople over the years, and Matt is the best. I call Matt for everything. The guy knows his machines, and he even knows

the competitor's machines. If he doesn’t have the answer, he will not stop until he finds one.” KML has added several units to their fleet over the past year or so and two of these were Cat machines from Hawthorne Cat. “We were replacing some of our older machines in 2016, and two of these included a Cat 246D Skid Steer Loader and a Cat 301.7D Mini Hydraulic Excavator. I can’t say enough about these and all of our Cat machines. If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times. As soon as Cat decides to manufacture a three-foot wide machine, we will own several of them. You just can’t beat Cat.” Keith Milne points out that, in general, growth in the pool excavating business can be a bit of a challenge. “When we do a job, the customer knows that an owner and a Milne family member will be on that job, operating equipment and supervising every move. It would be difficult to even think about stepping away from being this hands-on and attempt to find

and manage the operators that are trained and experienced in our special niche,” says Keith. “Having said this, I do think that there is room for expansion with our company with the bigger grading and excavating jobs, and I think that will be our growth area over the next five to10 years.” Another challenge that KML faces on almost a daily basis is finding a home for all of the dirt they are loading onto 10 wheeler trucks and exporting off job sites. “We deal with dirt brokers and have developed

other sources for moving all of the dirt we excavate and

export from these jobs. It is an ongoing challenge, but one that we have always

seemed to keep a handle on. I enjoy operating equipment

and love working with my dad, wife, and brother every day. It’s a labor of love, and we are all just like a bunch of kids playing in a sandbox with our Tonka toys.” For more information, please call KML Contracting, Inc. at (951) 326-0530. Cc

Left: The Milne brothers operating the Cat 303C CR Mini Hydraulic Excavator and Cat 246D Skid Steer Loader. Above: Keith Milne utilizes the Cat 246D Skid Steer Loader on the residential pool project.

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