Our Crew, Led by Owner Gary Ford
Before a crew and heavy machines come onto your property, you should know who is coming and what they will bring. Meet the hardscape crew and equipment behind our paver patios, retaining walls, grading and drainage projects.
Garrison’s Landscaping, LLC is a family-owned and operated, licensed and insured company in Rockingham County with more than 25 years of hands-on experience. The machines below are the ones we run on our jobs.
Have a project in mind? Request a free estimate online.
Gary Ford owns the company and personally oversees our projects, so the person responsible for your job is the owner. The rest of our crew works as:
- Crew lead: runs the job site day to day and keeps the work on plan.
- Equipment operators: run the excavator and track loaders for digging, grading and base work.
- Installers: build the compacted base, then set the pavers, wall block, stone and drain pipe.
Without our crew, our loyal customers and a supportive family, Garrison’s Landscaping, LLC wouldn’t exist.
— Gary Ford, Owner
At a Glance
- Owner Gary Ford personally oversees our projects
- Family-owned and operated in Rockingham County, NC
- Licensed and insured for pavers, retaining walls and all hardscapes
- 25+ years of hands-on experience
- Serving Rockingham, Guilford and Caswell counties
- A mini excavator and three compact track loaders, all on rubber tracks
Our Mini Excavator and Compact Track Loaders
Each machine handles a different part of the job, and all four run on rubber tracks. Weights and ratings are rounded from the manufacturers’ published specs.
Bobcat T66 Compact Track Loader
Shown here grading red clay on a cleared wooded lot, our Bobcat T66 cuts, fills and shapes soil. It weighs about 8,800 pounds, and its rubber tracks spread that weight, which helps it leave a smooth, even grade.
- Cut and fill for yard grading and regrading
- Pads and site prep for commercial grading
- Spreading base stone for paver driveways
- Backfilling behind retaining walls
Bobcat E48 Mini Excavator
Our Bobcat E48 digs the bases, footings and trenches a project sits on. It weighs about 9,800 pounds, and Bobcat lists its dig depth at about 10 feet with the standard arm. Its front blade backfills and rough-grades as we go.
- Digging to firm subgrade for paver patios and walkways
- Footing trenches for retaining walls, steps and outdoor kitchens
- Trenches for French drains, downspout lines and culverts
CASE TV450 Compact Track Loader
At about 10,600 pounds, our CASE TV450 is the heaviest of our track loaders, and CASE rates it to handle loads of about 3,150 pounds. It moves block and stone, and its 72-inch bucket hauls gravel and loads out spoil.
- Moving pavers, wall block and stone for outdoor living spaces and fire pits
- Hauling base gravel and loading out spoil
- Backfilling behind walls and spreading fill
CAT 259D Compact Track Loader
Our CAT 259D carries a toothed bucket for digging into packed ground and loading material. It weighs about 8,800 to 8,900 pounds and runs on steel-embedded rubber tracks.
- Digging and loading spoil for yard drainage projects
- Spreading and leveling gravel base for patios and walkways
- Backfilling walls and trenches and cleaning up spoil piles
Why Running Our Own Machines Matters to You
Every machine on this page works on our own jobs. Here is what that means for you:
- Scheduling: our grading and base work isn’t tied to whether a rental yard has a track loader free.
- Machines we know: we run these machines on our own jobs, so we know how each one handles on a slope or close to a house.
- Easier on lawns: rubber tracks spread a machine’s weight, so they’re easier on turf than a wheeled skid steer.
- A firm base: red clay across Rockingham and Guilford counties holds water and heaves through freeze-thaw cycles. With our own excavator and loaders, we dig to firm subgrade, then compact the gravel base in layers. That helps keep pavers and wall block from settling.
Not sure what your project needs? Request a free estimate online.
Common Questions
Will a skid steer or excavator tear up my lawn?
Our excavator and track loaders run on rubber tracks. They spread each machine’s weight and are easier on turf than a wheeled skid steer.
Most marks come from sharp turns, repeated passes and wet ground. So we plan the route, keep turns wide and avoid soaked ground when we can. Some marks are still possible, and we can go over the route with you at the estimate visit.
Can a mini excavator or skid steer fit through my backyard gate?
Not our excavator or track loaders. Each is more than 5 feet wide, too wide for a standard 3- or 4-foot gate. For tight backyards we plan access at the estimate visit, such as using a wider opening or moving material by hand.
Who will be working at my property?
Owner Gary Ford personally oversees our projects. Day to day, a crew lead runs the site with our equipment operators and installers.
Will heavy equipment crack my driveway?
Before work starts, we go over with you where the trailer parks and which route the machines take, and we keep heavy loads off weak slab edges where we can. If your driveway is older or already cracked, point it out at the estimate so we can plan around it.
Do you haul away the dirt and debris?
We haul excavated soil, old concrete and debris off the property as the job goes. We’ll go over what leaves and what stays, such as clean fill you may want to keep, when we put your estimate together.
Planning a patio, wall, grading or drainage project? Request a free estimate online and tell us about your yard. We’ll come look at the site, the access and the equipment the job needs.
Or call (336) 552-7764, Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 5 PM.