Size Meets Capability

Ken Faubert runs his business, Faubert Precision Contracting Ltd., alone. No backup machine. No crew. No fleet manager. Every equipment decision he makes is his to own. He works alongside prime contractors across British Columbia on active roads and tight job sites. Traffic is moving. Pedestrians are nearby. The work involves excavating, installing underground utilities and grading roads, often within a single lane. There is no room for a machine that slows him down.

When it came time to invest in a machine, Ken needed one solution that could do it all. Big enough for serious excavation work. Compact enough to fit in a lane closure. Fuel-efficient enough to keep costs down. Beyond the specs, he needed a machine he could trust completely, because for a one-man operation, there is no backup plan. The machine has to deliver every day.

In 2021, Ken made his decision and bought a Liebherr A 918 Compact Litronic wheeled excavator. His attachment lineup and his business have grown around it ever since. “The A 918 is compact for an 18-ton wheel excavator, but it’s still big enough for the kind of work I do,” Faubert says. “What stood out most was the fuel efficiency and quality compared to other brands.”

That fuel efficiency is built into how the machine works. Liebherr's Power Efficiency system continuously matches engine output to actual hydraulic demand, so the A 918 Compact is never burning more fuel than the task requires. No wasted fuel. No unnecessary strain. Just the right amount of power at the right time, all day long. On a job site where no two hours look the same, that kind of intelligent power management is not a feature. It is a daily cost reduction built into the machine itself.

Capability That Goes Further

For Faubert, versatility is critical. Every attachment Ken adds is another service he can offer without buying a new machine or hiring another operator. His current lineup includes buckets, a tiltrotator with grapple, a hoe compactor, grading beam, pallet forks, an asphalt cutter, hydraulic breaker and ripper. The variable-angle boom and tiltrotator together let him reach into spaces and angles that most machines simply cannot. "The variable-angle boom and tiltrotator let me get into tight, awkward spots that most equipment can’t touch," Ken explains.

Working on live roads also means staying aware of everything around the machine. The A 918 Compact's assistance systems Skyview 360° gives Ken a full bird's-eye view of his surroundings, alerting him to obstacles, vehicles and workers nearby. On a busy road corridor, that awareness is not optional.

A Partner in Business

For a growing business, support matters. Confidence in both the equipment and the people behind it becomes part of the investment. Ken did his research before buying. He looked at performance, fuel costs, reliability and what kind of support he could expect after the sale. The buying experience with his Liebherr sales representative was straightforward from start to finish.

"Ken is exactly who we build this machine for," says Mario Monchamp, divisional director, Earthmoving Technologies at Liebherr-Canada Ltd. "He needs reliable performance every day, good fuel efficiency and the ability to handle a wide range of tasks. The A 918 Compact Litronic wheeled excavator is built for that. Watching a contractor grow their business around one of our machines is what we work toward, and we will be with him every step of the way."

Made for Contractors Like Ken

Five years later, Ken is still running the same machine and still growing. He is already using it to position Faubert Precision Contracting for expansion into underground utility contracts. The machine he bought in 2021 is still opening doors. "It's been a comfortable and reliable machine," he says.

Simple words, but they carry weight. Reliability means jobs stay on schedule, customers are happy and opportunities keep coming. That might sound simple. But for a one-man operation, reliability means jobs finish on time, clients come back and the business keeps moving forward.