Cat^® 302 Excavator Brings the Heat to a PA Hardscaper

John Guimento knew he found his calling when he started a family-owned hardscape company in 2004. Based in Dickson City, Pennsylvania, Guimento and Son Hardscapes LLC specializes in concrete, retaining wall blocks, and pond excavation and installations. John’s son, Michael, is his right-hand man.

“I’ve been doing this since 1994 and I went full-time in 2004, when Michael was three years old. Basically, he came in to the picture the day he was born,” said John. 

Over the years, the duo has formed the perfect tag team on the jobsite. John takes reign on grading and concrete work, while Michael’s talents shine in the trenching department—digging out for patios and retaining walls. 

“Being hardscapers, we don’t do just one thing. One day we might be excavating, and tomorrow we might be doing concrete. There’s a lot of different things you have to learn, and the people who want to do that are few and far between,” John explained. “So in my field, having compact equipment can help offset the challenges of finding good labor.” 

From the beginning, John established a relationship with Cleveland Brothers Cat dealer and began building a small fleet of Cat® machinery to help him get the job done. Michael has fond memories of visiting the dealership at a young age—running around to get in the cabs of each machine. The company’s first purchase was a Cat 242B Skid Steer Loader, then purchased two mini excavators—a 304C CR and a 301.7D CR. 

Last winter, while operating his 301, John’s hands went completely numb—forcing him to stop every 15 minutes to go warm them up. He later found out that he had Type 2 diabetes, which was causing the numbness. Despite the diagnosis, the work still had to be done. Luckily for John, a solution was waiting for him at the dealership—in the form of a Next Generation Cat 302 CR Mini Excavator.