A Colorado construction company owner who has grown his business by adopting new technologies, taking on challenging projects and staying ahead in one of the most unusual and high-end construction markets in the country, has been named Equipment World’s 2023 Contractor of the Year.
Shay Stutsman, owner of Stutsman Gerbaz Inc. of Aspen, Colorado, grew up in the earthmoving business and marks the third generation to take the helm at his family’s company. He was announced the winner March 18 at an awards ceremony at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel.
“For 63 years, we’ve had the best employees you could ask for – loyalty to a fault. I’m so grateful to them,” said Stutsman while accepting the award. “This is an incredible honor and I’m extremely humbled given all the other finalists that are in this room.”
Stutsman Gerbaz was started by Shay’s grandfather Dick Stutsman and Dick’s brother-in-law Jerry Gerbaz in 1960. As a young child, Shay would go to work with his father, Dave Stutsman, often falling asleep in a track loader. Shay was operating equipment before he was old enough for kindergarten.
With Aspen being a high-end and tightly regulated market, Shay has found it necessary to be on the leading edge of technology to keep ahead of the competition, as well as ensure precision.
All of the company’s track loaders, excavators and dozers are equipped with 3D machine control. The latest advance in technology for the company has been to equip all of its excavators with a quick attachment connect system. Now, instead of bringing several machines to a jobsite, operators can line up the various attachments they need and rapidly change tools on the job, speeding up productivity, reducing fuel, labor and transport costs and increasing safety.
The company is also the first in North America to test a new bucket equipped with ground-penetrating radar.
