Buenas Brothers Engineering’s clients operate cemeteries, but don’t call what the company does gravedigging.
Instead, the company’s work requires precise layout and installation of side-by-side double-depth concrete lawn crypts, placed less than 2 inches from each other and conforming to undulating grade elevations.
“Our installations have to be precise to make sure we’re not encroaching on any future installations, which are an important revenue stream for the cemeteries,” Javier Buenas says.
In addition, the company performs the site prep, concrete foundation, and structural construction for mausoleums. All of this tells you there’s a lot more to cemetery construction than initially meets the eye and why Buenas Brothers Engineering is one of 12 finalists for Equipment World's 2024 Contractor of the Year Award.
Tight-Knit Family
Javier, 40, is one of four owners of Buenas Brothers Engineering, a tight-knit family company started by patriarch Emilio Buenas in 2008.
Sons Javier, Eli, and Steven Buenas have been involved in Emilio’s work from the get-go. “Dad would take us out to the field on Saturdays,” says Eli. “We were exposed to all of this since we were young.”
With Emilio, 64, now happy to lend his expertise in operating equipment, the three brothers have taken a leadership role in the company. Armed with a structural engineering and surveying degrees, Javier oversees project management along with Eli, 37. Steven, 34, who is working on a master’s in architecture, handles client meetings, material supplies and job design. In addition, Javier’s wife, Elizabeth, handles payroll and billing.
Buenas Brothers EngineeringImmersed in Technology
“What stands out the most about Buenas Brothers is they are immersed in the technology side of the business,” says Jose Farias with Quinn Cat. “It’s also great to see Emilio, with more than 30 years in the business, allow his sons to take the lead and bring in new technology. They are constantly evolving and adapting to remain competitive.”
For example, Steven flies a drone to map out a project and create surfaces before and after a project begins and ends, and the company uses machine control on most of its machines. “Once you upload the model into the equipment, it’s smooth sailing from there,” Javier says.
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And as Farias mentioned, Emilio is on board with the technology. “He loves it,” Javier says, “and there’s not a machine he doesn’t know how to operate. He operated for years with no technology, and he says it’s much easier now.”
Eli echoes his father’s sentiments: “You don’t have to rely on someone else to grade check; Trimble machine control has made it so much easier.”
“With the project model uploaded to the machine, the operator is able to excavate, grade, and fill on his own without the assistance of a grade-checker,” Javier further explains. “When it’s time to fine grade, we’ll hook up the box blade to the compact track loader or use the dozer, load the model, and go to town.”
This machine control ability on its excavators, dozer and compact track loaders has been critical on jobs such as in Green Hills Memorial Park, Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
“Each crypt section of four has its own elevation and position, and the sections shift up or down depending on the proposed final grade,” Javier says. “Using grade control GPS on the compact track loader, Eli can fine grade a 100,000-sqaure-foot area by himself in a matter of hours; of course, the bulk excavation would have to be at +/-0.08 of a foot before the final grade phase begins."
“All Eli does is set his base, check into a known control point, and he goes to town fine grading the project after he’s checked in to the project control,” Javier continues. “He can see the line work on his screen and can offset line work if he deems necessary. If he needs to record the location of an existing structure, he has the ability to obtain X, Y, Z information in real time and record its position.”
Machine control also keeps the company within job boundaries, which not only involve roads and cemetery features but also barriers around high-speed rails and bird habitat.
“We’re always looking to provide the client with accuracy and precision and look forward to seeing what’s new for the jobsite,” Eli says.
Javier adds to this sentiment: “I don’t ever want people to catch us up with technology. I always want to be ahead, and because of that, we’re always interested in what others are doing and what the latest and greatest technology is out there."
He continues: “Our technology arsenal – for both the construction and geospatial side of the business – consists of SX12 scanners, robotic total stations, DiNi digital level and GPS receivers; all manufactured by Trimble.”
Buenas Brothers EngineeringProduction with rRespect
Buenas Brothers has installed as many as 5,000 double-depth lawn crypts in one three-month project.
But unlike most construction jobs, there is a constant governor on whether the company can work that day…or that week. Jobs come to a halt when nearby funeral services are planned, making it sometimes difficult to schedule work.
“When there’s a service nearby, we have to stop construction out of respect for the families,” Javier says. “Sometimes the services are 15 minutes long; sometimes they’re two hours long. We just wait it out.”
For the past two years, Buenas Brothers has enough on its plate to stay within California, but that’s not always been the case. “We’ve worked everywhere,” Javier says. “We’ve been as far away as Florida, New York and Ohio.” New crew members come on board with the understanding that perhaps not all the work will be local.
Buenas Brothers EngineeringGrowing Up in a Niche Market
Growing up in a niche market has its advantages. Because Emilio’s work was well-known, it paved the way for his sons.
“It’s still my dad’s deal,” Javier explains, “but he lets us do our own thing because the people in the cemetery world have known us since we were teenagers. They know our work ethic, and they know we always get after it. Our new clients come to us by word of mouth.”
Javier’s aware that it can sometimes be hard for families to get along in business. “But for us, thank God, it’s worked because we all know our positions in the company, and we never step on each other’s toes,” he says. “That’s part of how we make it work.”
Will there be a third Buenas generation? “It’s an option,” Javier says. Eli’s oldest son Andrew is majoring in civil engineering and helps with surveying. Javier’s oldest daughter Salma is majoring in mechanical engineering and operates equipment when she has the chance. “They love being out in the field,” Javier says.
But they must love the work, Javier cautions. “If you love what you do, you’re going to do it for a very long time,” he says. “I tell them, ‘Make sure you ask questions. People who ask questions are the people that get ahead.’”
Which is one reason Buenas Brothers Engineering is not content with status quo. “I want to go into design build,” Javier says. This will likely include garden mausoleums, which are smaller versions of a typical mausoleum.
The company’s forward-thinking stance has impressed those who work with them. “They are top notch,” says Tim Hamilton with Sitech Pacific. “They’re smart, and they want to constantly learn and be at the top of their game.”
Buenas Brothers Engineering
Buenas Brothers Engineering
Buenas Brothers Engineering
Buenas Brothers Engineering
