Sankar Earth Movers

Down here on Vattakottai Road, things move at their own pace and we like it that way. Sankar Earth Movers has been sitting at 5/862 for a good while now. I remember when we first brought the backhoe into Kottaram, most people weren't sure what to make of it. Now, it seems like someone is always building something or fixing a road after the rains. We keep the equipment in the lot right behind the house. It's a family thing, really. My son handles the scheduling most days, even though he’d rather be out driving the machines than talking on the phone. The salt air can be tough on the metal, so we spend a lot of time painting and greasing everything so the rust doesn't take over. It’s not a glamorous job. You get dirt in your shoes and the diesel smell never really leaves your clothes, even after a wash. We don't have a receptionist or a lobby for people to wait in. If you need us, you usually just walk up to the gate and shout for someone. Sometimes we’re out on a site for three days straight and the yard is completely empty. Other times, we’re all sitting around under the tree fixing a leaky hydraulic hose. It’s just how the earth-moving business goes. We know the land around here pretty well. The soil is different depending on which way you drive. We just take the jobs as they come and try to keep the machines in one piece.