Cicco Construction is an underground and utility installation business based out of Centerville, Iowa. They’ve been running yellow iron for over a decade now, mainly horizontal directional drills. Vermeer Corporation and Cicco share an impressive similarity: being family-owned and operated for three generations. While Vermeer manufactures innovative equipment for a variety of industries, Cicco is using that equipment to do important work in their community.
Although Vermeer and Cicco Construction are different in many respects, a few things ring true for both businesses: the importance of family, honesty and hard work.
From digging to drilling
Cicco Construction was first started by Joe Cicco over fifty years ago, performing general excavating jobs such as basement excavation and installing water and septic systems.
In 1995, Dave McCann married Stephanie Cicco, Joes daughter. In 1999, Dave left his office job to join Cicco Construction. In 2002, Joe Cicco passed, and Dave was unexpectedly responsible for the family business. From 2001 until 2014 Dave continued the general excavation work. In 2014, Nick McCann — Dave and Stephanie’s son — graduated from Centerville high school. That was the year Cicco Construction purchased their first Vermeer drill — an D16x20— and started focusing more on HDD work.
While Cicco first started with adding drills to their portfolio, they now run a robust fleet of Vermeer equipment:
- D16x20 HDD
- LP533 vacuum excavator
- Custom VX50-800 vacuum excavator with hydraulic boom
Dave and Nick both manage and operate alongside multiple crews with around 10 – 15 people, depending on the season. Stephanie and Dave’s youngest son, Trent, also helps on the jobsite when needed.
Centervillle, Iowa is located about an hour south of Vermeer headquarters and has a population of just over 5,000 people and grows in the summer due to being in close proximity to several popular lakes. Challenging drill shots are thought to be in crowded cities or busy highways, which is certainly true for many HDD operators. For the Cicco crew, a tough job they encountered was drilling through a set of windy, S-curves along country roads. If the sharp curves weren’t enough of a challenge, they took the drill rod under several culverts as well. Dave was pretty impressed after that job. Dave explained, “Nick made that look easy, but I was impressed. I felt like that was a really good test of the D23x30 that day.”
Although their day-to-day jobsites vary, the Cicco crew primarily works in the Centerville area, with some travel to established customers within a 100-mile radius. “Family’s pretty important to us, so we want our guys to be at home with their families at night. We’re fortunate that our crews are getting to sleep in their own beds almost every night,” Dave explained. “A lot of guys in this business aren’t able to do that.”
The next generation of Cicco
For Nick, his desire to work for the family business came at an early age.
“As early as I can remember, Grandpa Joe would come by the house, honk the horn and I’d be running to the truck. I was always wanting to tag along, sit in the truck, watch equipment — mostly just getting in the guy’s way while trying to work.” Stephanie recalled those days when Nick and his Grandpa Joe were inseparable. “Nick would run out in boots, flip flops, whatever he could find and get dropped off by dark. I don’t even know some of the places they would take off to or the jobsites they went, but they went all over — always together.”
For Dave, getting to work alongside his sons is more rewarding than he can put into words. “At the end of the day, we’re fighting for the same goal: to make our business better,” Dave said. “And by not changing the family business name, we’re also carrying on that legacy of Stephanie’s father.”
Now, Nick has a daughter of his own — and her childhood closely resembles some of the fond memories he had growing up around the family business. “When I took her to daycare this morning, I drove her in the drill truck pulling the drill. We might get some funny looks in the drop-off line, but that’s how I get her around most days.” Cicco’s equipment also boasts a special nod to the family’s first grandchild — a pink drill rod in the company logo. Nick joked, “Who knows, maybe if there’s a grandson someday, we’ll have to add some blue in there somehow.”
Both Dave and Stephanie realize how blessed they are to have their children work for the family business. “I know Nick could go somewhere else doing the same thing and make a lot more money, working less hours, but he doesn’t,” Stephanie said. “And knowing that he chooses to stay home and work with the family makes my heart explode. It makes me so proud of everything he’s done.”
For Stephanie, seeing her husband, sons — and maybe one day, grandchildren — carry on the legacy of her father Joe Cicco is touching. “It makes me very proud, and I know my dad would be so proud — I wish he was here to say it.”
Unwavering support — built on a handshake
Dave, Nick and the team at Cicco Construction have always found unwavering support from Vermeer Iowa. That unwavering support extends from the parts counter, salespeople and service technicians.
Whether it’s a quick call to troubleshoot a machine issue or seeking advice on the latest equipment, Vermeer Iowa’s team is always ready to help. Nick and Dave both know that no matter the question or issue, someone at Vermeer Iowa is ready to assist them to get them back up and running. Nick explained, “I know I could call up any of the service techs if something comes up and ask, ‘What can I try before I bring this into you?’ and they’re always able to find an answer for us.”
The relationship between Vermeer Iowa and Cicco Construction goes beyond a typical customer-service interaction. Jim Scott, territory manager at Vermeer Iowa has worked with Dave for over 10 years and has been impressed by his crew the entire time. For Scott, he admires the Cicco crew for their respectful attitude and top-notch work ethic. “Anymore it’s not easy to find hard workers, and at Cicco they have a great crew of ‘em. They’re young, respectful guys who are extremely genuine.”
Dave explained how most business is done with Scott: “Jim and I have always done business the old-fashioned way — we shake hands, he delivers the equipment and I write him a check. With other companies we’ve worked with, its much less personal.”
Cicco Construction has evolved over the years, but the dedication to family, honesty and hard work remains true. With the support of Vermeer Iowa and the goal of maintaining the legacy of Joe Cicco, Cicco Construction is poised to succeed for generations to come.
If you’re interested in adding yellow iron to your fleet, get in touch with your local Vermeer dealer.
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