DECEMBER 2023 THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AMERICA - WEST yet to use. When he and his wife decided to build a house, the project offered Mumm an opportunity to do the excavating he wanted to try. With the help of a friend, Mumm was able to operate the excavator after a quick tutorial. Within the two hours he spent on the excavator, he saw a real business opportunity. “For two hours I was in heaven,” Mumm notes. “It occurred to me, that if I’m having this good of time, imagine the amount of people that would love to do this but can’t. I saw a business opportunity and looked into putting together a heavy equipment attraction.” The business started to open in 2007.Mummandhisdeveloping business spent the first four years situated in Colorado while refining the business model. The business then moved to a Las Vegas in 2011, which propelled the success of the attraction significantly. Mumm points to the vibrant diversity of people in Las Vegas as one of the key contributors to the success of the business. There are visitors from all over the word looking for fun, and they often find themselves at Dig This. Corporate entities looking for events and team building activities further supply the Dig This with clientele. The facility in Las Vegas houses a range of equipment, including excavators, bulldozers, and track-type skid steers. It may seem like Dig This is only fitting for adults; however, the business offers opportunities for individuals aged three years and older. Regardless of age, Dig This fills the desire to run heavy machinery. Mumm notes, “Three percent of the population is involved in heavy equipment construction. The other 97 percent are driving past construction sites all the time. All the people that come here say we pass construction sides all the time and say, ‘we wish we could have a go at that.’ So, all the contractors are doing the advertisement for us. We have been able to provide that experience and oblige to the curiosity. A lot of us never really grew up out of our sandboxes anyway.” With Dig This, anyone can hop back into the sandbox by playing excavator basketball, digging with the machinery, driving the obstacle course, or stacking tires with the skid steer track loader. Dig This even has an “Aggression Session” where you can crush cars with a 36,900-pound excavator. With so much equipment and so many activities, there is something to please everyone. Ed Mumm indicates that part of the great rating on TripAdvisor is dependent upon the instructors at the business. The instructors are selected from a pool of candidates based on their abilities to connect with others and foster a positive learning experience. “A lot of operators are rough,” Mumm adds. “We are looking for a Disney-like experience. We want people that can adapt to all different learning requirements from students. Some people have a natural gift of being good with people. People talk about the instructor first and experience second. They create a relationship.” That idea of fostering positive relationship extends to their machinery suppliers. For example, the company has been able to form a stronger business relationship with Caterpillar. “The resources they provide us are great. The support as far Photo: Briar McKendrick Photo: Briar McKendrick
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