Down to Earth Means Lifting An Economy Spurred by Natural Gas

This month’s contractor spotlight shines on Down to Earth Equipment Rentals. We started working with them almost as soon as we arrived in Susquehanna County. Now, we’re counting 12 years of growing and evolving together.

“It would be next to impossible to achieve the goals that we have without working with Cabot,” said Matt Sheruda. Matt is the Manager of both Down to Earth and its parent company, Mike’s Heavy Equipment and Trailer Sales.

Matt’s father, Michael Sheruda, founded the equipment sales company in Clarks Summit in 1983. He then founded Down to Earth in 1997 and remains president and CEO of both companies. An important lesson gained from the first business was that a commitment to maintenance is a hallmark of customer service. To this day, Down to Earth delivers excavators, skid steers, generators, backhoes, lifts, and light towers to our gas pads, provides maintenance on site, and takes the apparatus away when the job is done.

Down to Earth got a big boost with the opening of a second store in Montrose that coincided with early work in the Marcellus shale. “We were already starting to do some work with the gas companies, especially Cabot,” Matt recalls, citing their full-service approach. “Until that facility is producing gas, we are there. Our equipment is there. And we leave a generator on site.”

We’ve talked before about how the topography and climate of Susquehanna County challenged us in new ways. Down to Earth was certainly one of the companies that helped us address varying needs. “In some cases, we didn’t own all of the equipment they needed. We saw what they wanted to achieve, so we had to order more equipment or learn to be flexible with what we had,” Matt maintains. “Cabot was happy to give us that chance. They shaped our growth.”

At the end of the day, Down to Earth is still a “mom and pop” company with just a dozen employees in Montrose. It’s that integrity that has allowed them to integrate their services into virtually every aspect of our operations.

The partnership is truly a two-way street, Matt insists. “It has brought out the best in our company as well, because they strive to be the best in the industry in everything they do.”

In the past five years, Cabot has greatly reduced the time needed for well completion, and it’s through partnerships with trusted companies like Down to Earth Equipment Rental that we have made these achievements. “We’ve really worked out the kinks over the years,” Matt agrees.