A.W.S. Landworks LLC started with a little more than a dump truck and a lot of determination. Owner and President Valentine Cortese founded the company in May 2010, drawing on decades of experience in the construction industry.

"I've been doing this since 1988; it's all I know and all I ever wanted to do," said Cortese. "I started A.W.S. Landworks when I was feeling stale working for someone else. I borrowed $24,000 from my brother, bought a truck and never looked back."

Today, the company has grown into a reliable one-stop shop for sitework, concrete work and foundations. A.W.S. Landworks is proud to provide comprehensive services, ranging from clearing ground and earthwork to installing utilities and finishing with curbing, sidewalks and paving.

Headquartered in Hammonton, N.J., A.W.S. Landworks primarily serves a 200-mi. radius throughout South Jersey. This strategic location allows crews to be home at night, helping maintain employee satisfaction and work-life balance. A.W.S. Landworks currently employs 24 full-time workers who tackle projects that range from 100- to 180-unit developments to smaller cul-de-sac builds. Each site has its own requirements, and the company's experienced crews handle them with skill and care.

"I have a few key guys in place to oversee each crew," said Cortese. "They adapt to new challenges, especially with changing stormwater regulations and new construction methods."

For Cortese, the team's reputation is everything. He built A.W.S. Landworks on the belief that answering the phone, following through and correcting mistakes quickly are what keep customers coming back.

"We all make mistakes in this business; it's how you handle them," said Cortese. "I take pride in my work, and I'm always accessible. I'm on the job every day. I'm here in the office, and I'm out in the field all the time, so whenever a customer needs to get ahold of somebody, they have direct contact with me."

iMC Difference

Equipment plays a huge role in A.W.S. Landworks' daily operations. The company's fleet is built around Komatsu machines, which form the backbone of its productivity and reliability.

"When I was moving up in the ranks and able to afford new equipment, Komatsu was the first brand that wanted to work with me," said Cortese. "I'm a very loyal guy, and loyalty goes a long way. I bought a PC228 excavator, which is a great machine. Then, we bought a D37PX dozer and a WA200 loader. The equipment saved time in breakdowns, and it just helped my business grow immensely because I didn't have to worry about being down. The reliability is great. It's just second to none. My guys love the Komatsu equipment."

One of the newest standout pieces in the fleet is a Komatsu D71PXi-24 intelligent machine control (iMC) dozer, which has made a measurable difference in productivity. Cortese credits it with saving significant time on recent jobs.

"I was against the iMC at first," Cortese said. "I started looking into it when we were having operator shortages. I took a class on it, and I saw the benefits not just in the earthwork but in the resources that you can use the smart grade on for your own layout. If you're stuck on a job, you don't have to wait for an engineer. You can lay out your stuff and go right back to work. It's an amazing tool. When you have that smart grade technology along with the Komatsu equipment, the money's on the savings in time. It's going to pay for itself."

Cortese added, "Now, the D71PXi is probably the best machine that I've ever owned and run. We did a 57-lot job site in Williamstown, New Jersey, and we saved two months of earthwork time, and the job looks amazing. The dozer's intelligent machine control and nimbleness made all the difference. We were doing less passes each time, which helps on wear and tear on the tracks and everything else on the machine as well."

Dirt Foreman Matthew McGreneham runs the D71PXi-24 daily and agrees that the technology is a game changer. The iMC allows crews to do precise grading without constant surveying.

"With the iMC, I don't have to wait on engineers to stake things out," said McGreneham. "I just start and go. Everything gets put on grade the first time. We're currently on one of our big new development sites doing all the dirt work, finishing up getting the roads on grade and all the extra dirt out. It probably would have taken us about five or six months before, but with the iMC, we're down to like a month and a half."

Comfort and visibility are equally important to the team. The D71PXi-24's cab design has helped improve both operator performance and morale.

"You can see everything from that cab, including both corners of the blade," McGreneham said. "The heated and cooled seats make a huge difference. It rides really well and is way smoother than most. You're in there eight to 10 hours a day, so you want to be comfortable."

Alongside the D71PXi-24, A.W.S. Landworks relies on other Komatsu models, such as the smaller D39PXi-24 iMC dozer for finish work and WA270-8 wheel loaders for pipe crews.

"I love the WA270 loaders because they're big enough for our work but small enough to move on a tag trailer without a lowboy," said Cortese. "My guys like the stability, wider footprint and performance of them."

More Than a Dealer

Over the years, A.W.S. Landworks has formed a fantastic relationship with Komatsu company-owned dealer East (Komatsu East). Cortese appreciates how quickly the Komatsu East team responds and how well they understand the equipment and his business.

"I've built a great relationship with my local salesman, Jared Nutter, and a couple of the product support people over there, including Pat Baker," said Cortese. "Jared will answer his phone at 5:30 in the morning. He takes care of me. Pat has a wealth of knowledge, so if we have a little issue with a machine or throw a code, we call him and he already knows the answer. They are just great to deal with. It's more than just the business end of things. We've gotten to know each other, and we just talk about life."

This strong support network, along with Komatsu Care's scheduled maintenance services, allows Cortese to focus on the work rather than the equipment.

"I don't have a mechanic, so Komatsu Care built into our deals is the best thing I ever did," Cortese said. "They call me when it's time for service, which I love. That's one less thing I have to worry about. Komatsu is very good to deal with, and their equipment has not let me down."

Future

Looking ahead, A.W.S. Landworks is prepared for steady growth and continued efficiency. Cortese's focus remains on staying ahead of customer needs, maintaining strong relationships and investing in smart equipment that makes every job smoother.

"When you deal with us, you get people who genuinely care," said Cortese. "We build relationships that last. If my customers succeed, we do too."

(The opinions expressed here are based on the customer's specific experience. Results may vary.)(Article reprinted with permission from Komatsu East Insider, Spring 2026, issue.)