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About Super Excavators

Ray Schraufnagel by his first Dump Trucks
Hole out of the Sunnydale Tunnel Project

OUR HISTORY

Over the past 70 years, Super Excavators Inc. has grown from a small local plumbing business to a nationally known tunneling business over 70 years.

The company’s story began when Ray Schraufnagel and Roy Lemke started a plumbing business together in 1950. As the Milwaukee Metropolitan area grew, so did Super Excavators. The firm expanded into larger, tougher, deeper open cut utility projects as cities grew, earning an excellent reputation for quality work along the way.  

During the 1970s and 1980s, Super Excavators hand mined and used tunnel boring machines (TBM) for small tunnels. When Bob Schraufnagel took the reins, he continued building the business, expanding beyond Wisconsin borders to Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

In the early 1990s, Super Excavators landed its first large project in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as Jeff Weakly built the company’s tunneling business. Super Excavators became a larger presence in the tunneling world, job by job, building a stellar reputation beyond Wisconsin state lines.

Today, Super Excavators has built tunnels across the entire United States from San Francisco to Delaware and Miami to Chicago. We specialize in large TBM projects up to 23 feet in diameter, microtunnel projects, pilot tube microtunnels, and bored casings. 

Super Excavators Inc. is a union employer, and signatory to multiple unions nationwide.

Our Vision

We specialize in complex tunneling projects across the U.S. and Canada. We put quality people and skilled project engineers behind every project to drive innovation through cutting-edge tools and equipment designed to solve the toughest tunneling challenges. 

Our Values

The great Vince Lombardi once said, “Individual commitment to a group effort—that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” We live this out every day. It is the commitment of every individual and the teamwork we bring at all levels that allows us to complete complex projects safely, on time, and within budget.

Our Affiliates

Working with the right affiliates drives the best results possible. We are experts in what we do, as are the partners we bring into tunneling projects. 

Super Western Inc.

Super Western Inc., a sister affiliation of Super Excavators, has provided civil construction services to private owners, companies, and public agencies since 1998. SWI’s services include parking lots, building sites, private roads, residential and commercial land developments, and local street and highway projects.

CRS Tunneling

CRS Tunneling is a heavy civil company focused on delivering quality projects using the latest innovations and technologies in tunneling, microtunneling, foundation work, slip lining and open cut construction.

SX Blasting

SX Blasting has assisted the upper Midwest with its rock blasting needs for over five years. The company’s services include subdivision and site work, road cuts, ponds, trench rock, tower foundations, shafts and radio towers.

Our Memberships

We believe memberships in professional associations help drive innovation and professionalism across the industry. Super Excavators’ leaders are active members of the following industry associations.

National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA)

Wisconsin Underground Contractors Association (WUCA)

Society of Mining Engineers (SME)

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

Ohio Contractor’s Association (OCA) 

North American Microtunneling Association (NAMA)

Ready to dig deep with quality, expertise, and safety?
Super Excavators understands that every project demands tailored solutions that rely on deep expertise, a focus on innovation, cutting-edge equipment, and a constant eye on safety. Contact us today to bid on your RFP or to answer your tunneling questions.