LE SILLON
A John Deere PublicationTough. Eager. Ready and Willing | CNB Services | John Deere Construction
Summer 2025
Built For This
Meet the North Texas Crew Pushing Through the Dog Days of Summer
4 MIN READ
It's a few moments before sunrise, and Cort Bartzen and his loyal dog Dakota are ready to hit the ground running. Clad in a hard hat and bright yellow vest, Bartzen relishes these early morning hours. It's a moment of calm before the breakneck pace of work and the harsh north Texas heat weigh in on the day. But for Bartzen, the predawn hours also represent something more profound. It's a chance to catch a breath — and to take stock of the fact that he's exactly where he wants to be. To Bartzen, today's scene doesn't just represent the continuation of a job. It's the fulfillment of a dream.
"For as long as I can remember, I was running around doing small handyman stuff," Bartzen recalls, a wry smile stretching across his face. "As a young kid, I'd walk door to door, offering to trim the neighbors' bushes and take care of their weeds. I'd use whatever tools I could carry."
Each new milestone in Bartzen's life represented a chance to take his work to the next level. When he turned 16, he purchased a pickup truck that allowed him to transport a riding mower.
After he turned 18, Bartzen landed a full-time job where he gained experience operating heavy equipment. And just a few years after that, he decided to launch his own construction business, CNB Services of Blue Ridge, Texas.
The company's moniker reflects the three initials of Cort's full name — Cortland Nash Bartzen. More importantly, the business reflects the values that drive its owner.
Tough. Eager. Ready and willing.
"I loved work from the very beginning," recalls Bartzen. "I loved equipment, I loved working on projects, and that's what I wanted to be doing. This is where I belong."
“SmartGrade is amazing. ...I can do my work seamlessly without having to get out and check grade.”
SPREADING THE LOVE CNB
Services specializes in excavation, demolition, and land clearing for a wide variety of projects, ranging from residential to small commercial. It serves customers in McKinney, Melissa, Anna, Princeton, Plano, and other communities in the Dallas- Fort Worth metro area.
Today the company is working on the building pad, parking lots, and surrounding roads for a future commercial development — in short, laying the groundwork for developmental growth in the region it calls home.
CNB Services isn't active on social media, nor has it ever pumped money into marketing efforts.
"It's all branched out from word of mouth," Bartzen says proudly, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow as the sun climbs higher in the late-morning sky. "We would do one job and it'd lead to two more."
That no-nonsense approach has also resonated with employees at CNB Services. Carson Prewett started work for the company straight out of high school — and has stuck with it ever since.
"I started doing chain-saw work with Cort and landscaping, mowing lawns," Prewett recalls. "Then it just progressed and progressed into bigger stuff."
To Prewett, there's a simple joy to the work he does each and every day.
"It's just fun playing in the dirt," he laughs, peering over his shoulder as Bartzen nods in agreement. "I don't wake up and dread going to work. That's something that matters to me."
FOCUSED ON EFFICIENCY
Over the years, CNB Services has intentionally added to its fleet and methodically introduced new technology. These choices represent the differences between playing in the dirt and profiting off of it.
CNB Services bought its first piece of John Deere equipment, a 300G LC Excavator, in 2019. Since then, it's added a 333G Compact Track Loader and a 650K Dozer. The company has also been able to demo a 550 P-Tier SmartGrade™ Dozer.
"It's just mind-blowing to see how far the technology has come," says Bartzen. "To go from no GPS, then to a mast system, and then to a SmartGrade system, you can see the progress each step of the way."
Bartzen also relies on technology to give him a more accurate picture of his entire fleet. CNB Services utilizes the John Deere Operations Center™ to track the activity of each machine.
"We have Operations Center on our iPads in the field, and we have it on our cell phones too," Bartzen says.
"I use it all the time to check fuel levels, to see how productive my machines are, and whether they're spending too much time sitting idle. And it makes us more flexible, showing me which machines I can move to another site if there's an unexpected need."
Such insights aren't just technology for the sake of it. They provide a direct path to a stronger bottom line.
"When you're more efficient, you are more profitable," Bartzen says.
“When you’re more efficient, you are more profitable.”
PERFECT BALANCE
For John Anderson, a longtime operator for CNB Services, there's a sense of pride and purpose that drives him every day.
"I'm thankful each day that I'm not locked down in an office," he says, peering up at the blue sky. "I get to move around to different jobsites. And then I get to see these jobs to completion. You feel proud when you drive through town and see what you've built over time."
Anderson's time in construction has shown him that little details shape the big projects. And part of what he loves about CNB Services is the chance to embrace new technology.
"A big part of why I came to work here three years ago was to get a better opportunity to run the SmartGrade machines with GPS," he says. "I was excited to further my knowledge."
For the company's leader, a similar balance comes into play.
Bartzen is well aware of the growth CNB Services has already achieved and even more focused on the road ahead. He hopes his company will soon begin doing its own development projects — buying land and taking a job from start to finish rather than carrying out just one portion of the work.
With a committed team, a growing fleet, and new tech solutions on his side, Bartzen believes CNB Services can unlock the efficiencies to make the leap.
"No matter how good we're doing, there's always somewhere we could be improving," he says, nodding as he delivers the words. "We're always pushing to be better and more efficient."
CNB Services is serviced by RDO® Equipment Co., McKinney, Texas.
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A John Deere 333 G-Tier Compact Track Loader expertly moves dirt, ensuring precise preparation for site leveling.
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The John Deere 325 G-Tier CTL roughly moves dirt, while the 550 P-Tier SmartGrade Dozer levels the site to grade.
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