Get To Know Us

Our Story

Jim Burke Excavating Inc. (JBE) was founded by company owners Nancy & Jim Burke in 1993 with one backhoe, one dump truck, and a vision of expansion. The name of the company was derived simply from Jim's expertise in the field and his knowledge of the equipment, with Nancy working behind the scenes to complete all office work and keeping the company organized. Nancy and Jim knew the path to success is one step at a time and they did just that. Throughout the years they have built rapport with various contractors throughout the construction sector, proved time and time again that they are reliable and trustworthy, and built a phenomenal team of excavators in the field that represent JBE's core values.

One of JBE's top priorities is to help companies reduce excavating costs and improve productivity. JBE provides excavating services for many contractors and sub-contractors ranging in size from small "Mom and Pop" businesses to large National Contractors and Developers. JBE has consistently provided the highest level of service to our customers and, although our customers vary, our service remains the same.

When you or your company call JBE for a backhoe and operator you can count on "Our Service". This means you can now work on your expertise (trade) whether it be plumbing, electrical, or any other underground installation. Our operators are experienced in backhoe trenching for underground utilities and all other combination backhoe capabilities. JBE operators are union (Local 150) and fully insured. All our backhoes are Late Model, well maintained and ready for work.

Our Team.

In 1993 Nancy & Jim Burke founded Jim Burke Excavating with 2 kids at home and dreamed that one day they would all be involved in the family business. That dream has become reality with their son and daughter working in the field an behind the scenes.

With two young children at home, Nancy and Jim strived to increase revenue, equipment, and employees and one day dreamed to have their children join the team. After 30 years in business their dream has become a reality and they have simplified the name to 'Burke Excavating' to represent the family as a whole. Shane Burke, their son, joined the company in 2011 as a laborer and excavator and has since built rapport across his teammates and peers in other industries. Shane's priority is in the field is to complete the necessary excavation as well as communicate with vendors to coordinate stone delivery or contractors to maintain the scope of work. Shane is now the Field Operations Manager since his main priority is field work but he also assists Jim in the estimation process for new quotes. Brigid (Burke) Miller, their daughter, officially joined the team full-time in spring 2023 after working progressing in her finance career in the personal finance and healthcare sectors for the past 10 years. Brigid graduated from University of Wisconsin - Madison with her undergraduate degree in Economics in 2013 and continued her education a few years into her finance career receiving her MBA from Mount Mary University in 2020.

In addition to the family corporate positions below, we wouldn't be where we are today without our phenomenal team out in the field day in and day out. We pride ourselves in teamwork, accountability, and fostering resilience and our operators are great examples of these values.