Our History

A group of people posing in front of a schmidtlein excavating sign

Winners of the Small Business of the Year award by The Topeka Chamber of Commerce in 2007

Pictured in lower center are Louise and Ben Schmidtlein, the original owners.  Their surrounding children have all been part of the business ownership and success:


  • Barbie Swartzman
  • Linda Rohr
  • Dave Schmidtlein
  • Diane Menke
  • Bernard Schmidtlein
  • Alice Ziegler
  • Danny Schmidtlein
  • Tony Schmidtlein
  • Colleen Kramer
  • Brian Schmidtlein

1951

A sign for b.j. schmidtlein general contractor

A Small Business was Founded


Ben Schmidtlein, President, was sole proprietor of B.J. Schmidtlein, General Contractor, which he founded with the assistance of his wife, Louise Schmidtlein. Ben Schmidtlein, non-active in day-to-day matters, maintains a role as advisor to the Company.

1976

A yellow and red tractor is parked in the dirt

First Piece of Excavation Equipment Purchased


This Case tractor was the first purchased piece of equipment used for excavation services, when it was purchased to excavate a basement addition.

1985

The logo for schmidtlein excavating inc. is yellow and black

Business Incorporation


Schmidtlein Excavating, Inc. was incorporated.

1989

  • An aerial view of a construction site with lots of dirt and grass

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A group of men are standing in front of construction vehicles.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Two men and a woman are posing for a picture together

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Heartland Park Racetrack

Topeka, KS


Complete mass excavation services of over 1,000,000 CY for initial construction of Heartland Park Topeka Racetrack

1989

Two bulldozers are working in a dirt field

Best Buy

Topeka, KS



1989

Two bulldozers are working on a dirt road

17th and Wanamaker St Improvement

Topeka, KS



1990

  • A bulldozer is driving down a dirt road in front of a building

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A yellow excavator is loading dirt into a red dump truck

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Stormont Vail Hospital Radiation Center

Topeka, KS



1991

  • A large dirt field with a few cars parked in it

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A muddy field with a tanker truck and a bulldozer

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A yellow bulldozer is sitting in the dirt on a construction site

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Sam's Club

Topeka, KS



1992

  • A black and white photo of a construction site with the capitol building in the background

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A construction site with a house in the background

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas

Topeka, KS



1993

A large dirt field with a few buildings in the background

Kohl's

Topeka, KS



1994

A yellow bulldozer is moving dirt on a construction site

Hayden High School Expansion

Topeka, KS



1997

  • A picture of a construction site taken in 1998

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A red truck is parked in the middle of a muddy field.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A red ford truck is parked in a dirt field

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A photo of a construction site taken in 1993

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A group of construction vehicles are working on a dirt field.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Lowe's

Topeka, KS



1999

  • A picture of a building that says the center of america motorsports

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A picture of a bulldozer in the dirt with a caption that says ' southern excavation '

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • An aerial view of a highway under construction

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A picture of a dump truck being loaded with dirt

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A large dump truck is driving through a dirt field

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A dump truck is being loaded with dirt by an excavator

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A black and white photo of a caterpillar grader

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Heartland Park Temporary Dirt Track

Topeka, KS



2002

  • An empty stadium with a blue sky and clouds in the background

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A dirt field with a stadium in the background

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Hummer Sports Park

Topeka, KS



2005

  • The sun is setting over a bridge over a body of water

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A path leading to a body of water surrounded by trees

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A yellow excavator is working on a bridge over a body of water

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A bridge over a body of water with a yellow excavator in the foreground

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A cat excavator is working on a bridge over a body of water

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A cat excavator is working on a bridge over a body of water

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A person walking down a concrete path in a park

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A large crane is lifting a bridge over a body of water

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A bridge over a body of water with a tree in the background

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A yellow cat excavator is under a bridge over a body of water

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A cat excavator is working on a rocky shoreline near a body of water.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A bridge is being built over a body of water

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Lake Shawnee West Trail

Topeka, KS



2007

  • A yellow bulldozer is plowing a dirt field

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A large pile of dirt is being worked on by construction vehicles

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A white truck is parked in a dirt field under a bridge

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A construction site with a bridge in the background

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A construction site with a large crane in the background

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Topeka Blvd Bridge at 1st St

Topeka, KS



2008

  • A concrete wall is being built on the side of a road

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A yellow excavator with the word cat on it

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Two bulldozers are working on a construction site

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A cat excavator is digging a hole in a field

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A yellow dump truck is parked next to an excavator

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

4th St and MacVicar Ave Improvement

Topeka, KS



2009

  • A group of construction vehicles are working on a dirt field.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A group of construction vehicles are working in a dirt field

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A group of construction vehicles are parked in a dirt field.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A green john deere tractor is driving through a dirt field

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A group of construction vehicles are working on a dirt field.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Home Depot Rapid Deployment Center

Topeka, KS



2010

  • Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

  • Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

  • Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

  • Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

  • Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

29th Street between Urish Road and Wanamaker Road

Topeka, KS



2017

  • An aerial view of a construction site with a lot of dirt.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A dump truck is being loaded with dirt by a yellow excavator

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • An aerial view of a construction site with tractors and bulldozers.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • An aerial view of a construction site with tractors and bulldozers

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A construction site with a row of green pipes in the dirt.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • An aerial view of a construction site with tractors and bulldozers.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • Three bulldozers are working in a dirt field.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A group of tractors are working on a dirt field.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Reser's Fine Foods Plant

6th Street and Croco Road

Topeka, KS



2024

  • A bulldozer is moving dirt on a construction site.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A cat excavator is sitting in the middle of a dirt field.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A group of construction vehicles are parked in a dirt field.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A truck is spreading fertilizer on a dirt field.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A bulldozer is spreading fertilizer on a dirt road.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A bulldozer is driving through a muddy field.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A bulldozer is moving dirt in a muddy field.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A white truck is driving through a muddy field.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Shawnee County Family Park

21st Street and Urish Road

Topeka, KS



2024

  • A dump truck is parked in front of a building under construction.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A dump truck is driving down a dirt road next to a white truck.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A dump truck is parked in front of a brick building behind a chain link fence.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A large building under construction is behind a chain link fence.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A large building with a chain link fence in front of it

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A large building with a lot of windows is surrounded by a fence.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Washburn Rural High School CTE Addition

Topeka, KS



2024

  • A sign for schmidtlein excavating is hanging on a chain link fence.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A concrete walkway leading to a building under construction.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A building under construction with scaffolding and a sign that says sdg on it.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A sign for the rita bitt art gallery and sculpture garden

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Washburn University Recital Hall

Topeka, KS



2024

  • A group of construction vehicles are working on a construction site.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A dump truck is driving down a dirt road next to a bulldozer.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A cat excavator is loading dirt into a dump truck.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button
  • A truck is driving down a dirt road next to a yellow roller.

    Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

Kansas Department of Transportation District One Headquarters 21st Street and Rice Road

Topeka, KS



Integrity is the foundation of everything we do