Our Story
Heavy Equipment Operating Academy was built by people who spent their careers on real jobsites. We know what contractors need because our team has worked in the industries we train for and understands what it takes to succeed beyond the classroom.
Our goal has never been to simply graduate students. Our goal is to graduate operators that contractors are proud to hire.
How It Started
HEO Academy didn't begin with a large campus or a fleet of new equipment.
It started with a 300-square-foot classroom, a handful of machines and two people willing to bet on a different way of training heavy equipment operators.
Our first graduating class in 2022 had just three students. As the school grew, later classes did more than practice on machines—they became part of building the campus itself.
Students performed real sitework while learning: grading, digging trenches, preparing the building pad, excavating for drainage, placing septic tanks and helping install the lines and leach system that serve the facility today.
They even helped with parts of the building process as our current training center took shape.
The original classroom still stands beside our 4,000-square-foot facility. Today it's used as a maintenance building—a small reminder of where this academy started and how much can be built when people are willing to work.
Every class has helped leave HEO Academy a little better than they found it.
Growing One Class at a Time
The First Eight Weeks of Your New Career
This is what your first weeks at HEO Academy actually look like.
Your first days are about learning how professional operators approach the job before anyone starts moving dirt.
Instructors are already here when students arrive. Your hard hat and safety vest are waiting at your seat, and orientation begins at 8:00 AM.
Before turning a key, students learn safety, machine inspections, daily maintenance, greasing and what experienced operators look for before a shift.
By the second day, students are typically outside training on real equipment and beginning to put classroom instruction into practice.
Extra seat time is available throughout training. Students who ask questions, stay late and practice consistently are the ones who improve the fastest.
Students learn inspections, maintenance and machine awareness before operating equipment.
Training happens on actual heavy equipment—not simulators.
Instructors bring years of construction, transportation, utility and military equipment experience.
Repetition, coaching and additional seat time help students build the confidence needed on real jobsites.
The More You Put In, The More You'll Get Out.
This isn't just a saying around HEO Academy—it's how the best operators are built. Every class has opportunities for extra seat time, additional coaching and more time working through the skills they need to improve.
Students who ask questions, stay late and practice consistently almost always leave with more confidence because they've simply spent more time doing the work. Those extra hours add up.
No shortcuts. Just experience.
The People Behind Your Training
HEO Academy students learn from people who've spent years working around heavy equipment and real construction projects before stepping into an instructional role. What they learned in the field is what they bring to every class.
Founder & Field Instructor
Dennis spent decades operating heavy equipment and working on construction, utility and energy projects across the country. After seeing firsthand how difficult it had become to find qualified operators, he founded HEO Academy to help train the next generation to do the work the right way.
“There's no substitute for seat time.”
— Dennis Edwards
Lead Heavy Equipment Instructor
Randy comes from a road-construction background with the Department of Transportation. His years working around highway crews and heavy equipment give students practical insight into the pace, standards and expectations they'll encounter on real construction jobsites.
“If you ain't here on time, you ain't here.”
— Randy WardThey learned the work by doing it. Now they're passing that experience on.
The People Who Help You Succeed
Long before your first day of class—and throughout your training— there are people behind the scenes helping students, families and funding partners navigate the process and keep things moving.
Director & Co-Owner
Ryan helped build HEO Academy from the ground up and now oversees the day-to-day operation of the school. His role spans admissions, OSHA instruction, student and staff issues, career placement and the systems that keep the academy running.
“The best part of this job is watching people prove everyone wrong. We've had students who barely made it through high school, who were told they weren't going to amount to much. Then six months later they're supporting their families, building careers and making more than the people who said they couldn't. That's why we do this.”
Admissions & Student Services
Maria helps keep the academy moving behind the scenes and is often the person students, parents and funding partners work with most closely. She leads much of the admissions process, coordinates student housing, works with vocational rehabilitation counselors and workforce representatives, and helps students navigate issues throughout training.
From the first application through graduation, Maria helps make sure questions get answered, problems get solved and students have someone in their corner when they need help.
The right training matters. The right people make all the difference.
Where You'll Train
Our training center in Bee Branch, Arkansas was built around one purpose: giving students the space, equipment and support they need to learn heavy equipment the way it is actually used in the field.
Training Center
Classroom space, offices and student support under one roof.
Real Iron
Students learn on actual machines—not simulators.
Training Yard
Space to dig, grade, trench, load and practice the skills operators use in the field.
Student Housing
Housing options are available for students traveling to Bee Branch for class.
Why We Do It
Every student arrives at HEO Academy for a different reason. Some are starting over. Some are looking for a better career. Others simply want the opportunity to prove what they can do. These are a few of the people behind the numbers.
Alumni Story
Brett came to HEO Academy from nearby Conway, Arkansas, for the October 2024 class and quickly became one of the top students in his class. Before graduating that December, he had already interviewed with United Dredging and had a job offer waiting for him.
Brett returns to the academy several times a year when he's home and regularly talks with new students about the industry, the work and what comes after graduation.
You don't need experience to start. Bring the willingness to learn and the drive to put in the work. We'll provide the equipment, the training and the opportunity to build the skills.