Each underground construction company has its own specialties — it could be pipe bursting, vacuum excavation, directional drilling or one of the other forms of nontraditional excavation.
In talking to contractors there is one thing I’ve learned, no matter what their specialty is. It doesn’t matter how big or small, every job is unique and difficult in its own way.
Both companies featured this month face unique challenges daily. DeWind One-Pass Trenching tackles the big jobs — really big — with its array of custom-made trenchers.
Co-owners Greg DeWind and wife Becky started by doing field irrigation work. They saw an opportunity to expand into civil engineering with dam and levee remediation, but their small irrigation trenchers weren’t going to cut it in that line of work.
After looking for a while, Greg found that what they needed wasn’t on the market, so he designed his own trencher. Now the company, based in Holland, Michigan, travels the country with monster trenchers tackling jobs other trenching companies can’t handle. DeWind just completed its largest trencher to date.
It can dig down to 125 feet and can mix in place bentonite, clay and cement while digging.
Our other profile this month features Davis Underground Solutions of Powder Springs, Georgia. Owner Matt Davis gets help from his parents, sister and other relatives in running this company, which is a rebirth of sorts of the company his father owned before the recession hit in 2009.
Davis Underground specializes in installing communication lines and fiber optic lines using directional drills. The company recently completed a job in Texas that lasted longer than anticipated because of several days of rain in June.
Davis Underground has never failed to complete a job and didn’t fail on this one. Crews spent nearly a month in Texas until the job was completed.
More Tough Jobs
If reading about these two contractors and their tough work isn’t enough, head over to our Down & Dirty feature, where you can learn about a contractor in Grant, Michigan, who came to the rescue of the City of Windsor, Ontario, with pipe bursting to install new sewer lines.
Speaking of Down & Dirty and tough jobs, do you have one you’d like to share with our readers? Maybe a difficult trenching job?
Email us at editor@digdifferent.com or call me at 800/257-7222 and share your story!
Enjoy this month’s issue!
