For the eight semifinalists in Vermeer’s Ultimate Crew contest currently underway, just being recognized means they are doing something right.
“It’s showing how diversified we are, it’s exciting to be a part of it,” says Chuck Ulmer, owner of Ulmer Contracting in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Ulmer Contracting is the only Canadian company that is a semifinalist. They are joined by seven other semifinalists from the U.S., including:
- B&T Drainage (Marshall, Illinois)
- Roseau Electric Cooperative (Rosseau, Minnesota)
- Tru Tek Drilling (Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania)
- Martin Hildreth Company (Rockwell City, Iowa)
- Triad Western Constructors (Cortez, Colorado)
- M3 Contracting (Monticello, Minnesota)
- Precision Underground (Bismarck, North Dakota)
Contest participants were asked to submit essays explaining what made their HDD operator, locator, mud technician and supervisor the Ultimate Crew. The essays were reviewed by a panel of five independent judges — industry experts — who narrowed the field to eight semifinalists.
“As a company specializing in underground utility installation, we feel we have the ability to take on any job, at any time, without hesitation,” says John Boyer, president of B&T Drainage. “We are proud of the reputation B&T has and the product we give our customers, thus, we wanted to show our skills off to the Vermeer community.”
B&T Drainage is a third-generation, family-owned company that specializes in directional drilling, public water supply systems, sanitary sewer collection systems, storm sewer systems, booster and pumping stations, hydroexcavation and heavy hauling.
Ulmer Contracting mainly serves municipalities in the Vancouver area. “We’ve pursued a market that is not that readily available to other contractors. We pursued the municipal market and we’ll go out and lay utilities for them.”
After being selected as semifinalists, all eight of the companies had videos done on them — which can be viewed on NavigatorNation.com. That site is where industry peers can also vote for their favorite crew through Aug. 31.
The four crews with the most votes will be invited to participate in the Underground Showdown HDD skill competition held at the International Construction & Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE) Sept. 29 through Oct. 2 in Louisville, Kentucky. The crew that performs the most accurate bore on the course designed by Vermeer will be named the Ultimate Crew.
“There’s no practicing for that, it’s comes automatic,” Ulmer says. “If you don’t know how to do that at this point, you shouldn’t be here.”
Within its fleet, Ulmer Contracting has several Vermeer drills, including the 24x40, 9x13 and the 20x22. “We use the 9x13 a lot, just because of the power it has,” Ulmer says. “We also use the 20x22 a lot too because it goes out a long way.”
The winning crew will win the use of a Vermeer D24x40 Series II Navigator horizontal directional drill for 12 months and will be featured in Vermeer marketing efforts.
“The 24x40 would make a great asset to our current three drill fleet,” Boyer says. “During busy times, it would work along side the current B&T drills, allowing B&T to be that much more productive. The 24x40 would also allow us to save some wear and tear on the 36x50, one of our hardest working machines.”
Check out the videos on each of the eight crews:
B&T Drainage:
Ulmer Contracting:
Triad Western Constructors:
M3 Contracting:
Precision Underground:
Martin Hildreth Company:
Roseau Electric Cooperative:
Tru Tek Drilling:
Now, go and vote at navigatornation.com for your favorite crew.
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