Jack Dodgeton’s company is growing and it’s time to start looking around for their next investment. He was using the 2025 Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport (WWETT) Show as his opportunity to window shop.
“It’s really the first look at what is out there this year and what these companies have available to us contractors,” says Dodgeton, who operates a small vacuum excavation company based in Maryland.
The company has two vacuum excavators currently, but they are looking at the possibility of adding a third.
“We’re not sure if we want to go with a big one yet or a smaller urban one, so that’s why my team and I are here this week,” Dodgeton says. “We need to see what’s out there and look at all of our options.”
One manufacturer hoping to draw in some of those shoppers this week at the Indiana Convention Center was Ditch Witch, which gave contractors a look at its new W8 vacuum excavator — a smaller version of its W12 model.
“We are seeing a demand for smaller hydroexcavation units that would be great for urban settings,” says Chris Thompson, a product manager overseeing the vacuum excavation side of the company.
The warlock W8 — measuring just over 31 feet long — sports a 8-cubic-yard debris tank and is fitted with a 3,800 cfm blower and 27 inches Hg of vacuum power. The water system is capable of 2,800 psi at 18.5 gpm. It’s boom can reach 26 feet and rotate 340 degrees.
Dodgeton had originally intended to just stay for one day at the show, but was finding more to look at and anticipated spending a second day.
“Just looking at other various pieces of equipment, directional drills, vacuum trucks and just a little bit of everything to see if we want to expand or diversify,” Dodgeton says. “It’s a great show to just see what is out there and give you ideas of which direction to head.”
