Vermeer Sales & Service Inc. hosted three, one-day horizontal directional drilling (HDD) workshops at its locations in Cranberry Township, PA; and in Medina and Findlay, OH, on Jan. 18, 19, and 20, 2005.

More than 90 attendees represented HDD contractors from all parts of western Pennsylvania and northern Ohio. Among these attendees were a mix of veteran drillers and those new to the industry.

Designed to provide contractors with information on products and practices to make their operations more profitable, the workshops are “a part of Vermeer’s commitment to the trenchless utility industry since we first started hosting them in the late 1990s,” according to the company.

Attendees at each workshop heard presentations from Vermeer Manufacturing, Earth Tool Corporation, Digital Control, and Baroid Industrial Drilling Fluids. Topics included safety and drilling practices, pipe bursting and HDD “ram assist,” locating techniques, and proper use of drilling fluid additives.

During the catered lunch, customers had the opportunity to meet with representatives from each of the partner companies to ask questions and share stories.

Several new pieces of equipment were on display, including two of Vermeer’s newest Navigator HDD rigs, the D18 by 22 and the D7 by 11 Series II.

“Both offer the efficiency and low maintenance of a rack and pinion thrust system and have the best power-to-size ratios in their class,” according to Vermeer Sales & Service.

“The timing of the event was right,” said Eric Holby, general manager of Vermeer’s Cranberry, PA, facility. “There has been increased demand for directional drilling services in the past few months. There was a several year lull following the collapse of the telecom industry in 2001, but we’re seeing more and more projects, including sewer and water, specifying HDD. And the recent talk of expanding fiber optic networks further into our towns and neighborhoods has a lot of people excited about the opportunities for HDD in the next few years.”

Established in 1962, Vermeer Sales & Service Inc. is the authorized distributor of Vermeer equipment for western Pennsylvania and northern Ohio. Three full-service branches provide equipment sales and rentals, parts, and service to the municipal and contractor markets.

Vermeer’s Underground division offers a complete line of trenchers, plows, rock saws and boring equipment. The company’s environmental products include chippers, stump cutters, and tub and horizontal grinders.

For more information, call 888/213-8340, or visit www.vermeer.com.

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