Our Story
Trenchless Technology Leaders in Underground Pipe Repair & Replacement
Our Story
We started in the mid 1990’s as a landscape installation company. Our primary customers were driven by the housing boom happening at that time. Working for builders, homeowners, and remodel contractors gave us a great deal of appreciation of the costs of investments in landscape, hardscape, and irrigation systems. In the late 1990’s, we began moving into foundation excavations, including installing site drainage, connecting our clients to sewer and water services located under streets and sidewalks. Proper drainage and backfill and the problems associated with low priority given to these foundational issues in construction, made quite an impression on us of the need for quality and integrity in our work-even though it might rarely be seen. We have been fortunate to have licensed civil engineers as our builder clients.
In the early 2000’s we became aware of new technologies that were beginning to come into the marketplace, offering savings of thousands in restoration costs to owners of failing underground pipes. Researching the new technologies, we found huge additional investments needed to be made, but the local city we performed most of our work in, considered these technologies to be experimental. Considering that we had just made significant investments in new excavation equipment ($100,000.00) it wasn’t the kind of risk we wanted to take. Just the same, replacing an underground pipe without having to dig it up-seemed too good to be true. We did our research, and spent a couple of years sharing the benefit of our research into who was using these technologies around the world and the success and problems associated them. We took the plunge, invested and started making history in our area. We helped our local city develop inspection protocols and invested a great deal of time and effort sharing and educating others with what we were learning.
We have had our failures along the way, had to dig up streets at our own expense (as deep as 15 feet); give money back to customers and even put them up hotels for the night when we couldn’t keep our word. We’ve invested many thousands more in equipment from all around the world, spent hundreds of hours looking at the insides of drainage pipes with multiple camera systems-before digging them up and seeing what the true effects of corrosion, erosion and time have on pipes of various kinds.
We have learned to protect our customer’s interests-because it protects ours. We have learned that people who own underground pipes have a need for straight, honest information and that trust is hard to come by. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
We’ve also learned that not every customer is our customer. We have worked for the homeowners, mayors of cities and ownership groups of some of the largest hotel chains in the world. We have served in advisory capacities to city councils both large and small. We’ve seen legislation requiring inspection of these hidden assets pass by a margin of 100% -only to be quashed by special interests, afraid of the loss that might occur if information regarding the health of pipes is known.
Our position: Honesty is the best policy. It is an honor to receive a frank reply. Not hype. Not a sales pitch. Facts. The best information you can get, from people who care enough to invest in the tools to get it.
Trenchless Technology Leaders in
Underground Pipe Repair & Replacement
Our Culture
CLEAR EXPECTATIONS: We must communicate to our clients how our work will impact their lives, property investments and timelines, so they can plan their lives and get on with it.
COLLABORATION: Working with our clients to meet as many of their goals as we can, helping them to understand their choices and what compromises (if any) might work best for them.
INITIATIVE AND CREATIVITY: Being proactive when problems arise or changes are needed. We are good at finding solutions that are cost and time effective in order to stay as close as possible to original cost and timelines.
TRUST: By being true and consistent to our culture, we will earn the trust of our clients.
Our Perspective
We spent years in the landscaping business before expanding into building excavation, including connecting new structures to municipal provided services. Landscaping gave us an up close appreciation for landscape investments. Building excavation gave us an appreciation for the regulations and costs involved in working in the public right of ways.
Our reputation for good, honest, service began to bring us additional clients who found they needed help with existing failing underground pipes.
All of it combined to help us see our future as we realized the need to invest in diagnostic equipment that would help our customers make cost effective decisions about their failing underground utilities.
When we wanted to invest in emerging technologies to allow repair of pipes without excavation, we found the way blocked by a lack of understanding on the part of local governments and no regulatory structure in place.
It made for high risk investing, becoming involved in educating government decision makers and pushing for change at the regulatory level. We learned that the political process is not for the faint of heart, nor is it quick. We’ve spent hours and hours in front of councils and committees over the years. We’ve donated our expertise and advice and helped to shape regulations on behalf of our customers. We consider it a civic responsibility to be involved and participate to help decision makers comprehend effects on their constituents.
We also stay involved in several trade organizations and associations and participate in charity functions as well as remodeling and rebuilding projects in our community.
