Vermeer manufactures equipment for a variety of industries, and HDD equipment manufactured for use in areas such as the pipeline industry remain a core area of the business.

Mary says the introduction of HDD rigs represented a massive advancement for a number of the industries which now rely on the technology.

“Directional drilling was a big change because we were in trenches putting things in the ground for a long time and we thought ‘There has to be a better way’. My dad (Gary Vermeer) said an animal mole is pretty efficient, so if you could do that without having to open the surface that would make a lot of sense - so we really pursued directional drilling.”

According to Mary, when the company initially moved into the manufacture of HDD equipment, one of the core areas they focused on was training the operators who would be using the drills to ensure maximum productivity and efficiency. “And that’s what I think gave us a great start on the whole industry,” she says.

Since initially entering the market, Vermeer now manufactures a huge range of equipment which is employed by the pipeline construction market, including trenching equipment such as concrete cutters, ride-on trenchers, track trenchers and trench compactors; and trenchless equipment like horizontal directional drills, drill head locators, vacuum excavators, GPS systems, GPR equipment, moles and mud motors.

While trenching equipment is probably the suite of machinery most commonly associated with the pipeline industry, the continually increasing need to consider the environmental impacts of infrastructure construction is seeing an increase in the popularity of Vermeer’s trenchless equipment range.

HDD rigs in particular have been a common fixture on Australian pipeline projects for a number of years, and the company continues to advance the size of the rigs it develops and the distance over which they can drill. At the moment the largest drill in Australia is the D300x500, which offers 50,000 ft-lbs of rotary torque and 300,000 lb (136,077 kg) of thrust and pullback capability. Internationally the company has manufactured up to the D330x500, and Mary says planning is underway for the next size up.

Mary noted that the company will only manufacture larger rigs if the market proves there is sufficient demand for them, saying there would need to be orders for around five to ten drills per year before Vermeer look to build a larger rig. “I don’t think that for us we will ever get to the point where we’re building one or two a year,” says Mary. “It would have to have some multiples in it to make sense for us.”

Mary says she is sure there is the possibility for continuously improving and extending the length that the equipment can drill. With respect to speed, the company’s drills work at an impressive 1 mile per hour, and this remains a safe speed to operate at.

Vermeer’s biggest market is the US; however, Australia is proving to be another strong market, particularly given the current construction boom, which encompasses the pipeline industry. In fact, through 2006 Australia was Vermeer’s top international dealer. Other strong markets for the company include Western Europe, Japan, and China.

When asked what could be done to continue to grow these and other markets, and broaden the awareness of HDD, Mary suggested focusing on educating engineers about the benefits that HDD can provide.

“Continuing to get with the engineering firm and help them understand what HDD can do, how it really is a good sustainable technology, it helps avoid some things that are issues in contracting and open cut, it can go under rivers and that sort of thing with less damage, less interruption…I think it’s continuing to find some of those thought leaders, and getting them on board,” says Mary. Unsurprisingly, Mary also cited improving the cost-effectiveness of drills as being another crucial factor in increasing the uptake of HDD within the pipeline and other industries.

In her role as President and CEO, Mary spends a significant amount of time focusing on the company’s current and future core objectives and how to achieve these. “A big focus is continuing to see what customers need and making sure that we can continue to bring new solutions to the market that really satisfy those needs,” says Mary. “We also want to see good stable growth, and we really want to be number one or two in our core markets, like trenchers and drills.”

Sustainability is also a big concern for Vermeer. “We’re constantly looking at how we can be more involved in sustainable industry practices,” says Mary. The company approaches the issue of sustainability by looking at ways to reduce water use and greenhouse emissions while improving recycling measures within their day to day operations, as well as looking at advancements in the equipment they manufacture that can address these key concerns.

As for any equipment manufacturer, research and development is of critical importance to the company. In fact, according to Mary, “We are a little heavier on research and development than some other areas of the company because it is an important part of who we are and our growth in our future.”

There is no doubt that the Australian pipeline industry will continue to be a part of and benefit from this growth in the years to come. As the number of projects and their complexity increases, the complex equipment and machinery manufactured by Vermeer will be required to get the job done.