Speed and Drill Safety Solidify Sustained Growth Spurt

Drilling since age 18, Paul Tyson decided to return to the industry when he and wife Michelle met and started their own water well installation and geotechnical drilling company in Florida.

“I was working in the insurance industry at the time and one of our coverages that could be purchased was contamination while in the hole. So I said to Paul, let’s name our company ‘DOWN THE HOLE TESTING AND DRILLING’ and away we went,” Michelle said.

Initially they would drill together. Now they have six employees and three rigs employed in their company built primarily by word-of-mouth and referrals.

“We have been very fortunate to have had enormous growth in the past three years,” Michelle said. “The inception of the new rig has provided us capabilities to complete jobs much faster and more efficiently. It’s been a great addition.”

The equipment they had been running was aging and they desired a smaller machine with added safety and a longer stroke.

“It was the right move to make to keep us running as a well-oiled machine,” Michelle said. “The DM250 really made it all come together to be more efficient and run smoother.”

Having established a relationship with Donnie Wood while attending Florida Groundwater Association shows, they felt confident in what they learned from him regarding the DM250 capabilities related to their business needs.

“Our equipment didn’t have the same capabilities as the DM250 with the carousel. The speed is just crazy compared to what we had to go through with our old equipment to drill a hard 130-foot hole,” Paul said. “Our other two rigs were a 1977 and a 1987, so the mechanical speed and safety are night and day difference. Now we wonder how we ever did our job with the older rigs and equipment.”

Paul appreciates the centrifugal pump moving mud fast and overall increased production rates.

“It’s very efficient, so you’re not waiting to clear cuttings. It just blows the cuttings right out of the hole,” Paul said. “It has cut drilling time. Drilling a 160-foot well used to take three hours, now it only takes an hour.”

He also appreciates the compact carrier making it easier to get in and out of jobs while also leading to fuel efficiency, which ultimately means cost savings.

“Being smaller means it's able to maneuver better between houses, and has a lower overhead clearance, so we don’t have to cut as much stuff out of the way like low hanging branches,” Paul said.

And they both praise the additional safety running the DM250.

“The safety of not having to handle the rods yourself means you don’t have to worry as much about your fingers or hands being injured or getting in the way — the machine does it for you,” Paul said.

Because of the added safety, they’re not as reluctant as they were with their older equipment to have a new employee attempt to learn how to drill.

“Bringing on the next generation of drillers and teaching them how to drill with this rig makes the training process easier and better,” Michelle said.

When an employee didn’t show up for work one day, Michelle accompanied Paul on the job.

“I hesitated because I hadn’t spent much time with the DM250 so I didn’t know how much help I would be. He told me everything was so automated he could do it himself, he just needed me there for safety or if he needed mud,” Michelle said. “I spent most of my time in the cab of the truck doing paperwork while he drilled the hole that day.”

The capabilities of the DM250 have also led to them expanding their scope of work.

“We do a lot of 2- to 4-inch holes, but we’re now doing more 6-inch holes because the DM250 can handle them,” Michelle said. “We can now do that type of more profitable work and take on more of those types of projects. The ability to do more of those bigger jobs is a critical move to position for growth when you’re more of a mom-and-pop shop like us.”