From Water to Soil

George Kent started Ace Dewatering 35 years ago with a singular focus: lowering the water table for construction projects. Today, the company has transformed into a versatile operation where environmental and geotechnical drilling make up more than half their business.

A Journey Through the Industry

After working for both his father and his uncle, a well driller, Eric Kent spent five years working for an environmental drilling company, earning his environmental drilling license. When he returned to Ace Dewatering 18 years ago, he brought new vision and expertise.

"When I returned, I slowly began incorporating environmental drilling and eventually geotechnical drilling," Eric said.

The expansion wasn't just about adding services. It was about recognizing opportunity in the field.

The Right Equipment for Expansion

Ace Dewatering's transformation required more than just new skills, it demanded versatile equipment. While the company had relied on a 6620DT for installing wellpoints in tight formations where standard water pressure methods failed, Eric's return marked a shift in their equipment strategy with the purchase of a 7822DT.

"We can utilize it in so many ways — SPT, environmental, air rotary. We recently added the Moyno to do mud rotary," Eric said. "When we are on a dewatering project installing wellpoints, the convenience of utilizing the 4-inch direct push rods or switching to augers really speeds up productivity."

Meeting Market Demands

Expansion into geotech services came naturally, driven by client requests.

"We'd be doing dewatering for footings on new homes, and they would ask if we could do geotechnical borings as well," Eric said. "Having the 7822DT has benefitted us to be able to pursue more work in residential geotech."

The compact size of the 7822DT solved a persistent challenge. While their larger conventional drill rig often couldn't access consultant-specified boring locations, the 7822DT's compact platform eliminates access concerns.

"It doesn't matter what size the job site, we don't have to worry about being able to get to it," Eric said.

Streamlined Operations

Efficiency extends beyond the rig itself. The blade on the back of the 7822DT has become a mobile equipment platform.

"We have a couple of tool racks outfitted for different applications. We even built a bracket to carry our 420M on the blade, which streamlines mobilization," Eric said. "We have all the equipment to do the indoor and outdoor portion of a job."

This versatility proved invaluable during a contract with a power company who was replacing high-voltage lines in remote locations.

"We could track out there and perform environmental boring, set a temporary wellpoint, and do a 50-foot geotechnical boring with one rig," Eric said. "Everything we needed was right there, just moving from one hole to the next. We can switch from geotechnical to environmental without any issues."

A Balanced Business Model

While dewatering remains the most profitable service line, the diversification has provided crucial stability.

"When it's slow with dewatering, we're keeping the bills paid," Eric said.

The 7822DT has been central to this success.

"It has exceeded our production needs," Eric said, reflecting on how the versatility of the 7822DT has enabled their shift from a single-service contractor to a multi-disciplinary drilling company.