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Maxx HDD, LLC:
Directional drilling specialist is just getting started Now just two years old, Maxx HDD, LLC of Houston is forging a reputation as a preferred pipeline contractor. Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino
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s it nears completion of its second year of operation, Maxx HDD, LLC of Houston, TX has quickly found its footing as a preferred horizontal directional drilling contractor within the Oil and Gas Pipeline industry. Established in 2015 by industry veterans and good friends President Travis Vander Wert, CEO Kevin Hutcherson and COO T.J. Strickland, the company operates throughout the Lower 48 states. The company maintains the capabilities to service the Water and Sewer, Wind and Solar, and Telecommunications industries, but Vander Wert says: “Right
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Maxx HDD, LLC | 4 now we are almost 100 percent pipeline related.” The experience of the management team – each member is a second- or thirdgeneration industry expert with decades of experience – has been crucial to the company’s ability to hit the ground running. “My role is really no different than any other member of our organization. I am part of a team of wonderful people. We all are forced to wear many hats in order to make this work. We all share in the growth of the company equally and collectively we make a great team of good friends.
Maxx HDD, LLC | 5 As we’ve grown we have always stayed friends. That is one of the most important things to us and that is how we make it work,” says Vander Wert. The company, and the industry as a whole, isn’t without challenges such as finding qualified workers, meeting accelerated work schedules, and explaining its processes to those wary of potential damage to the environment. “Finding qualified people to make these projects constructible in the time frame the owners want them done is difficult. We’ve seen these larger projects build schedule get
accelerated from what would normally be a year to construct them to now they’re asking them to be done in five months. That puts a real strain on finding qualified people to do it,” Vander Wert says. “Another challenge is the image of the industry. We’re seeing more and more push back on our industry and it’s important for us to educate the public on what we actually do,” he adds. “The end result in what the energy industry provides to the end user is key to our nation’s goal of becoming energy independent and it is important to educate the public of the
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construction process and the end result of it.� Maxx HDD has more than doubled in revenue, assets and employees over the last two years.
Top Shelf Projects Plains All American Red River Project: Maxx HDD has played a key role in some of the country’s largest pipeline projects which enable increased volumes of products to be delivered to markets downstream from facilities in Cushing, OK. The company has participated in both the Plaines Red River and
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Diamond pipelines that will deliver oil from Cushing to multiple end markets. Sunoco Mariner East Project: This endeavor, now under the direction of Energy Transfer Partners MLP following its April 2017 merger with Sunoco Logistics Partners, will transport natural gas liquids (NGL) from the Marcellus and Utica Shales eastward to Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic region for distribution to commercial and global markets. Phase 2 of the project is now under way and will increase takeaway capacity to
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Maxx HDD, LLC | 8 345,000 barrels per day.
Operations Well on its way to becoming a preferred industry partner, the company has had no shortage of work from the outset. Vander Wert credits that to the company’s make-up as well as its straightforward approach to working with clients. “There are some high demands in the industry to put together a good team of contractors to make it happen. We feel that being privately owned and a very hands-on approach is critical to our group’s success and that it plays a part of why our clients enjoy working with us. We will make decisions based The
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on what is best for our clients and our company collectively. There are always going to be times where those decisions do not make financial sense at the time but our ultimate goal is to have the ability to grow with our clients as an extension of their business,” he explains. Thanks to its extensive fleet of late model directional drills and support equipment, the company has earned a reputation for taking on extreme projects and completing them on time and under budget. “I think it is understanding what it takes to do the job. We have a wonderful group of superinten-
“We will make decisions that are good for the company and the clients. We do what is right, not what is best for the pocket. We want to grow with our clients as an extension of their companies.”
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“Industry leaders. Passionate visionaries. and genuinely nice guys.”
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- President Travis Vander Wert
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dents that work with us that help in making it all happen. We get together as a group and evaluate what it takes to get the job done on time and on budget. We strive to be a partner with the clients to make it happen,” Vander Wert says. The company self-performs approximately 80 percent of its work and subs out 20 percent in outside labor, hauling of equipment and transporting of fluids. “We partner with our subs and our vendors. They are a huge part of the business and know we can’t do this without them. We need
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them all to succeed as a team,” Vander Wert stresses.
Safety Given the volatile nature of the industry, safety is top of mind around the clock. The company’s Health and Safety measures are constantly reviewed and adjusted as needed and its culture of safety is advanced by communication at all levels and on all work sites. Safety measures include: providing ongoing training at the field level; allowing employees to identify and voice concerns about potential job site hazards; providing proper tools and
Maxx HDD, LLC | 11 supplies needed for a safe environment; insuring that equipment is well maintained and in proper working order; and having at least one certified OSHA, CPR and First Aid employee on site at all times. “Safety is pretty simple; it’s a culture. As long as you promote and put a value on safety in the field and at the office, it will drive the day-to-day tasks. We provide our guys with the most up-to-date tools to be efficient and safe,” says Vander Wert.
People and More
The company belongs to a number of industry associations,
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Maxx HDD, LLC | 13 such as DCA, a favorite of Vander Wert’s. “DCA does a wonderful job promoting the industry while spending countless hours in training and education. The organization is very active in Washington and helps considerably in making sure our industry has a voice in the political realm. DCA also provides an avenue to connect with others in the industry by establishing a common ground between owner companies, contractors and vendors,” he says. Word of mouth has been beneficial to Maxx HDD’s growth. Due largely to its burgeoning
reputation, its workplace culture, and its positive environment, Vander Wert says the company has been fortunate to attract some of the industry’s top talent. “We work extremely hard at protecting our reputation and our company name. If you do that successfully it helps in attracting more talent to our organization,” Vander Wert says. “Our industry is one of the best out there and is filled with hard-working, great people. The quality of people in this industry is second to none.” Looking ahead, it is easy to envision Maxx HDD trending upward for a good long while. This company is just getting started.
COMPANY INFORMATION Company Name: Maxx HDD, LLC Country: U.S. Industry: Construction Est: 2015 Premiere Service: Horizontal directional drilling President: Travis Vander Wert Website: http://www.maxxhdd.com
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P.O. Box 2407 Conroe, TX 77305 T: 713-320-4292 E: travisv@maxxhdd.com