The HDD Broker Blog
A Review of UCT 2010
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
January 26, 2010
I'm thankful to say that the continuing optimism that we are seeing and hearing from our customers and vendors alike was mirrored in the attendance and quality of the recent Underground Construction Technology Exhibition that took place in Tampa, FL last week.
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Tips When Receiving Freight Off a Truck
Written by Phil Menees, Joshua Transport
January 15, 2010
Just a reminder on a few points for you and your customers when receiving freight off a truck.
Hopefully, by taking these extra few minutes in receiving your freight, you can protect your investment and enjoy the equipment that you have purchased.
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Happy Holidays from HDD Broker!
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
December 23, 2009
HDD Broker would like to wish all of our customers.. Past, Present and Future... a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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Announcing a New Way to Buy from HDD Broker!
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
November 6, 2009
HDD Broker is proud to announce the launch of a new and exciting way to buy from the largest and most comprehensive used HDD company in the world!
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ICUEE Follow Up - Louisville, Kentucky 2009
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
October 23, 2009
Amongst the dire news of a stumbling economy, the attendance at the ICUEE show in Louisville, Kentucky was refreshingly good. There was a pervading sense of overall optimism that helped keep the show upbeat.
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Trenchless Australasia 2009
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
October 9, 2009
Well I've just returned after a long, long (long) journey back from lovely, overcast Melbourne, Australia for the Trenchless 2009 Trade show and exhibition. I thought I'd offer a bit of a summary of what we saw, did and accomplished while we were down there!
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Introducing HDD Broker Australasia
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
September 18th, 2009
HDD Broker is proud to announce the rollout of the all new Australasia-specific websites: www.hddbroker.com.au and www.hddbroker.co.nz.
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The Changing Demands of the Mid-sized Drilling Contractor
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
August 2009 - Featured in Trenchless World Magazine
These changing economic times have certainly thrown the world on its ear, in some places more than others. Contracts have been delayed or shut down altogether, and in areas where the work does exist the ability for a contractor to obtain funds for the purchase of equipment to complete the work has diminished substantially. Through all of this, however, the needs and wants of the contractor remain unchanged. Manufacturers have, over time, invested considerable time, energy and resources in to the evolution of the HDD drill, and we have seen the results over the last few years.
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Strategic Partnership and Business Expansion Caters to the Australasian Market
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
August 2009 - Originally written for Trenchless Australasia
It is the goal of every successful company to not just serve their customers, but to excel at doing so by catering to the specific needs of their clients. The world is a very large place, made smaller by things such as the internet, however there are specific territorial, cultural and business concerns for each geographical area and it is difficult for one company to handle each area with equal ability.
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The Broker Advantage
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
March 2006 - Originally written for Trenchless Australasia
When a company or individual makes the decision to purchase a piece of equipment, there are typically two routes that are explored. The first, and probably easiest, is to locate an equipment dealer and purchase the piece of equipment brand new. This has several advantages, not the least of which are reliability and warranty for the product. Unfortunately, new equipment also carries a hefty price tag, and not all companies can afford the luxury of purchasing their entire fleet of equipment brand new.
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Hard Times Show Exactly What You’re Made Of
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
July 2009
"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends." ~ John Churton Collins
The quote above is absolutely true, and no more applicable than in these challenging economic times. The quote was brought to focus for me recently when we did a transaction with a vendor of used tooling that we’d had frequent dealings with in the past.
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Buying and Selling in the Used HDD Market
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
May 2009 - Featured in Underground Construction Magazine
I would say that the used market is "finding" itself right now. I think a proper term might be "volatile". What we're seeing is a market where some models of drill are dropping completely off of the map in regards to demand, while others see a very high inquiry rate.
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Cutting Through the Hype: What the Future Really Holds for the Trenchless Industry
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
April 2009
There’s been a lot of talk lately about how the highly-publicized $787 billion economic stimulus package will revitalize the country. A lot of people are holding their breath waiting for the money to come flowing in and take their companies from the threshold of bankruptcy and back into the black again.
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Toronto No-Dig Show 2009
Written by Bonnie Lauzon
April 2009
What struck me at the Toronto Show was that the directional drilling industry has also advanced really dramatically. When Ivan and I used to go to the shows not so many years ago, there just weren't alot of people around that even heard of directional drilling.
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Nuca Exhibition 2009
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
March 2009
The now-annual NUCA exhibition in Phoenix, Arizona took place March 4-6, 2009. The weather was spectacular, hovering in the mid 70's for the three days of the show. The downtown area of Phoenix was beautiful, with great access to amazing dining and entertainment.
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Evaluating the Used Rig Market
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
February 2009 - Featured in Trenchless World Magazine
It’s a different world today than it was yesterday. It will be a different world again tomorrow.
I was recently asked to speak at the Underground Construction Technology Exhibition in San Antonio, Texas, and it afforded me the opportunity stand back and reflect on the HDD industry over the last ten years or so and see how it has been affected, and more specifically how the market for used HDD equipment has changed and where it is now.
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What Does the International Market Offer?
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
February 2009 - Featured in Trenchless World Magazine
There is a wide selection of HDD drills offered from manufacturers based outside of the US. The quality ranges from next to useless to upper-end luxury, depending upon the manufacturer and the resources that they have to work with in their respective countries.
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Trenchless Round Table Discussion
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
January 2009
It was my distinct pleasure to take part in the first annual Trenchless Round Table Discussion put on by Trenchless World Magazine. Many of the industry's major players were invited to attend, and representatives from many of the trenchless industry leaders made an appearance.
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Responses from the Trenchless Round Table Discussion
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
January 2009
What impact is the current economic downturn having on the trenchless industry? And what are your predictions for your respective sectors for 2009?
We’ve heard from the new equipment manufacturers here but I can talk about the used equipment side of things.
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The Changing Face of the HDD Equipment Marketplace
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
October 2008 - Featured in Trenchless World Magazine
"The times, they are a'changin'..."
An old saying, and one that seems to be accurate regardless of just what the "times" currently are. The expression is, nonetheless, an accurate one, particularly as we talk about the HDD marketplace right now.
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The Evolution of the HDD Contractor: The Changing Needs and Wants In Today’s HDD Marketplace
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
July 2006 - Featured in Trenchless Australasia
As an individual who has constant contact with contractors from all over the world on a daily basis, I have a somewhat unique take on just what exactly it is that the average contractor is looking for in HDD equipment. Our customer base here at HDDBroker includes hundreds of contractors in dozens of countries from around the world, giving us a broad spectrum of companies to compare against.
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What Is It Worth?
Written by Bob Martin, General Manager
March 2006 - Featured in Trenchless Australasia
"What is it worth?"
That is a question that most often comes from sellers, but one that I’ve also heard many times coming from buyers as well.
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