David Leiper started his professional career in marketing and communications in 1983. His clients were retail, medical, education and industrial customers. After a few years, he started servicing oil and gas companies ranging from local drilling fluids specialists to worldwide operators. In 1998, a customer offered him the opportunity to serve as head of sales in the design, construction and packaging of their drilling and pressure containment line of products. He accepted and was thus introduced to Gardner Denver drilling equipment because his company bought and packaged their products. Then, in 2014, Leiper was approached by Tony McClain, director of sales at Gardner Denver, to join the company. “It was not a hard decision, as I had always been impressed by the quality of product, professional sales message and excellent customer service that Gardner Denver exemplified,” Leiper says.
The company specializes in the design and manufacturing of drilling, well service and high-pressure pumps to the oil and gas industry worldwide. While it serves offshore clients, the majority of Garner Denver’s products are made for onshore drillers and well servicers. As director of drilling pump sales, based in the Houston headquarters, Leiper leads a team of three and says international competition is one of his biggest challenges. He says that domestic manufacturers like Gardner Denver face an ongoing battle with low-cost manufacturers overseas who have filled the market with low-quality drilling products. “In the challenging climate of today’s drilling market, many drilling contractors have moved their business to the Chinese manufacturers, where they can purchase this equipment for half the cost of U.S.-made products, such as Gardner Denver pumps,” he explains.