5 Generations of Drilling: Great Depression to Digital Era
Jeremy Baldwin is president of Hawk Drilling Company located in Ballston Spa, New York. A Master Groundwater Contractor with a bachelor’s degree in environmental geology, Baldwin specializes in drilling, geology, water systems and geothermal. And that summarizes the services Hawk Drilling Company provides to residential and commercial customers in Upstate New York. The fifth-generation family business started in 1927.
It all began with Baldwin’s great, great grandfather, an oil well driller in Oklahoma. Once the Great Depression struck and oil drilling dried up, he traveled to Upstate to New York for a project drilling pilings for the Conklingville Dam on the Sacandaga River with a cable tool rig. He decided to stay in the area after the dam was completed and drill water wells for locals.
Fast-forward five generations, “This last year I bought the business from my parents and that’s where we are today,” Baldwin said.
As a child, Baldwin didn’t want to be a driller.
“Then I was actually thrown into being a helper with my father when I was 16. And working with my father, the things I would watch him do, it just drove me to want to do more,” he said.
Today, the business no longer leans on phone book ads. Baldwin has embraced digital channels to meet customers and prospects where they are.
“Before I took over, we really brought it into more technology, getting involved with Facebook, Google and trying to get out there.”
This episode covers:
- Tweaking the business to the interests of each generation and the times they operated in.
- The role of a geology degree in helping drill shallower wells and create happier customers.
- Benefits of ongoing education and belonging to industry associations.
- Water well versus geothermal drilling.
- Drilling a 1,860-foot water well with 120 feet of stainless steel, 8-inch casing.
- A 40-hole geothermal project on a college campus.
- The power of patience in achieving success.
- Tips for others looking to advance in the drilling industry.
Check out today’s episode to hear more. Watch the video here or listen to the audio version of our conversation at www.thedriller.com/boring-podcast. You can also find our show on Apple Podcasts. Search for Boring Conversations, then hit Follow.
Want to be a guest on a future episode of Boring Conversations? Know a drilling industry professional who should? Email verduscoj@bnpmedia.com for consideration.
Resources
Hawk Drilling Company on the web: www.hawkdrillingcompany.com
Contact Jeremy Baldwin at hawkdrillingcompany@gmail.comLooking for a reprint of this article?
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