When Prime Horizontal Drilling made significant improvements to the ParaTrack guidance system in 1998, a design originally developed by Vector Magnetics, it put the drilling world on notice that this company, headquartered in the Netherlands, but operating in the United States out of Houston, was positioning itself as a leader in innovation in the drilling industry. 

Since then, the company has made additional strides in the technology and high-quality production of HDD downhole tools since its initial advancement of Vector’s system, nearly 30 years ago. 

Some of those accomplishments?

The company still prides itself on being the first HDD guidance firm to complete an intersect pilot hole and still ranks as a company with records for drill depths with its system. 

Now looking to create more advances globally, the company announced that Simon Kench, one of the company’s original founders and Nico Dekker, an expert in finance and human resources, successfully completed a management buyout to become chief executive officer (Kench) and chief financial officer (Dekker) retrospectively. 

What this means is Kench, who started out as a guidance engineer in 1995 will continue to oversee the day-to-day when it comes to innovation, advances for technicians and management in the field. As for Dekker, consider him in charge of solvency, as according to the announcement of the buyout, his plans are to focus more on operational structure and growth, utilizing his experience across finance and marketing.

This expertise is coupled with Nico Dekker’s experience spanning finance, HR and marketing. His focus on operational structure and growth complements Prime Horizontal’s technical strengths, supporting the company’s continued expansion.

Humble beginnings

For Kench, who started off getting his boots muddy with the company to what it’s become today with offices on three continents and the only HDD to have a brick-and-mortar in the States, taking complete control of the company he helped create feels like a natural “evolution.”

“Having been a part of Prime Horizontal since its founding in 1997, this management buyout is both a continuation and evolution,” Kench said via release. “We are focused on continuing to deliver high-quality customer support and tooling, as well as building strong relationships with our clients worldwide. Our strength lies in our experience, our people and our commitment to getting every job done right.” 

Next steps in the process

Quite simply, Prime wants to grow its reach worldwide and is looking  to continue to be more than just an HDD service provider. For years, the company has been known for its complete line of drilling bits, reamers, mud motors and a repair team ready to mobilize on job sites. 

Additionally, with its advances in the ParaTrack system a known commodity, Prime wants to offer more training on its uses, worldwide. To do so, the company notes that it plans to employ “multilingual teams,” as international growth was a key component of Kench and Dekker’s decision to acquire the company. 

“This management buyout positions us to expand our international presence,” Dekker said,  “Ensuring business continuity, growth, and stability for all stakeholders.”