Since James S. Barbera founded it in 1989, Barbco Inc. has built its identity around manufacturing from East Canton, Ohio, with a focus on quality equipment for underground construction. The company serves contractors in fields such as public utilities and oil and gas, supporting domestic and international projects through custom-built machinery and a worldwide dealer network. Its TriBor system reflects Barbco’s long-running effort to combine practical field needs with new approaches to boring.
The Robbins CompanyPrivately owned and rooted in James Robbins’s 1952 invention of the first modern tunnel boring machine, The Robbins Company has spent nearly seven decades reshaping underground construction. The Solon-based company now supports tunnel projects around the world, with a history marked by practical innovations such as disc cutters and equipment built for demanding geology.SOLON, OH
Michael Byrne ManufacturingStarted by Mike Byrne in a downtown Mansfield garage in 1966, Michael Byrne Manufacturing builds auger boring machines and trenchless construction equipment for underground contractors. Still family owned, the company is the longest continuously operating U.S. manufacturer of auger boring machines and distinguishes its equipment with an in-house EXTREME DUTY gearbox designed for heavy shock loads. Since 1980, it has also engineered turnkey hazardous-waste handling systems and custom large-scale fabrication from its Mansfield operation.MANSFIELD, OH
J.H. Fletcher & CoRooted in Huntington since 1937, J.H. Fletcher & Co. has built its identity around solving difficult underground mining problems through custom engineering and manufacturing. Its work now extends beyond mining through a division created in 2016, while the company continues to design equipment for mine operators and support it throughout its working life.HUNTINGTON, WV
Prime HorizontalFounded in 1998 by four engineers, Prime Horizontal provides horizontal directional drilling guidance, downhole tooling and post-installation pipeline mapping. The company pioneered HDD underground intersects and developed its ParaTrack guidance work with Vector Magnetics, while its international team now supports projects from offices across the UK, the Netherlands, America and Australia. Prime Horizontal has grown to more than 55 employees and reports 475 years of collective field HDD experience.WHITE PLAINS, NY