Business Central February 2021

Drillcore expanding operations in the Waikato With a new sonic drill rig soon arriving in New Zealand, Rotorua based geotechnical specialist Drillcore Ltd is set to establish a second depot in the Waikato. Currently covering a very broad geographic area throughout the central North Island for geotechnical services, Drillcore will base two drilling rigs near Cambridge to better meet the needs of clients in the Waikato through to South Auckland. “We want to keep the business small to maintain the close client engagement we have already established, while expanding to where our clients are located,” says Drillcores Managing Director Matt McBreen. “By basing two rigs and operators in the Waikato we can avoid travelling, saving our clients travel costs.” Due to arrive in February, the new sonic drill rig, which works by vibrating through the ground, will be based in the Waikato but operate between the depots as required. Starting out in the industry in his latter teens drilling in Auckland, Matt has been involved in many geotechnical projects throughout New Zealand and the Paci ic Islands. With a focus on small to medium sized geotechnical investigations, Matt established Drillcore in 2014 with a philosophy that it’s all about doing the small things right the irst time as well as completing the project on time and within budget. “Our major service is Core sampling and Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) for liquefaction assessments, much of it to do with foundation work for structures the engineers are designing—either bridges, large buildings or anything heavy that’s going to go on the ground. We also do a lot of assessments for roading slips / slope analysis. Following the Christchurch earthquakes CPT became popular with Councils up and down the country for liquefaction assessments of new subdivisions. The excavation of test pits enabling engineers to log the quality of ground conditions is the fourth service o ered by Matt and his team. Drillcore’s equipment includes a John Deere tractor mounted drill rig, CPT track-mounted rig and an excavator for digging test pits. The new sonic drill rig will complement the existing machinery and add to the company’s capacity to process work. Working with a broad spectrum of clients from small and large engineering businesses, Matt says personal engagement is always key to building strong and enduring relationships. “A lot of the business we obtain is repeat business from consultancies—so we’re always working with regular clients all around the central north Island. Word of mouth has been another key source of business, having been in business for a few years now. We o er our clients the bene it of good reliable equipment with the latest technology and experienced operators.” Having been involved with a large number of projects, Matt has a high level of attention to safety standards which he is continually improving through training, education and good management practices. With the new depot on the near horizon, Matt says he is now on the lookout for two new experienced operators to join the happy team. 07 213 1323 admin@drillcore.co.nz www.drillcore.co.nz Drillcore are proud to support Rotorua Lakes District Council & Campbell Infrastructure