HammerHead Opens First Location in Canada

Andy Braithwaite has accepted the position of ramming and bursting sales manager for HammerHead Trenchless Equipment in its new eastern Canada regional office. Braithwaite will be working out of Ennismore, Ontario, located about 100 miles northwest of Toronto.
 
“My first goal is to educate the market. Canadian contractors aren’t as familiar with trenchless techniques. Plus, the regulations and worksite demands here are a little different than in the U.S. It’s definitely a benefit to have a Canadian office, with someone who knows what they need,” Braithwaite said.
 
Braithwaite, who is a Certified Engineering Technician or C-Tech, is a veteran trenchless methods instructor with more than 25 years’ experience in horizontal directional drilling, ramming and bursting applications.

The location of its first Canadian office was chosen because it best positions the company to facilitate the equipment needs of customers in eastern Canada, from Manitoba to the Maritimes, said HammerHead U.S. national sales manager Alan Goodman.

“Having Andy Braithwaite managing a HammerHead depot center that can store and refurbish equipment right there in Canada allows HammerHead to react more quickly on timely jobs as well as eliminate a large portion of the freight costs, customs duties and overall expense to the Canadian contractor base,” Goodman said.
 
Braithwaite is already working with HammerHead customers. “We are starting to see an increase in water and sewer burst activity in Canada, and it appears that the gas line slitting is not far behind. It’s all the more reason to have equipment ready for immediate rental or purchase in Canada,” Goodman said.

In his latest positions, Braithwaite served as a drilling consultant, traveling across North America addressing specific trenchless technology challenges on wide range of projects. To launch his market education initiative, he has planned a series of one- and two-day seminars that will be offered to contractors and engineering, and municipal project teams.
 
Braithwaite’s certifications include Certified Mechanical Plumber, Certified Industrial Millwright, Resource Drilling and Blasting Technician, Certified Pipe Ramming and Bursting Technician and Certified Engineering Technician.  He also serves as a Specialized HDD Professor at Fleming College, Lindsay, Ontario.