Obituary: Tod Michael, Longtime Trenchless Industry Leader

Tod Michael, a respected leader in the trenchless industry and longtime Vermeer Corp. employee, passed away on Dec. 25, 2025, at the age of 55.

From an early age, Michael displayed a natural curiosity and talent for engineering and mechanics. He earned a drafting degree from Indian Hills Community College. He began his career at Johnson Machine Works in Chariton, Iowa. Later, he joined Vermeer in May 1995.

Over more than 30 years at Vermeer, Michael built a distinguished career in the trenchless industry. He held positions in engineering and product management. Michael served as a Vermeer design engineer, project engineer, senior project engineer and engineering manager for horizontal directional drills, mix systems, reclaimers and downhole tooling.

He spent five years as Vermeer product manager for utility and pipeline horizontal directional drills, mix systems and mud pump systems. Most recently, he served as Vermeer Business Unit Manager for Cutting Edge.

Michael was known throughout the industry as one of the recognizable faces of Vermeer at conventions, trade shows and industry events. Colleagues remember his strong work ethic, problem-solving abilities and dedication to helping others succeed. He was always willing to share his extensive knowledge. In addition, he spent countless hours mentoring others on drill-related topics and technical challenges.

Those who worked with Michael valued his readiness to help whenever needed and his ability to teach by example. His contributions to the horizontal directional drilling industry and commitment to excellence left a lasting impact on all who knew him.

Read Michael’s full obituary, and leave a message to the family, on the Piershbacher Funeral Homes, website here.