Underground Infrastructure - June 2023 - 25

Glenn (left) and Lee Bennett
ing approximately 3,000 feet of 18-inch
HDPE mainline pipe to support a newly
constructed pump station.
Decades of expertise
B&B Underground and Drilling was established
in 2004 by brothers Glenn and
Lee Bennett. Prior to that, Glenn was a
horizontal directional drill (HDD) operator
with experience dating back to
the early '90s on one of Florida's first
HDD projects.
" Back then, drills didn't have a seat,
and there were no rod loaders or automatic
grease buckets. The operator did it
all, " said Glenn.
non-potable applications. In these ways,
municipalities can reduce the demand
for potable water and help conserve
drinking-water resources.
One example is Deland, Fla., in the
Orlando area. Over the last several years,
the city installed new reclaimed-water
transmission mains to transport non-potable
water from the Deland Water
Reclamation Facility to various locations
throughout the city.
B&B Underground and Drilling Inc.
is the local contractor working on the
multiyear project. In the latest phase,
the company was responsible for installLee
was a salesperson for the turf
equipment industry at the time. The two
started talking about building a business
together. From there, the dream was
born. The brothers' first order of business
was getting their own drill. Even though
Glenn was already experienced working
mid-size to maxi-rig drills, the two started
small and invested in a used Vermeer
D7x11. They got to work installing fiber,
coax cable and electrical lines.
" Our first major project was for the
city of Maitland, Fla., " Lee reclled. " We
used the D7x11 drill to help underground
a lot of residential power lines.
We started small and saved, so we could
someday get into larger-diameter work. "
As utility owners noticed B&B
Underground and Drilling's diligence
and professionalism, the size and scope
of the projects they won grew.
" The income we earned was reinvested
in the business, leading us to buy our
first brand-new rig, a Vermeer D24x40, "
said Lee. " This machine helped us land
more water installation projects.
" At the time, we relied on prime contractors
for power and phone work, but
we started to advertise more and bid
on water projects. As a result, we purchased
a new D24x40 Series II. Later, we
upgraded our smaller drill to a D20x22
Series II for smaller-diameter installation
work. Eventually, we traded that machine
for a D24x40 S3 as the bulk of our
work shifted to larger-diameter utilities. "
Their workload was rapidly increasing,
so the brothers decided to invest in
a D40x55 S3. This allowed them to perform
longer shots and install larger-diameter
water and sewer lines. By acquiring
this machine, they were given more opportunities
for mainline water and sewer
projects. Consequently, they added a
Vermeer D60x90 S3 to their fleet.
Today, B&B Underground and
Drilling operates four Vermeer utility
drills, ranging from a D10x15 S3 HDD
up to the D60x90 S3, and performs
bores ranging from 1 to 30inches in
diameter. To help with slurry management,
the company uses Vermeer CS
UndergroundInfrastructure.com | JUNE 2023 25
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Underground Infrastructure - June 2023

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