Talking to corporate marketing people and field sales personnel of the major horizontal directional drilling (HDD) companies today is a flashback to 1999 or 2000: business is booming, Some sales people can almost be described as giddy. It is hard to believe that not long ago Vermeer and Ditch Witch - the two biggest suppliers of HDD drill rigs - were laying off hundreds of people and that a huge supply of used, late-model HDD rigs had all but stopped sales of new equipment. Not only does the HDD recession appear to be over, but - dare it be said? - some see a new "boom" coming, and - even harder to believe - it is being credited to increased construction for the telecommunications industry, the culprit widely blamed for much of HDD's recent troubles. Excitement about telecom construction is being driven by the potential of FTTP (fiber-to-the-prem-ises) projects which promise to bring highspeed internet services to millions of homes and businesses.
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