WorldWide Drilling Resource

46 SEPTEMBER 2017 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Evolving Alongside the Drilling Industry Adapted from Information by Western Rubber & Manufacturing, Inc. Western Rubber & Manufacturing, Inc. was started in 1977 by Charles Grantom, as a custom rubber design and manufacturing plant for the oilfield industry. During this time, the company’s main products were piston and replacement stripper rubbers. Over the years, Western Rubber has grown to serve the oil, water, energy, and monitoring fields by supplying all types of well development products and drill swivels. As Grantom was nearing retirement age, he decided to sell Western Rubber. In 2000, two employees, John E. Stroh, Jr. and Paul Eberhardt, bought the company. The two men had a vision for how to grow the company, and have worked toward the goal of developing Western Rubber into one of the premier suppliers of drilling products throughout the world. Western Rubber has substantially increased their product line to the point they now offer a complete stock of swivels, shale traps, pipe-wipers, mud pump parts, and other products for mul- tiple drilling markets. With their rubber molding facility, modern CNC (computer numerical control) equipped machine shop, in-house engineering, and knowledgeable employees, they can provide custom mold design and production, rubber molding, swivel repair, custom swivel design and manufac- turing, as well as technical assistance with problem water wells. The company has received their ISO 9001:2008 certification. Although, ISO standards have always been the procedure at Western Rubber, the certifi- cation highlights the dedication to new and current customers, while focusing on the quality of every product leaving their facility. Since the company began, Western Rubber has been dedicated to provid- ing the best quality products at a fair market price. They strive to implement knowledgeable technical service, great customer service, and product availability, which is required for today’s market and all their customers around the world. In coming years, Western Rubber’s product lines will continue to grow as more products are added, modified, or changed, depending on the needs of the drilling industry. Environmental Monitoring by Thomas Kwader, Ph.D., P.G. The Importance of a Quality Well During the drilling of a well for a homeowner, a drilling professional may encounter a lot of decisions which will be made at his (or her) discretion. During the decision-making process, ask yourself: What would I do if this were a well for my family? Am I sure the last joint we lowered into the hole was watertight? Most likely it will be alright and not leak, but what if it does, and leaks “iron” water into the lower aquifer? We should always do the best work, with good materials. An old saying goes something like: “The price is long forgotten if the quality of the product endures through time.” Unless you are picking up and moving your business every few years and changing your name, it is very important you maintain a good reputation and are remembered for delivering a quality product. One of the best ways of grow- ing your business is to have previous customers recommend your company to prospective new customers. It is true, good reputations do not spread very fast. However, a bad reputation spreads quickly, fast, and far. Sometimes it’s the little things you do which are remembered the longest, such as: 0 Cleaning up the drill site and placing sod around the well so the owner does not need to cleanup after your crew. 0 Install quality parts, pipes, and pumps which will last for many years - with as lit- tle maintenance as possible. 0 If the well or pump fails, be quick to at least go see what the problem is. It may be a very simple fix, or at least the owner knows you are working on it. 0 Follow-up soon after you have completed the well to be sure the well is meeting the expectations of the owner. 0 Price the well to include all of the items mentioned above and still make a fair profit. The extra amount paid for the well will not be remembered if the owner is very pleased with the well and water quality. Tom Tom kwader may be contacted via e-mail to michele@worldwidedrillingresource.com