Interview with Peter Hambling: Celebrating his Induction into the HDD Hall of Fame
In light of being inducted into the HDD Hall of Fame, we sat down with Peter Hambling, co-founder of Digital Control Inc., to ask about his time in the industry. We hope you enjoy this personal, inside look into DCI's—and Peter's—history, both of whose contributions have been as memorable as they've been revolutionary.
Interviewer: This is for the HDD Hall of Fame. How do you feel about being inducted?
Peter: Oh, well… a little embarrassed. No, no—I don’t know. Maybe self-conscious.
Interviewer: Is it everything you’ve aspired to?
Peter: Yes, yes. I’ve been working most of my adult life toward this crescendo.
Interviewer: Did you ever think you’d be part of the Hall of Fame?
Peter: No. More like the Hall of Shame!
Interviewer: So, the first question is: How would you describe the early days of HDD?
Peter: That’s an interesting question. I had to think about that. It was certain that the technology was going to work and do something important, but we had no idea how big it would become. Not even close.
The early days were full of experimentation—trial and error. Some things worked, some didn’t. Like any startup industry, there was a lot of uncertainty. Not doubt, exactly, but just not knowing. Not sure how well it would go, how it would be adopted, how successful it would be, how expensive it would be. Would people embrace it over traditional methods—trenching and digging? That was a big question.
Interviewer: Did it feel like being a pioneer?
Peter: In a way, yeah.
Interviewer: Do you remember when you first even heard about HDD, or maybe even that term?
Peter: Sure. The first time I heard about it was through John. We had been friends and in touch for years—since 1977. When I came back here in 1984 from England, I got in touch with him to say hi and asked, "What are you doing?"
He was involved in a company called Flow Mole. It was one of several companies that stemmed from water jet cutting technology. Flow Mole was using water jets at the front of a drill head, pushed by a rod behind it, to replace buried power lines. It was clever.
Interviewer: Did Flow Mole invent horizontal drilling?
Peter: Well, horizontal directional drilling (HDD) as a term actually came from the oil industry. They used huge equipment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Originally, they drilled straight down, but then they figured out if they could steer sideways, they could access much more oil.
Flow Mole was the first company to adapt that concept for utility installations, using water jets. They developed and patented it. But their business model was a service-based one—they set up companies worldwide to use their equipment rather than selling rigs. The problem was the rigs were easy to copy. Anybody with welding and hydraulics experience could make one, and they started competing with Flow Mole.
Interviewer: And Flow Mole couldn’t stop it?
Peter: No. They tried to sue, but they weren’t successful. Eventually, they lost control of the business. Ditch Witch entered the market in 1990. By then, I was working at Orbital Sciences, and John had actually been fired from Flow Mole—he had been telling them the truth about the industry, but they didn’t want to hear it.
Interviewer: How did DCI come about?
Peter: John originally wanted to raise $3 million in venture capital to develop small drill rigs—one pit-launched and one mounted in the back of a pickup truck. I told him, "Why don’t you just focus on tracking systems instead?" He had mentioned it almost as a footnote in his business plan.
Unlike rigs, a tracking system could be built in a small shop. No need for heavy equipment, steel, engines, or hydraulics. And tracking was essential. Contractors might figure out how to weld together a drill rig, but not how to develop electronic tracking—it was black magic to them.
John took that advice, and the rest is history.
Interviewer: What were the biggest innovations that changed the HDD industry?
Peter:
- Pitch Measurement – Before this, contractors could only track depth. Drilling rods naturally tended to drop, making bore paths inconsistent. The pitch sensor allowed operators to see exactly what the drill head was doing in real time, revolutionizing the industry.
- Remote Displays – This allowed the drill operator to see the same data as the locator, reducing reliance on walkie-talkies and improving efficiency.
- Ball-in-the-Box (Eclipse System) – Instead of using signal strength to locate the drill head, this system provided a 2D visualization, making tracking much easier.
- Noise Mitigation (F2 & F5 Systems) – These advanced tracking systems allowed users to work around interference, making HDD more reliable in urban environments.
Interviewer: How did the industry evolve over time?
Peter: At first, municipalities didn’t trust HDD. It was too new, too unproven. There were also a lot of independent operators—husband-and-wife teams, small welding shops—who jumped in without proper training. Many hit power lines, fiber optic cables, gas lines. It was the Wild West.
Over time, with more experience and innovation, HDD became trusted and widely adopted worldwide.
Interviewer: Any funny stories from your time in the industry?
Peter: Oh, plenty!
The Mailman Incident: One of our early employees, Donnie, had a massive Norwegian Timberwolf named Gorby. One day, a mailman walked into the office, and Gorby ran straight at him. He didn’t bite him, but he got close. The mailman freaked out and refused to deliver our mail after that.
The Lawsuit: One night, I was alone in the office when a sheriff knocked on the door and served me legal papers. A couple was suing us because a drilling explosion near their house traumatized them so badly they could no longer consummate their marriage. I had to look up what “consummate” meant! When I realized, I thought, What’s that worth?
The CIA Fiber Line Incident: During the Kosovo conflict, a contractor using our tracking system was drilling outside CIA headquarters in Virginia. They asked, "Where’s the fiber line?" The CIA rep said, "Can’t tell you—it’s classified." They drilled anyway and took out the entire fiber line to the CIA. The whole place went on lockdown, with helicopters and Park Police on horseback.
Interviewer: Looking back, are you happy with how everything turned out?
Peter: Absolutely. John and I always said, "If it’s not fun, let’s not do it." Sure, we had knock-down, drag-out arguments, but we respected each other. Our partnership lasted decades—we needed each other.
Ultimately, business is about competition, but it’s also about the people. Even with our competitors, we had camaraderie. We’d battle for contracts, then have dinner together. That made it fun.
And now, seeing the next generation take over, it feels like everything came full circle. I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.