One Foot At A Time – Episode 11: John Langford on Chance Encounters and Finding His Path in HDD

Building from the Ground Up with Matt Sharpe | Wolf Machinery & Supply

We sat down with Matt Sharpe at the DrilRite booth during CONEXPO to talk about the launch of Wolf Machinery and Supply, his role on the Horizontal Directional Drilling Association board, and the path that got him here. Matt walks through what it actually takes to start something new in this industry, where he sees the market going, and why involvement in HDDA matters more than most people realize.

One Foot At A Time – Episode 11: John Langford on Chance Encounters and Finding His Path in HDD

In Episode 11 of One Foot At A Time, we sit down with John Langford of Huxted Trenchless to talk about the kind of career path you can’t map out on paper. John walks through his early years, the decisions that shaped his career, and how a completely chance meeting with a long-lost cousin at a restaurant ended up changing the direction of his life and leading him into the horizontal directional drilling industry. What starts as a casual conversation turns into a series of opportunities, lessons learned the hard way, and a career built step by step in trenchless construction. This episode is about showing up, staying curious, and being willing to take the next step even when you don’t have the whole plan figured out yet. A real story about how most careers in HDD actually happen, one foot at a time.

One Foot At A Time Ep. 10 | Rob Krzys of Benjamin Media on the Return of the HDD Rodeo & its future.

In this episode we sit down with Rob Krzys, President of Benjamin Media and publisher of Trenchless Technology Magazine, to talk about the rebirth of the HDD Rodeo and why it matters to the horizontal directional drilling industry. Rob shares what it’s been like covering trenchless and HDD for decades through trade media, the changes he’s seen across the industry over the years, and the role events like the Rodeo play in bringing contractors, manufacturers, and crews together. We also talk about the joys of working with family, building something that lasts, and why this industry continues to be worth showing up for.

One Foot At A Time Ep. 9 | Dave Helgeson of DrillWorx on Finding His Path in HDD with Drillworx

In this episode we sit down with Dave Helgeson of DrillWorx to talk about how he found his career path in horizontal directional drilling and the journey of building the DrillWorx brand into what it is today. Dave shares the experiences that shaped his direction in the industry, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and what it really takes to grow a brand with purpose in HDD.

Todd Taylor of Infinity Tool MFG on Building an HDD Company That Lasts

n Episode 8 of the One Foot At A Time podcast, we sit down with Todd Taylor, owner of Infinity Tool MFG, to talk about what it really takes to build a company that lasts in the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) industry. Todd shares lessons from decades in rock tooling, HDD tool manufacturing, and explains why he believes his employees mentor him every day. We dive into leadership, crew culture, long-term thinking, and what contractors should look for in a partner when it comes to HDD reamers, bits, and downhole tooling. If you work in horizontal directional drilling, HDD construction, or run an HDD crew or shop, this episode gives real-world insight from one of the industry’s most respected manufacturers.