TRACTO Open Day to celebrate 40 years in the UK
Trenchless Technology supremo, TRACTO UK, recently celebrated a four-decade milestone in business with a two-day Open Day at the company’s demonstration site in the heart of Bedford. On a sweltering Wednesday in mid-June customers, suppliers and prospects were invited to peruse a display of equipment, including live demonstrations of compact machines from pits dug in the ground which replicated real applications. Pete Atkins, Chief Demonstrator, first showcased GRUNDOSTEER technology to the assembled crowds. Ideal for short under crossings – such as roads and rivers – Pete demonstrated the ‘steerable mole’ rod pusher concept for quick and easy trenchless connections.
The GRUNDOPIT PS40, designed to facilitate trenchless house connections from a tiny pit of just 100 x 125cm, was demonstrated to show the possibility of bores above existing infrastructures. Ideal for Fibre to the Property (FTTP) connections, for example, but with the additional benefit of mi
nimal upheaval and damage to the surroundings.
Three large surface-launch HDD machines were also on display at the picturesque site with Pete jumping in the cab to showcase the simple, automatic changeover of rods including the easy cleaning system on each model; including remote operation of the GRUNDODRILL ACS130 by tablet PC. The popular 15XP, with its powerful pulling and pushing forces and the JCS130 – which can power through hundreds of metres per day in easy ground conditions – completed the line up.
Of course, as the original inventor of the moling concept, there had to be a range of GRUNDOMAT moles on display as well as the popular GRUNDOWINCH range
On Thursday 15th June key customers were bussed in to the site and joined by TRACTO’s Chief Executive from the company’s German HQ, Tim Hofmeister, along with Elmar Koch, TRACTO Product Manager. The pair joined customers and staff for an afternoon of activities and a celebratory meal and overnight stay.
Roger Wahl, TRACTO UK’s Managing Director, was delighted by the attendance across both days;
“We had a fantastic turnout from existing customers, as well as prospects interested in some of our innovative trenchless technologies. They took the opportunity to come and learn about the benefits directly from our team and the reaction was really positive. We followed up the two-day event with a meal for the whole company which was a great culmination to our 40th celebrations. We are looking forward to the next 40 years of innovating the trenchless sector.”
