pneumatics, computerized algorithms and powerful electro-magnetics
focused on reducing carbon footprints in the oil
and gas industry.
Montgomery said he was looking for a “new challenge”
when a chance opportunity led him to purchase Vibe Drive
Technologies. “I bought Vibe Drive, dropped in some healthy
working capital and took the helm of this company with great
future potential,” he said.
He noted that pretty much all aspects of manufacturing
were done in-house, but after an in-depth review of the man-ufacturing
processes, he quickly made changes and instituted
a process of lean manufacturing.
“Vibe Drive outsourced the laser cutting, CNC machining,
welding and powder coating, but kept in-house the engineer-ing
oversight, warehousing of product, custom assembly,
crating, shipping, customs, brokerage, invoicing and of
course, not the least, client relations,” he said. “My days of
managing a large staff are over, in-house staff levels are down
and productivity and client satisfaction are very high.”
Montgomery has also guided his employees to reimagine
the company’s products. Since the leadership shift, the team
at Vibe Drive has re-engineered some of the company’s well-known
models for skid steers and created some new designs
for small excavators.
Vibe Drive models
The company’s vibratory drivers are designed specifically
to attach to small excavators and skid steers. As it relates to
skid steer models, the company’s 120-SS and 120-LS post and
pile drive models can be purchased as a centre mount and/
or a full left shift mount for those who wish to drive posts or
piles down a line with relative ease. The 240 Series post and
pile drivers are designed for larger model skid steers and can
safely drive small piles up to 18 feet in height.
The company’s newest model, which Montgomery said
is generating plenty of interest, is the 120-MX post and pile
driver, which easily attaches to any smaller-type excavator.
“Currently we supply vibes for 5-15 ton excavators, but
we do have a few clients with excavators in the 22-ton range
using our vibes to drive piles 8-inch and under. Finally, we
have a design that hangs from a picker-boom truck allowing
convenient access to areas otherwise hard-to-reach.”
He adds that certain models of the vibe drivers can be
ordered with an array of optional attachments that will “quick-change”
into any one of several other handy tools.
“We can now convert from a post/pile driver to a concrete
breaker or a hoe pack (tamper) in moments. The operator con-ceivably
could be driving piles at 10 a.m. and ten minutes later
could be ‘breaking concrete’ or tamping a ditch. These vibe
drivers are very popular attachments and quite reasonably
priced. This multi-tool system is designed for either skid steer
or excavator models.”
Montgomery said the company designs and outfits its prod-ucts
to perform well with very little maintenance required.
“As an example, the vibes require high-speed hydraulic
motors to work properly,” he said. “We could, of course, buy
motors from the Far East (at much reduced costs) that would
probably last through the warranty period, but we instead buy
expensive ultra-high-end motors from North America and
Europe, which can be several thousands of dollars more each.
When we say our product quality is the finest, we do mean it.”
When it comes to driving piles, Montgomery said that Vibe
Drive’s focus is on small diameter pipe. The company concen-trates
on driving steel from two-, three-, four-, six- and up to
eight-inch pipe, with examples including high security fences,
slope protection, retaining walls, solar piles, highway cable
and barrier support posts.
The units are small, but they certainly “pack a big punch.”
He said that a client recently purchased a MX (excavator) unit
for vibing in 7-inch casing (to refusal) for retaining walls on the
Colorado River.
In terms of marketing the product, Montgomery said that
Vibe Drive has determined that in most cases selling factory
direct is currently the most appropriate business model.
“It does help in keeping our costs down and makes us a
more attractive option for clients,” he said. “By overseeing cus-toms,
brokerage and the selection of transport alliances, we
can load product on a Friday afternoon and have it in Texas by
Monday or Tuesday next week.”
Vibe Drive’s products are marketed through its website
(vibedrivetech.com), direct mail, various dealer associations
and word-of-mouth. To date, the company has sold its prod-ucts
throughout Canada and the U.S. (including Alaska) and
Puerto Rico.
COMPANY PROFILE
Left: The company’s
vibratory drivers are designed
specifically to attach to small
excavators and skid steers
Right: The company’s Vibe Drive
technology can drive 8" diameter
steel piping for retaining walls
22 Q1 2019 www.pilingcanada.ca
/(vibedrivetech.com
/www.pilingcanada.ca
