CAREER PROFILE
In
the
Know
Craig Berninger helped found Western Equipment
Solutions four years ago. A long-time driller himself,
it’s clear Berninger has the right credentials for the job.
Western Equipment Solutions is a distributor
for numerous leading foundation brands,
such as TEI Rock Drills, Soilmec, Intric, PTC,
Junttan and Leffer. The company’s sales manager,
Craig Berninger, is a trained geologist with 20 years of
experience as a driller and hydrologist – so when he’s discussing
drilling options with clients, they know they’re getting
the real deal.
“I was a driller for a long time. Believe it or not, that gets
you a lot of street credibility. I guess you’d say because you’ve
actually done it,” Berninger said. “It’s just kind of one of
those things.”
Although, Berninger points out that blowing smoke at
clients is something he won’t do. When he doesn’t know
something, he won’t hesitate to say so.
“I’m not afraid to say, ‘I don’t know,’ because when you
don’t, it could turn into bigger problems and cost more
money down the road. It doesn’t matter how long you have
been in this industry, you can’t know it all. You’re going to
learn something new every single day,” Berninger said.
“The biggest thing for me is to be able to get answers and
potential solutions to my clients as quickly as I possibly can.”
Berninger got his first drilling job in 1995, when he was a
geology student at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla.
“The office of the Florida Geological Survey was at that
time across the street from the geology department building,”
said Berninger. “It was fairly commonplace for undergraduates
to get part-time jobs there, working in the lab, doing core
descriptions, cutting descriptions, permeability and porosity
tests. I got in with the Florida Geological Survey just doing
that kind of thing.”
During a summer break from university, Berninger was
asked by his bosses at the Florida Geological Survey if he’d
be interested on working on some drilling operations that
were part of the in-house drilling program. You can guess
his answer.
By Mark Halsall
PHOTOS: WESTERN EQUIPMENT SOLUTIONS
PILING CANADA 57