INDUSTRY PEOPLE
but anything that has oil running through it, anything that
It’s now a good-sized business but still remains family run.
can attach, we can do it.”
Auger Torque is the brand that Rick cut his teeth on
in terms of sales, back in 2006 when he took over the
With smaller contractors as the main clientele, Rick says
Earthworm branch of the business.
the multi-pronged marketing approach for Earthworm
is, firstly, customer retention by providing only the
“I started in the business pretty much just out of school.
best product, secondly to kit them out
My father started it really, but the whole
family are shareholders in the business now. “It’s a family business, and I with multiple attachments, and thirdly to
happened to be the boy that help them to avoid that awful “D” word,
“It’s a family business, and I happened to got handed that part of the
downtime.
be the boy that got handed that part of the business to run.”
One challenge for the business is that
business to run.”
until a specific need arises, such as specialised work,
Auger Torque itself has only been around since 1998,
a contractor does not need an attachment. So, when
but now has attachments on every continent. They make
it’s needed, it’s often needed urgently. But the culture is
attachments that can withstand any environment and
changing, slowly.
Rick vouches for the quality of the brand.
Rick’s approach is to encourage contractors to stock a
The products’ descriptions and features are as long
range of attachments in their ‘tool box’ as it were, so they
as your arm. The brand forms the core of Earthworm’s
are never caught short, or, more importantly, wasting
business still, but Earthworm has evolved over time to
precious chargeable time trying to source an attachment
offer other brands too.
at the last minute.
Earthworm’s motto is “Best in Dirt.” So much about the
“It just adds to their tool box and means that they can do
motto rings true. They want to be the best at what they
a wider range of jobs. Contractors would rather do the
do, but another take on the motto is that they are at their
work themselves, they are notorious for not wanting to
best—in their element—when working with clients who
have to sub-contract.”
need to bore, drill, and break the earth. They’re happiest
Rick has a marketing approach that encourages his
when the equipment in the dirt is working for the client.
clients to think about diversifying, so it’s a win-win
“We are all about hydraulic attachments. Augers, rock
for all. The plan is to get contractors to see the wider
breakers and demolition attachments are our main lines,
scope available to them and to perhaps upskill with a
A DEMCO rock breaker at work at a site in Dunedin.
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CAM June 2019
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