In the last edition of Trenchless Australasia, the Edge Underground business model was introduced. This model sees businesses and individuals partnering with the company using an innovative, mutually beneficial contracting arrangement that allows partners to enjoy the benefits many would associate with owning and operating a fully-fledged business.
Edge Underground is looking to partner with microtunnellers that are ready to step-up and enjoy many of the benefits business owners enjoy, such as earning a percentage of invoices and the ability to run aspects of jobs with guidance and training, all without the stress and start-up costs that come with running a business.
Call and response
Since that article, Mr Harrison has had a considerable response, with a number of companies and individuals getting in touch to learn more about how they can partner with Edge and a number of individuals now setting themselves up to partner with Edge Underground.
“The response to the article has been a bit overwhelming, actually,” said Mr Harrison. “Since we first started to get the message out about the Edge Underground partnering model, we’ve had a number of companies and individuals approach us, wondering just how the model actually works.
“Since those initial conversations, we now have two individuals on job sites right now, utilising Edge equipment and benefitting from our years of expertise.
“We’ve also had very interesting and productive conversations with a number of companies who are interested in teaming up with us. This includes some open-cut installers, who are keen to offer microtunnelling as another option in their suite of services.
“To me, this is a great reflection on the partnering relationships we’re trying to establish – and it’s also great news for Trenchless Technology more broadly.”
Getting in on the ground floor
With Edge Underground being approached by a range of different individuals and companies, all with different needs and interests, the company is very flexible in how it sets up its partnerships and can work closely with interested parties to develop a niche solution that meets the individual needs of each situation.
For interested parties, the first step after making the initial inquiry is to spend some time on the job site, getting a feel for how the partnership will work, so that each party can get a solid understanding of whether it will be the right move for them.
“We want people to really understand the partnership we’re offering and have a chance to experience it firsthand before anyone is locked into anything. We want our partners to feel comfortable that we’re a good fit for them, and vice versa, of course,” said Mr Harrison.
“What we’re learning from going through this process is that there’s a huge volume of work out there for microtunnellers to potentially complete. By partnering with Edge Underground, we give individuals and companies the chance to get a piece of this work, to enjoy a percentage of invoices the way that owners do, and to benefit from the years of microtunnelling experience that we have in-house. It really is a win-win situation.”