Experienced HDD Contractors with 80+ Years Combined Expertise
A Minnesota-based HDD contractor. Small company, big experience.
Our Story
North Country has been in business since December of 2022, but we are not new to the horizontal drilling business. Our senior management each have 20+ years of experience in the industry.
Our management team has drilled in nearly all 50 states as well as internationally, installing everything from utility cables up to 56" pipeline and well over 50 miles of 42" pipeline. We've built our fleet and tool inventory with top-tier equipment.
Our crews are experienced, loyal, and hard-working. We started NCDD with a vision to bring back a team and family-like atmosphere to the industry, while delivering safe, on-time, and on-budget projects. We are proud of what we have accomplished thus far and look forward to building into the future.
How We Do Business
Three pillars that define every project we take on.
Direct Access to Ownership
Our clients work directly with company owners at every step of the project, from development to completion. That access is a big reason they come back.
Experience That Matters
We've seen enough crossings to know what's coming before it happens. We see every project through to the end, no exceptions.
The Right Crews & Equipment
Crews and rigs for projects of all sizes, from utility bores to 56-inch pipeline. Top of the line equipment and customized tooling.
Our Leadership
A team designed to build off experience and have ownership involved in all aspects of the company.
Steve Ugrich
Executive Chairman
Steve got into the pipeline industry in 1989, back when 'horizontal directional drilling' was still something you had to explain at parties. He started as a laborer, helped get the padder division up and running in Australia (yes, the continent), then co-founded Southeast Directional Drilling in 2002 and ran it as CEO until 2015. Now as Executive Chairman of NCDD, Steve is involved in every major decision. Not because he has to be, but because nobody's figured out how to start a meeting without him.
Josh Ugrich
President
Josh started at Southeast Directional in 2006 as a laborer and decided the fastest way to stop taking orders was to hold every job until they ran out of titles to give him. Mud system, drill rig, foreman, superintendent. He did the full tour before finally coming indoors in 2013. By 2015 he was VP of Estimating & PM, and now as President of NCDD, he's the guy who's actually done every job he's asking you to do. So no, you can't tell him 'you don't understand.'
Derek Vogel
SVP
Derek's been in HDD since 2006 when he started as a laborer at Southeast Directional. He moved up so fast they stopped trying to keep track: laborer, foreman, superintendent. He became one of the youngest leaders in the industry before most people figure out their five-year plan. At NCDD, he runs all field operations: rigs, crews, permits, supplies, and an inbox that could qualify as its own zip code. Nobody outworks him. A few have tried. They're tired now.
Eddie Ramos
SVP
Eddie's been in HDD since 2002, and in that time he's had so many job titles his resume reads like a Netflix catalog. Controller, IT, operations, project management, safety. At some point they just started handing him departments to see if he'd say no. He never did. At NCDD he oversees finance, safety, and everything administration. The only thing he hasn't taken over is the weather. HR told him it's not a department. He disagreed.
Neal Roberts
SVP
Neal got into HDD in 1998, then took a detour to serve in the US Army in Iraq, because apparently drilling through solid rock wasn't challenging enough. He returned to the industry in 2009 and worked his way from driller to field superintendent to project manager. At NCDD, he's the primary contact for all project management needs, which means his phone never stops ringing. It rings so much, it should be on the payroll.
Jolene Troumbly
Office Manager
Born and raised in Taconite, MN (yes, that's a real place), Jolene got into construction in 2016 and joined NCDD in 2023. Within approximately five minutes, she became the person nobody can function without. She runs the office, which really means she runs everything that doesn't involve mud. Hardworking, honest, loyal, and the only reason anyone knows where anything is. If NCDD had a 'most valuable player' award, she'd win it and then organize the ceremony.
Danny Soular
General Manager
Danny joined Southeast Directional Drilling with an Electrical Engineering degree from UND and quickly made a name for himself in estimating and project management. His specialty? Making sure the numbers work before the drill does. As NCDD's General Manager, he keeps the entire operation moving: scheduling, budgeting, problem-solving, and putting out fires that somehow always start right before lunch. His engineering brain won't rest until every number checks out. His to-do list has filed for a restraining order.
Brandon Olson
Estimating & Project Design
Brandon's been in HDD since 2010, starting at Southeast Directional Drilling as a laborer before working his way into CAD and estimating, because one specialty apparently wasn't enough for him. At NCDD, he runs the CAD/Design department and manages budgeting and estimating. The guy who designs the projects and prices the projects is the same guy, and somehow the numbers always work out. Coincidence? Brandon says no.
Daniel Lockard
DOT/Fleet Manager
14 years in the auto industry and Daniel's done everything short of building a truck from scratch. And honestly, give him a weekend. Inventory, acquisitions, management, fleet maintenance, repairs. The man collected skills like other people collect hobbies. Now as NCDD's DOT/Fleet Manager, he keeps the entire fleet compliant, maintained, and moving. The equipment doesn't malfunction around Daniel. It wouldn't dare. Last one that did got fixed so fast it filed an apology.
Office Personnel
The behind-the-scenes team that keeps everything running smoothly.
Field Management Team
Some of the best in the industry, with decades of combined field experience.
Ready to Start Your Project?
Talk to us today about your next horizontal directional drilling project.