An important part of Warrior’s strategy is to remove the myth surrounding the complexity of trenchless projects. The company does this by investing in a comprehensive training program. From their free introductory seminars through to their free training program, attendees receive interactive classroom based theory and on-site demonstrations.

Warrior Managing Director Tony O’Brien said “Warrior’s policy is not to simply sell a product, but to build a continuous working relationship with all of our clients. The trenchless industry has emerged and changed dramatically since it was established 20 years ago, and has opened up areas of new work which were previously dismissed as they were too difficult.

“Now they are realistic and extremely profitable. But safety and efficient working practices are paramount and that’s why we have developed a comprehensive program. Whilst our machines are probably the easiest to use in the market place, our courses are designed to enforce safe practices and we cover a wide range of scenarios,” said Mr O’Brien.

Following 30 years in the US, Warrior Worldwide launched a range of pipe bursting and thrust boring products in the UK earlier this year. The first Warrior product to be launched in the UK, the WR33 (pictured) is a pipe bursting machine with an installation rate of two metres per minute. The WR4 and WR6 thrust boring products were launched in September and are the only models in their category to have directional control, enabling the operator to navigate obstacles when underground. The WR4 has a pushing rate of up to 2.7 metres per minute and weighs 86 kilograms, so it can be manoeuvred and operated by just two people.

Dennis Simms a representative from a utility company using Warrior said “We think we have achieved between a 40-50 per cent increase in productivity, before we bought these machines the same job would have required four people. The work is easier and faster.”

Hand-on approach

Warrior is passionate about training which is proven by the company’s hands-on approach. As a UKSTT member Warrior is fully behind the new industry standards for training and runs a sophisticated and thorough training programme for all new Warrior owners.

Warrior runs courses from client’s offices, or more importantly, on-site. As well as the classroom style training and on-site demonstrations, Warrior also offers ‘train the trainer’ sessions. Therefore, designated trainers can learn how to run their own internal training courses and pass on their knowledge to other Warrior operators, ensuring the benefits are distributed throughout the company. Supported by the Warrior Manual, which highlights health and safety tips as well as maintenance advice, the training program guarantees clients will soon know their product inside and out.

Warrior understands the industry and realises there may be times when clients need extra advice for a specific project. On these occasions Warrior’s technical support team is readily available to visit clients on-site to ensure productivity is maximised.

Mr O’Brien said that “When we established Warrior we wanted to be more accessible and accountable to customers, that means everyone in the company has a can-do approach. Training is a critical element to giving confidence and safe practice to customers so they get the very best from their investment.

“We understand that each job is different so our support team is available on the telephone or on-site to help as required. In addition, we will continuously update customers about new standards and prompt them to attend refresher courses to ensure that they maintain the high standards set when they initially purchase a new piece of kit.”