The Charles Machine Works Inc.
The Charles Machine Works, Inc. is a privately held U.S. manufacturer of horizontal directional drilling and trenchless equipment, operating five brands (Ditch Witch®, Radius®, American Augers®, Subsite®, HammerHead®) sold globally through dealers to utility installation contractors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1902
- HeadquartersPerry, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What The Charles Machine Works Inc. does
The Charles Machine Works, Inc. (CMW) is a privately held U.S. industrial manufacturer founded in 1902 and headquartered in Perry, Oklahoma, operating across five equipment brands: Ditch Witch®, Radius®, American Augers®, Subsite®, and HammerHead®. The company's core competency is the design and manufacture of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) equipment, trenchless technology tools, auger boring machines, and electronic guidance/locating systems used to install underground utilities without surface excavation. End-use applications span telecommunications and fiber optics, oil and gas, water, electrical, and transportation infrastructure — addressing the contractor demand for trenchless installation that minimizes surface disruption and environmental impact versus traditional open-cut excavation.
The technical offering spans the full HDD workflow: drilling rigs and directional systems (Ditch Witch®, Radius®, American Augers®), electronic guidance and locating equipment (Subsite®), and trenchless pipe installation/rehabilitation tools including pipe bursting and moling equipment (HammerHead®). The company holds registered trademarks across all five brand families and maintains a published patent portfolio covering HDD equipment technologies. Products are sold globally through an authorized dealer and reseller network reaching enterprise utility installation contractors, with quote-based pricing on capital equipment rather than disclosed list pricing.
CMW is a privately held corporation with no public ticker, no disclosed parent company, no venture capital backing, and no disclosed ownership changes in the available source data. Headcount sits in the 1,001–5,000 range. The company maintains a corporate website, careers portal, and social media presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube for brand awareness and dealer support. No revenue, funding rounds, M&A activity, leadership changes, product launches, or geographic expansions were documented in the provided sources.
The Charles Machine Works Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Charles Machine Works Inc.
- Legal name
- The Charles Machine Works, Inc.
- Website
- https://charlesmachine.works
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1902
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- The Charles Machine Works, Inc. is a privately held U.S. manufacturer of horizontal directional drilling and trenchless equipment, operating five brands (Ditch Witch®, Radius®, American Augers®, Subsite®, HammerHead®) sold globally through dealers to utility installation contractors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Charles Machine Works Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Underground Construction Equipment
- NAICS
- Construction Machinery Manufacturing (33312), Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing (3331)
- SIC
- Construction Machinery & Equip (3531), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Drilling Rigs & Drill Systems (IMAHAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Attachments & Work Tools (Buckets, Augers, Hammers) (IMAHAAAM)
Keywords
Where The Charles Machine Works Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Perry
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Charles Machine Works Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
The Charles Machine Works Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Charles Machine Works Inc. manufactures horizontal directional drilling (HDD) and trenchless construction equipment under five brands: Ditch Witch®, Radius®, American Augers®, Subsite®, and HammerHead®. The company produces drills, boring equipment, electronic guidance/locating systems, bits, reamers, pipe bursting tools, and accessories used by contractors to install underground utilities such as telecommunications, fiber optics, water, gas, and electrical infrastructure with minimal surface disruption.
Product overview
The Charles Machine Works Inc. is a manufacturer of underground construction equipment with a multi-brand portfolio. The company operates five distinct product brands—Ditch Witch®, Radius®, American Augers®, Subsite®, and HammerHead®—each serving specific segments of the horizontal directional drilling, trenchless technology, and underground utility installation markets. These brands collectively provide a comprehensive range of equipment for drilling, boring, pipe installation, and utility placement across telecommunications, oil and gas, water, and transportation infrastructure sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Ditch Witch®: Brand of horizontal directional drilling and trenchless equipment
- Radius®
- American Augers®
- Subsite®
- HammerHead®
Products and services
- Ditch Witch®
- Radius®
- American Augers®
- Subsite®
- HammerHead®
Companies that use The Charles Machine Works Inc.
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Charles Machine Works Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
The Charles Machine Works Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
The Charles Machine Works Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Caterpillar Inc. Largest diversified construction and mining equipment OEM globally. Overlaps with Charles Machine Works on selected underground utility construction equipment and competes via scale, dealer network, and financing capabilities.
- Komatsu Ltd. Global diversified construction and mining equipment manufacturer. Overlaps with Charles Machine Works in earthmoving and underground utility equipment with broader product portfolio.
- John Deere (Construction & Forestry): Diversified equipment manufacturer with construction segment that competes in adjacent earthmoving and utility installation equipment markets. Larger dealer network and balance sheet than Charles Machine Works.
- The Toro Company: Diversified outdoor and underground construction equipment manufacturer whose portfolio includes trenchers and compact construction equipment overlapping with Ditch Witch® offerings for utility contractors.
- Astec Industries: Manufacturer of equipment for infrastructure markets including road construction, mining, and utility installation. Comparable as a multi-brand industrial equipment company serving similar contractor end markets.
Direct peers
- TRACTO-TECHNIK: German-based manufacturer of HDD rigs, trenchless equipment, and moling tools. Direct peer in HDD and trenchless technology with similar application focus on utility installation.
- McLaughlin Group (Vermeer): Manufacturer of HDD accessories, boring tools, and vacuum excavation equipment; now part of Vermeer. Directly comparable as a specialist supplier to HDD contractors.
- Barbco Inc. Manufacturer of auger boring machines and large-diameter directional drilling equipment. Direct competitor in the large-diameter HDD and auger boring segments where American Augers® competes.
- Vermeer Corporation: Vermeer is the most direct competitor in horizontal directional drilling and trenchless equipment, offering a competing portfolio of HDD rigs, trenchers, and horizontal grinders. The two companies have historically competed head-to-head across utility installation contractors in North America.
- TT Technologies: Manufacturer of trenchless equipment including pipe bursting, ramming, and HDD tooling. Overlaps directly with the HammerHead® brand portfolio at Charles Machine Works.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Charles Machine Works Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceThe Charles Machine Works Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Charles Machine Works Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Charles Machine Works Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Charles Machine Works Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Charles Machine Works Inc.
What does The Charles Machine Works Inc. do?
The Charles Machine Works Inc. manufactures horizontal directional drilling (HDD) and trenchless construction equipment under five brands: Ditch Witch®, Radius®, American Augers®, Subsite®, and HammerHead®. The company produces drills, boring equipment, electronic guidance/locating systems, bits, reamers, pipe bursting tools, and accessories used by contractors to install underground utilities such as telecommunications, fiber optics, water, gas, and electrical infrastructure with minimal surface disruption.
Is The Charles Machine Works Inc. a public or private company?
The Charles Machine Works Inc. is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Charles Machine Works Inc. founded?
The Charles Machine Works Inc. was founded in 1902. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is The Charles Machine Works Inc. based?
The Charles Machine Works Inc. is headquartered in Perry, United States, in the North America region.
Who are The Charles Machine Works Inc.'s main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Caterpillar Inc., Komatsu Ltd., John Deere (Construction & Forestry), The Toro Company and Astec Industries. Direct peers are TRACTO-TECHNIK, McLaughlin Group (Vermeer), Barbco Inc., Vermeer Corporation and TT Technologies.
Does The Charles Machine Works Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Charles Machine Works Inc..
What industry is The Charles Machine Works Inc. in?
The Charles Machine Works Inc.'s product category is Underground Construction Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAMAA, Drilling Rigs & Drill Systems, with a secondary code of IMAHAAAM, Attachments & Work Tools (Buckets, Augers, Hammers). Its NAICS code is 33312 and its SIC code is 3531.