ECI Drilling International

What ECI Drilling International does

ECI Drilling International operates as part of Huxted Trenchless, LLC, a Texas-based trenchless construction contractor formed through the merger of Huxted Tunneling and ECI Drilling International. The combined entity brings over 65 years of trenchless construction experience and operates from a Conroe, Texas headquarters and a Miami, Florida office, serving infrastructure projects across North America. The company is Hispanic-owned and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certified through the National Minority Supplier Development Council, a credential that provides preference on public-sector and corporate diversity procurement programs.

The company's core technical offering spans two primary service lines: microtunneling, capable of installing pipe diameters from 24 inches to 120 inches including curved alignments and long drives; and horizontal directional drilling (HDD), including large-diameter HDD for major utility installations. Supporting specialized capabilities include wet recovery for underwater intakes and outfalls, beach approaches and shore landings, river and wetland crossings, land-to-land crossings, and barge-to-barge marine drilling operations. These methods allow trenchless installation of underground utilities without surface disruption, addressing the constraints of open-cut excavation in environmentally sensitive and developed areas.

ECI Drilling International generates revenue through project-based professional services contracts, awarded via competitive bidding on municipal, utility, environmental, and industrial infrastructure projects. Pricing is quote-based and tied to project scope, specifications, and site conditions; multi-year contract cadences are typical for infrastructure work. The go-to-market motion relies on direct enterprise and government field sales, complemented by a website with bid/proposal request forms and participation in industry events. The broader corporate ecosystem visible on the website includes affiliated marine and trenchless construction entities (JAG Inc., Caldwell Marine International, Northeast Remsco), suggesting potential cross-referral and resource-sharing dynamics within a related group of companies.

Name

ECI Drilling International

Legal name

Huxted Trenchless, LLC

Website

https://ecidrilling.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ECI Drilling International, operating as Huxted Trenchless, LLC, is a Texas-based Hispanic-owned MBE-certified trenchless construction contractor providing microtunneling (24"-120" diameter) and horizontal directional drilling services for municipal, utility, and industrial infrastructure projects across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trenchless Infrastructure Construction

NAICS

Oil and Gas Pipeline and Related Structures Construction (237120)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Cable Installation & Construction Services (trenching, duct banks, HDD, pulling, cable laying) (EUADADAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Offshore-to-Shore Interface Construction (Landfalls, Shore Crossings, HDD) (IMAFAJAK)

Keywords

• Horizontal directional drilling
• Microtunneling services
• Trenchless pipe installation
• Underground utility construction
• Directional drilling contractor

Headquarters

HQ city

Conroe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Infrastructure Construction Services: Project-based revenue from providing microtunneling and horizontal directional drilling services for infrastructure projects including utility crossings, drainage systems, and environmental installations. Revenue is earned through competitive bidding on construction contracts and direct engagement with municipal, utility, and industrial clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ECI Drilling International provides microtunneling and Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) services for trenchless underground pipe and utility installation. Operating as part of Huxted Trenchless, LLC, the company serves North America with diameters ranging from 24 inches to 120 inches and offers specialized capabilities including curved tunnels, wet recovery for intakes and outfalls, beach approaches, and barge-to-barge drilling.

Product overview

Huxted Trenchless, LLC operates as a full-service trenchless construction company formed through the combination of Huxted Tunneling and ECI Drilling International, bringing over 65 years of combined trenchless drilling experience. The company serves North America with two core service offerings: Microtunneling (supporting diameters from 24" to 120") and Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD), complemented by specialized capabilities including curved tunnels, wet recovery for intakes and outfalls, beach approaches, river and wetland crossings, land-to-land crossings, and barge-to-barge drilling operations. As an MBE-certified contractor, the company primarily serves utility and infrastructure construction markets across the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Microtunneling Services Trenchless tunneling service enabling precise underground pipe installation without disrupting surface infrastructure. Supports diameters from 24" to 120" and includes curved tunnels and long drive capabilities for municipal, utility, and industrial clients.
• Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) Directional drilling service for installing underground utilities across obstacles such as rivers, wetlands, and roads. Includes large diameter HDD capabilities for major infrastructure projects.
• Wet Recovery for Intakes & Outfalls Specialized underwater recovery services for water intake and outfall installations in marine and aquatic environments.
• Beach Approaches & Shore Landings Coastal and shoreline drilling services enabling utility crossings from land to water or between coastal locations.
• River & Wetland Crossings Trenchless crossing services for rivers, wetlands, and other water bodies, minimizing environmental disruption during utility installation.
• Land to Land Crossings Underground horizontal drilling services connecting utilities across land-based routes between two points.
• Barge to Barge Drill Marine-based drilling service enabling utility installation between two floating vessels or platforms on water.
• Curved Tunnels Advanced microtunneling capability enabling non-linear underground tunnel paths to navigate around obstacles and achieve complex routing requirements.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Huxted TunnelingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHuxted Tunneling merged with ECI Drilling International to form Huxted Trenchless, LLC. The combination brings together over 65 years of trenchless construction expertise under a unified company structure serving the North American market.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Large global engineering, consulting, and construction firm with trenchless and underground infrastructure capabilities. Serves the same municipal/utility water and wastewater clients but as part of a much broader portfolio rather than a specialty trenchless focus.
• Kiewit Infrastructure: One of North America's largest heavy civil and infrastructure contractors, frequently delivering large water/wastewater and pipeline programs that include trenchless scopes. Acts as a prime or GC that may engage ECI as a specialty subcontractor or compete for similar work.
• Tetra Tech: Consulting and engineering firm with significant water, wastewater, and infrastructure practice that touches trenchless construction delivery. Adjacent incumbent — competes for owner-side scopes that overlap with ECI's customer base but typically not as a contractor.

Direct peers

• Bradshaw Construction Corporation: Specialty microtunneling and trenchless contractor focused on sewer, water, and utility installations across the US. Closely comparable to ECI in service mix (microtunneling, HDD, curved tunnels) and customer base (municipalities, utilities, engineers).
• Mears Group: National HDD, pipeline, and utility-installation contractor providing trenchless crossings for gas, electric, water, and telecom. Directly competes with ECI on large-diameter HDD and pipeline-crossing scopes for utility and infrastructure clients.
• Aegion Corporation: Provider of trenchless pipeline rehabilitation, corrosion protection, and infrastructure services. Overlaps with ECI in the trenchless technology category serving municipal water/wastewater and energy infrastructure customers.
• LMB Construction: Specialty microtunneling contractor offering similar trenchless services for sewer, water, and utility installations. Directly comparable niche competitor in the microtunneling segment ECI serves.
• Caldwell Marine International: Marine construction contractor specializing in subsea cable, pipeline, and HDD landfall work. Listed on the parent group's 'Our Companies' page alongside Huxted Trenchless, indicating it is a sister entity under the same holding company and a direct peer in marine/shore-crossing HDD.
• Michels Corporation: One of the largest utility and trenchless construction contractors in North America, with extensive HDD and direct-pipe capabilities serving the same municipal, utility, and pipeline-crossing customers as ECI. Directly comparable on core HDD and trenchless pipeline installation services.

Others

• Northeast Remsco: Heavy civil and utility contractor also featured on the parent group's 'Our Companies' page, indicating it is a sister entity under the same holding company as Huxted Trenchless. Comparable in utility and infrastructure work but distinct in geographic focus and offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ECI Drilling International