What VMI does

VMI Dredges, Inc. (formerly Vaughn-Maitlen Industries) is a privately held, family-owned manufacturer of portable dredging equipment founded in 1972 and headquartered in Cushing, Oklahoma. The company designs and builds horizontal cutterhead dredges (MD-415 through MD-850-SP), modular cutter suction dredges under the Titan line, and heavy-duty Gladiator dredges, supported by severe-duty recessed impeller pumps, HDPE pipe systems, booster pumps, cables/anchors, replacement parts, and the VMI Edge Dredge Calculator mobile app. Its underlying technology centers on a patented full-width flow-through cutterhead, a rack-and-pinion spud drive, a patent-pending TIMS modular sectional architecture, and high-chrome recessed impeller pumps engineered for abrasive slurries and solids up to 7.75 inches in diameter.

VMI serves municipalities, mining operations, industrial facilities, infrastructure contractors, environmental remediation, and power generation customers primarily in the United States and Canada, with additional deployments in the Philippines, Australia, and other international markets. Revenue is generated through new equipment sales, equipment rentals (minimum one-month terms, with rental fees applicable toward purchase within 30 days), refurbished equipment sales, replacement parts, and field service, restoration, and training — distributed via a direct sales team and the company's own rental fleet. The company self-describes as the #1 dredge rental operator in the US and Canada and reports individual systems logging over 25,000 operational hours in the field. VMI has remained under Maitlen family ownership since 1997, with Cash Maitlen serving as President as of 2024 and no disclosed external institutional investment.

Name

VMI

Legal name

VMI, Inc.

Website

https://vmidredges.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

VMI Dredges is a family-owned US manufacturer of portable horizontal cutterhead and cutter suction dredges, pumps, and accessories serving municipalities, mining, industrial, infrastructure, and environmental customers in North America and internationally via direct sales, rentals, parts, and service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dredging Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Construction Machinery Manufacturing (333120), Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing (3331), Measuring, Dispensing, and Other Pumping Equipment Manufacturing (333914)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Pumps & Pumping Equipment (3561)

akta.pro primary industry

Dredging Support & Utility Workboats (Dredge Tenders, Barges, Utility Boats) (IMAJADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Marine MRO Parts & Consumables Distribution (TLAKAOAJ)

Keywords

• Dredging equipment manufacturing
• Cutter suction dredges
• Horizontal cutterhead dredges
• Marine excavation machinery
• Slurry and booster pumps

Headquarters

HQ city

Cushing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dredge Equipment Sales: Sale of new dredging equipment including horizontal dredges, cutter suction dredges, custom dredges, and related accessories such as booster pumps, dredge pipe, cables, and anchors.
2. Equipment Rentals: Operational rental dredging equipment with minimum one-month rental terms. Rental fees may be applied toward purchase if customer decides to buy within 30 days. Transportation and deployment assistance available.
3. Refurbished Equipment Sales: Sale of refurbished and restored dredging equipment that has been rebuilt to operational standards.
4. Parts and Components: Sale of replacement parts including cutter heads, cutter head drive assemblies, suction mouths, cutting edges, pick points, and pump parts. Also replacement pumps compatible with Morris 6100 series.
5. Service and Support: Operational support services ranging from troubleshooting and repair to complete dredge restorations, system modifications, and training. Global operational support and worldwide training available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

VMI Dredges designs, manufactures, and supports a portfolio of portable horizontal cutterhead dredges (MD series), cutter suction dredges (Titan and Gladiator lines), booster pumps, slurry pumps, dredge pipe systems, and related dredging accessories. The company sells new and refurbished equipment, rents operational dredging fleets, and provides parts, field service, refurbishment, and operator training to contractors, municipalities, mines, industrial operators, and infrastructure projects worldwide.

Product overview

VMI Dredges manufactures a comprehensive portfolio of premium dredging equipment for contractors, municipalities, mining operations, industrial facilities, environmental remediation, and infrastructure applications worldwide. The product lineup centers on two primary dredge types: Horizontal Cutterhead Dredges (MD-415, MD-615, MD-815, MD-820, MD-820P, MD-822-SP, MD-850-SP) and Cutter Suction Dredges (TITAN 8, TITAN 10, GLADIATOR 12). The horizontal dredge line ranges from compact transportable models (MD-415) to high-production systems (MD-815/MD-820) capable of up to 4000 GPM flow, including self-propelled variants (MD-822-SP, MD-850-SP) with deep digging capabilities up to 50 feet. The cutter suction dredge line includes the modular TITAN series (TITAN 8, TITAN 10) targeting entry-level contractors and the heavy-duty GLADIATOR 12 for continuous production operations. Supporting the core dredge products are complementary offerings including booster pumps, dredge slurry pumps (including 6100 Series replacements), HDPE pipe systems, extension kits, cables and anchors, replacement parts, remote control systems, and the VMI Edge Dredge Calculator mobile app. The company also provides full-service support through equipment rentals, refurbishment/restoration services, operator training, and field service support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VMI Edge Dredge Calculator: Mobile application for dredge production calculations and operational planning
• Gladiator
• Titan
• Swamp Hoe

Products and services

• MD-415 Horizontal Dredge Compact, one-piece non-permit transportable horizontal cable drive dredging system designed for smaller dredging applications and reduced-flow operations, with a full-width flow-through horizontal cutter head and hi-chrome recessed impeller dredge pump.
• MD-615 Horizontal Dredge Field-proven horizontal cable drive dredging system engineered for municipalities, industrial facilities, mining operations, lagoons, waterways, and environmental dredging, featuring a patented full-width flow-through cutter head and high-torque cutter system.
• MD-815 Horizontal Dredge High-production, one-piece transportable horizontal cable drive dredge producing up to 4000 GPM of flow, with a recessed impeller pump able to pass spherical solids up to 7.75 inches in diameter and optional 5-foot digging depth extension to 20 feet.
• MD-820 Horizontal Dredge High-production horizontal cable drive dredge engineered for demanding sediment removal requiring increased flow capacity, delivering up to 4000 GPM and able to pass spherical solids up to 7.75 inches in diameter.
• MD-820P Horizontal Dredge High-production, one-piece transportable horizontal cable drive dredge combining high-volume material movement, full-width flow-through cutter head technology, and field-proven dredging reliability.
• MD-822-SP Self-Propelled Dredge Dual-drive self-propelled dredging system built on the MD-815 platform that lets operators transition between cable drive propulsion and self-propelled twin auger mobility, with full-width flow-through cutter head and steerable rear thruster control.
• MD-850-SP Self-Propelled Dredge High-mobility dual-engine self-propelled dredging system with twin high-power hydraulic thrusters, digging depths up to 50 feet (15m), full-width flow-through cutter head with dual drive motors, and heavy-duty hi-chrome recessed impeller dredge pump.
• TITAN 8 Cutter Suction Dredge Modular high-performance cutter suction dredging system for demanding sediment removal operations, with heavy-duty cutter suction design, rack and pinion spud drive system, hydraulic boom force control, and optional digging depth expansions up to 42 feet (12.8m).
• TITAN 10 Cutter Suction Dredge Modular high-performance cutter suction dredging system for demanding deep dredging operations, featuring the patent-pending TIMS Transformable Integrated Modular System for simplified transportation and safer assembly, with optional digging depth expansions up to 51.25 feet (15.6m).
• GLADIATOR 12 Cutter Suction Dredge Heavy-duty, high-production cutter suction dredging system engineered for maximum durability and powerful hydraulic dredging performance, equipped with 14-inch suction and 12-inch discharge pump, standard 30-foot digging depth, spacious operator cabin, and modular sectional transportability.
• Custom Dredging Systems Custom-engineered dredging systems designed around specific operational requirements, production goals, site conditions, and specialized applications, available in pump sizes from 8-inch through 16-inch with optional ladder depths up to 80 feet, in diesel or electric configurations.
• Booster Pumps Production flow systems engineered for long-distance and high-elevation dredging applications, available in skid-mounted, pontoon-mounted, and trailer-mounted configurations to maintain material flow, production efficiency, and minimum settling velocity.
• Dredge Slurry Pumps Severe duty recessed impeller pumps designed to handle large solids and abrasive materials, featuring a fully recessed cup-style impeller for large solids passage, reduced cavitation, and high chrome cast iron components for long wear life, available in dry land and underwater configurations.
• 6100 Series Recessed Impeller Pumps Replacement pumps and parts compatible with Morris 4-inch, 6-inch, and 8-inch 6100 series type CT severe duty cup-type recessed impeller pumps, available with keyed shaft or hydraulic drive motor and packing or mechanical seal options.
• Dredge Pipe Systems HDPE pipe systems, poly floats, clamp-on floats, couplers, suction hose, discharge hose, and flexible hose engineered for reliable material transport, available in 6, 8, and 10 inch pipe sizes in 20-foot and 40-foot lengths with ring lock connections.
• Dredge Rentals Operational rental dredging equipment available across the United States and Canada with minimum one-month rental terms, transportation and deployment assistance, operator training support, and the option to apply 100% of rental fees toward purchase within 30 days.
• Dredge Service and Operational Support Operational support services including troubleshooting, repair, maintenance, full dredge restorations, and system modifications, with worldwide operational support and field-proven experience serving customers globally.
• Refurbished Dredges and Restoration Services Production-ready refurbishing, restoration, rebuild, and modification services including sandblasting, painting, pontoon repair, dredge pump rebuilds, and hydraulic rebuilds to restore operational reliability and extend equipment lifecycle.
• Dredge Training Field-proven operator training, operational guidance, and support programs with customized training available on-site or at VMI's Oklahoma facility, covering dredge operation, project planning, and operational guidance.
• VMI Edge Dredge Calculator Mobile App Mobile application (iOS/Android) for dredge production calculations and operational planning, featuring slurry calculator, pump performance outputs, project management, and the ability to save and export results as PDFs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Individual dredging systems have logged more than 25,000 operational hours
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• DSC Dredge: DSC Dredge (Dredging Supply Company) designs and builds portable cutter suction and auger dredges from Louisiana, competing directly with VMI's MD and Titan product lines in the same contractor and municipal channels. Closest like-for-like competitor in the US portable dredge market.
• Dredge Yard: Dredge Yard is an emerging manufacturer and supplier of new and refurbished dredges with strong international distribution, competing with VMI in the small-to-mid size dredge category across Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
• Damen Dredging Equipment: Damen offers a standardized range of cutter suction dredges (CSD series) aimed at emerging markets and contractors, directly competing with VMI's Titan modular line on portability, ease of transport, and total cost of ownership.
• Ellicott Dredges: Ellicott Dredges is one of the oldest and most direct US-based competitors to VMI, manufacturing a comparable range of cutter suction and bucketwheel dredges for the same municipal, mining, and international customers. Strongest head-to-head competitor in the North American portable-dredge segment.
• Royal IHC: Royal IHC is a large Dutch builder of cutter suction and trailing suction hopper dredges serving global ports, mining, and offshore markets. While typically focused on larger vessels, it increasingly competes with VMI in the mid-size cutter suction segment.

Emerging players

• Wilkinson Excavating / Amphibious Equipment Makers: Amphibious excavator and wetland equipment builders such as those behind VMI's Swamp Hoe subsidiary compete in adjacent niche applications, providing a partial overlap for wetland and shallow-water projects where VMI's dredges also operate.
• Eddy Pump Corporation: Eddy Pump builds slurry and dredge pumps with a focus on solids-handling capability, overlapping with VMI's severe-duty recessed impeller pump product line and serving similar mining and industrial sediment applications.

Broad incumbents

• Weir Group: Weir Group produces slurry pumps, hydrocyclones, and mining processing equipment that overlap with VMI's dredge pump and mining customer segments, serving as an indirect competitor and component alternative.
• Caterpillar: Caterpillar is the dominant global manufacturer of construction and earthmoving equipment, with adjacent hydraulic pumps, drives, and wear components that overlap with VMI's mining and infrastructure customer base. While not a direct dredge builder, its scale and dealer network make it a long-term competitive threat.
• Metso: Metso manufactures mining and aggregates processing equipment including slurry pumps and dewatering solutions that serve the same mining customers as VMI and could expand into sediment-handling applications overlapping with VMI's mining vertical.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VMI_dredges
• Facebookfacebook.com/vmidredges
• TikToktiktok.com/@vmidredges

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 VMI