New Way Drilling began its operation in 1976 after taking over a local branch of C.S. Garber.
Since the beginning of its operation, the company has grown in it abilities in well-water drilling.
According to Thomas Hinaman Jr., owner, the company originally started off with just one rig.
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Thomas Kijak, a former New Way Drilling employee, works alongside a drilling rig in Cogan Station.
"Now we're up to six," Hinaman said, adding that the rigs now do four times the amount of work the original rig would have done.
The company started with about 60 percent of its business in well drilling and only about 40 percent in the more industrial blast hole drilling, Hinaman said.
A dramatic shift in the two projects has changed over the years, as 70 percent of its business is now blast hole drilling.
Hinaman's ownership comes at the tragic expense of his father's life, however, who was electricuted on the job in Upper Fairfield Township when a high-tension wire came in contact with the boom of a small crane he was working by.
His father, Thomas Hinaman, ran the company for about a year before his death in 1977.
Hinaman said he was only a few years out of college with a degree in mathematical and computer science from Lock Haven University, working in Dayton, Ohio, at the NCR Corporation, when he took the reins of New Way Drilling
"I wasn't looking to get into the drilling business," he said, "but when Dad had his accident, I came home."
To get an idea of how to troubleshoot a pump system, Hinaman said he spent about two weeks with C.S. Garber in Boyertown.
"Everything (else) I learned by the seat of my pants," Hinaman said.
In 1986, he purchased the company from his mother.
New Way Drilling covers a large amount of regional territory - taking on drilling projects in State College, Mansfield, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and even as far south in the state as York and Downingtown.
Hinaman says he staffs between 10 and 12 people, who can put in some long days, working somewhere around 12 to 14 hours a day five days a week.
"They start when they want to," he said, adding that they have a flexible schedule, depending on when and how they want to get things done. "They call on cell phones and find out what they're going to do next."
When taking on a project, Hinaman says that it takes some surveying the land before digging.
He said they figure out the positioning of the wells by being sure the well isn't too close to areas involving things like driveways, homes and septic tanks.
Hinaman also said that he doesn't believe in "water-witching," which is an attempt to locate where water is most prevalent.
One of the newest projects New Way Drilling is beginning to use is geothermal technology, which uses energy from the earth for heating and cooling.
While geothermal technology is initially much more expensive to install, it is much more cost-effective on customers' electric bills, Hinaman said.
Many companies were feeling the effects of the economy in 2008.
But Hinaman said that despite the economic downturn, it was an excellent year for his company.
"We won't know about next year until next year comes along," Hinaman said.
Hinaman's company starts off 2009 with a new irrigation system for Little League's newer stadium.
