Ring-O-Matic president and CEO Brian Metcalf has acquired the company, which specializes in the design, manufacture and customization of vacuum-excavation machinery and equipment.

“The timing was right,” Metcalf said. “And of course location was a prime consideration.” Metcalf returned to his hometown of Pella, Iowa, to serve as Ring-o-Matic CEO a little more than two years ago after a 24-year career in leadership positions with other manufacturers.

Metcalf began his career with Vermeer dealerships in 1990, before moving to positions at Vermeer Manufacturing and Pella Windows & Doors, and then HammerHead Trenchless in 2007 where he was president and CEO.

Metcalf is optimistic about Ring-O-Matic’s market position as industry demand for its product lines increases. “Soft excavation through air and hydro vac-ing in general is a rapidly growing market,” he said. “There are already places in the world where ‘hard excavation’ — using a backhoe or mechanical excavator – has become the exception, not the rule. We expect to see ever-increasing need for our core product line over the next five to 10 years.”

Ring-O-Matic’s immediate goals include focusing on “a few key underserved areas,” Metcalf said. It also means adding specialized equipment for markets adjacent to Ring-O-Matic offerings.

“Ring-O-Matic already offers North America the widest range of extremely robust, extremely strong vac-ex equipment,” Metcalf said. “Our units range from small, 100-gallon models to 3,000 gallon, PTO-driven truck-mounted rigs, all of them purpose-designed from the ground up.”