About Barbco, Inc.

A leader in the underground construction industry, Barbco, Inc. is a worldwide manufacturer of auger boring machines, directional drills, guided boring machines and advanced tunneling equipment.

We serve customers across a variety of industries, from oil and gas companies to public utility contractors.

Designed to exceed your expectations, our machines pack powerful performance long-lasting reliability to meet your toughest challenge. As underground manufacturing specialists, we offer custom drilling, boring and tunneling equipment to fit your individual project needs.

Founded in 1989 by James S. Barbera, our company maintains a commitment to quality products and exceptional customer service.

Over the years, we’ve expanded our operations and refined our manufacturing capabilities. Now, with our headquarters located in East Canton, Ohio, and several Barbco representatives and dealers strategically in place around the world, Barbco can now serve domestic and international clients more effectively.

There is no ceiling for Barbco

We are setting the industry on fire. See how we continue to grow and provide innovation within the industry as well as a quality product for you.

Quality is second to none for Jim Barbera

Jim Barbera founded his company on building quality equipment for the field. Learn more about our history of quality today.

A History of Innovation

2020

James S. Barbera Inducted Into NASTT H.O.F

At the 2020, annual NASTT No Dig show, our founder James S Barbera was recognized and inducted into the NASTT Hall Of Fame.

2019

FlexBor Patent

Barbco receives a patent for their FlexBor technology.

2018

BERT Facility Introduced

The Trenchless Technology Center at Louisiana Tech University introduces the Barbera Education, Research and Training Facility (BERT. Named in honor of Jim Barbera and Leo Barbera, this state-of-the-art facility offers research and educational opportunities for those in the boring industry.

2018

Going Lean

Barbco builds new manufacturing space and looks to take advantage lean manufacturing procedures to improve its processes.

2016

Tri-Bor gets a new look

Barbco moves forward with a redesign of Tri-bor, the three in one machine that works well with Flex-tooling. In November, the company has its first ever Demo Day, a one-day event that showcased Barbco equipment to our customers and business associates.

2015

Introduction to Flex Tooling

Barbco ventures into new tooling that reduces or eliminates frac-outs in environmentally sensitive areas. Flex Tooling begins a multi-year test phase with the first round of tools rolled out to end user sales in 2017.

2012

All About Horsepower

A high performance line of HDD’s ranging from 60,000 lbs. of pulling force to 100,000 lbs. of pulling force went to market. These units we considerably higher in horsepower, speed and torque than any other manufacturer in the world at that time.

2011

Tri-Bor

The prototype design of Barbco’s newest machine, Tri-Bor. This new concept incorporated auger boring, directional drilling and pilot tube technology into a single machine.

2008

Cutting the Wires

Wireless Remote Controls are offered in many product lines manufactured by Barbco.

2007

Improvements in Safety

Significant safety improvements were implemented in Barbco’s Auger Boring Machines. Rollover Anticipation Shut-down Modul (RASM), Pull Tether and a pressure accumulator that allows the hydraulic clutch to completely disengage when the e-stop is activated- these items and more were implemented in 2007.

2006

A New Addition

Barbco added a new addition to the East Canton building, a clean air facility where equipment could be assembled and prepared for shipping.

2002

Another Move

In December, the company moved to its headquarters to East Canton, Ohio, as eight-acre facility with ample manufacturing space and room to grow.

1995

Power Upgrade

Responding to customer needs, Barbco set out to build machines with even more versatility and power. The company introduced a new line of directional drills, which ranged in size from 25,000 lbs. to 1,000,000 lbs.

1993

Expanding the Business

With space issues hampering the manufacturing process, Jim looked to move the company to a new location in Canton. Barbco took on the challenge of taking an old abandoned steel plant and refurbishing it to meet the growing demand of Barbco equipment. Barbco expanded its product line to include Boring Machine Tunnel attachments (BMTA’s) and Horizontal Directional Drills (HDD).

1990

Moving to Canton

Barbco moved its operations from Twinsburg to Canton, Ohio. This first Canton plant was small indeed but had the capacity to take on larger projects such as the first Barbco Auger Boring Machine (ABM).

1989

The Beginning

After years of working in the auger boring industry, James S. Barbera founded Barbco in August of 1989. With a small machine shop in Twinsburg, Ohio, his commitment to building quality products and delivering exceptional customer service solidified the company’s position as a leader in the underground construction industry.

If you’re ready to bore with the best, contact us at 1-800-448-8934 to speak with a member of the Barbco team.