How We Accidentally Changed The Trenchless Equipment Industry
Craig Underwood’s transparent pricing and support-first practices is what plumbing contractors always wanted.
The problem that flipped an industry
In 2017 Craig Underwood was frustrated. As the general manager of a successful pipe lining company, he had seen huge strides within the organization and was steering the company toward another record-breaking year. But a lack of reliable equipment and specialized training threatened to stifle their growth trajectory.
Their major pain point was with pipe rehab robotics, aka: robotic reinstatement cutters. Craig’s equipment dealer was blaming the manufacturer for breakdowns; however, a little investigation proved that the machines were extremely reliable for those who had proper maintenance and operation training.
Craig went directly to the source, which meant taking key team members on a trip to Denmark. The immersive experience paid off bigtime and the group was fired up about their knowledge.
Armed with new training and an enhanced relationship with the Danish robotics manufacturer, Craig brought together a team of eight CIPP (cured-in-place pipe) professionals and founded Dancutter USA to service, support, and sell Dancutters throughout the United States.
Rethinking industry norms
Once Craig’s original dealer dropped the cutters from their lineup, blaming the manufacturer and its products for customer frustrations, Dancutter USA got to work combating the bogus claims. As former customers who experienced the challenges firsthand, Craig and company knew that the problems stemmed from a lack of training and maintenance, not from the machines themselves. More importantly, they knew that contractors needed these superior cutters.
The group worked to restore the reputation of Dancutter in the U.S. market. By focusing on proper training and support, customers were blown away by the features and became loyal users of the machines. They also enjoyed the lucrative expanded services they offered.
Robotic pipe cutters soar
U.S. Dancutter sales grew from just two units in 2017 (prior to Dancutter USA) to about 60 units sold in 2022. Dancutter USA became the worldwide leader in DC robotic cutter sales and service.
Today, Dancutter pipe rehab robotics are known throughout the world – especially in the United States – for being the gold standard for performance, flexibility, and longevity.
But Craig wasn’t satisfied. This was just the start of helping pipe rehab companies get what they needed.
Apex CIPP is established
Soon after creating Dancutter USA, Craig proposed offering a full range of small-diameter pipe rehabilitation products.
The founding members were united by one common goal – to offer the world’s finest pipelining products to contractors and provide training and support that was lacking from other dealers.
The team committed to placing customer support as their number one priority instead of focusing on sales. They determined that quality and dependability would be required for every product they sold.
Craig urged the founding members to do things differently than the big guys in the industry; they would provide comprehensive training with ongoing support, full repair service, and openly publish their prices.
Soon, Apex CIPP Solutions was in business to fix the common frustrations of pipe rehab contractors. Through transparency and trust, they revolutionized the way the industry sells, supports, and educates.
Going beyond pipe cutters
Currently, Apex CIPP represents the most respected brands in the market – Dancutter, Repiper, Brawoliner, Picote, Ridgid, Vanair, Scott & Fyfe, Bodenbender, Tubolino, Camtronics, Kaeser, Minicam, Ehle and more.
The company leverages its global network to resource proven products and retains generous stock for quick shipping.
It’s impressive to note that Apex CIPP has earned the purchasing power of a Fortune 500 company while protecting its small-business soul. Three of the original founders remain, with Craig Underwood serving as general manager and majority owner.
The company keeps customer care as their top priority. Hands-on training, advanced skills courses, a dedicated service and repair center, and their fully stocked headquarters make Apex CIPP a leading provider with a stellar reputation.
No more secrets
When he’s asked about accidentally shaking up trenchless equipment sales, Craig says he’s happy to notice some dealers have adapted by publishing prices or offering better training. “We’re glad to see the accountability,” quips Underwood, “We saw a problem and set out to fix it. If it helps contractors, we’re all for it.”
“I believe we were the first to offer fully online ordering for our products; no one else dared to be so transparent with pricing,” says Underwood, “We approached everything differently; we decided to create the dealer we wished we had.”
Craig Underwood, Apex CIPP
The common practice was to call your sales rep and ask for the best discounts, but customers never really knew what kind of deal they were getting, nor did they know what anyone else was paying for the same item.
Equipment suppliers let sales reps bargain with customers and/or inflated prices in order to make it appear there was a discount. The actual prices were a closely guarded secret.
Craig adds that unlike most equipment distributors, the Apex team does not work on commission. “We want to put customer needs first. That’s impossible if your employees are forced to push sales in order to earn a living.”
Staying true to the mission
The core team of Apex CIPP is intentionally small, but large enough to personally attend to plumbers wanting to add pipe lining services and CIPP contractors that need to replenish materials or level-up equipment.
Recently, Apex expanded its Sarasota, Florida headquarters to allow for greater inventory capacity, enhanced training facilities, and a larger service center.
As the unlikely heroes of pipe rehab, Craig and his team plan to keep pushing for higher standards and refuse to accept sub-par practices and products.
Their commitment to customer success includes new services like “Cutter Care,” an inclusive service agreement that allows U.S. Dancutter users to receive overnight replacements or have their cutter repaired for a small deductible. This results in little to no downtime, allowing contractors to stay on time and on budget.
More myths to bust
Craig Underwood continues to fight for pipelining companies, bringing to light the damaging consequences of private labeling.
Equipment and material distributors routinely brand products with their own labels. Craig says this practice creates too great a risk for contractors.
“You should know what you are actually installing in a pipe,” he says that Apex CIPP will always include the manufacturer on materials. “Two layers of support are always better than one.”
“Your liner might have the dealer’s name and logo on it, but what’s it really made of and who’s tracking the quality? Would you even know where to resource that information?”
Apex has often been offered private labeling. “Hiding products behind private labels is a one-sided arrangement that only benefits the seller, so we don’t do it. You will always find the manufacturer on the products we sell.”
Protecting installers is not typical in sales, but Apex CIPP aims to change that. It’s just one more way Craig Underwood is disrupting the industry.
A little background
Craig graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Finance Degree and got a job as a staff accountant at a publicly traded company. As he gained experience in accounting, he attained his MBA from the University of South Florida. From there, Craig worked for companies in general contracting, HVAC and plumbing.
Craig went on to receive Florida General Contractor and Master Plumber licenses. His vast background and experience has allowed Craig and Apex CIPP to provide large company resources with a small business heart.
To contact Apex CIPP Solutions, call 941-300-0441 or learn more at apexcipp.com.
