Business View Magazine | December 2018

292 293 BEST IN BORING AT A GLANCE BARBCO INC. WHAT: A manufacturer of high quality underground construction equipment WHERE: East Canton, Ohio WEBSITE: www.barbco.com F ounded in 1989 by James S. Barbera, Barbco Inc. is a worldwide manufacturer of high quality underground construction equip- ment, including auger boring machines, direction- al drills, guided boring machines, and advanced tunneling equipment. Noted for its quality ma- chines, its excellent customer service, and its con- tinual product innovation, the company serves a variety of industries, from oil and gas companies to public utility contractors. Marketing Associate, Jack Barbera, a grandson of Barbco’s founder, explains that the company’s roots actually lay in what is now its num- ber one competitor, American Auger. “Before 1989, American Auger was run by my great uncle, Leo,” he recounts. “They manufactured a lot of the same equipment that we do here. But when he wanted to sell the company, my grandfather, his brother, didn’t have enough money to buy the business. So, he went on his