Since 1978, Bay Shore Systems has been the leading supplier of excavator-mounted foundation drilling equipment, and with good reason. From 24/7 real-time and remote service and parts to field service, experienced technical support, maintenance, and more, the Idaho-based manufacturer stands behind innovative, problem-solving rigs that keep on working year after year.
“Bay Shore is a leader in our market due to our attention to detail and innovation,” says Sales Manager, Tony Ellis. “These two things result in us producing high-quality and long-lasting machines that our customers can rely on.”
Quality and service
To ensure outstanding quality drilling equipment made to the highest standards, Bay Shore’s team of engineers develops innovative equipment designs. This is followed by a multi-stage quality program that ensures the machine is being built to high standards throughout the manufacturing process all the way to the finished product.
Bay Shore will also mount to any manufacturer’s excavators, increasing the versatility of the equipment. Drills can also be modified during the ordering process to fit customer needs. “Whether they need a short machine to drill in low-overhead situations, a machine that can drill rock, or a machine that can reach foundations far away, our solutions can be tailored to fit their needs,” says Ellis. “Bay Shore is also excited to work with customers to design and build custom equipment that’s not necessarily for the foundation-drilling industry.”
Knowing that downtime due to machine failure costs money and time, Bay Shore’s outstanding team focuses on getting machines up and running as quickly as possible. To achieve this high level of support, the company invests heavily in trained field-service mechanics and equipment and offers mobile field service in the United States.
The company’s record for manufacturing well-made products speaks for itself. Precision engineering and a determined stance on quality have earned the company repeat business and an enviable reputation of longevity for its equipment. Back in 1991, the company introduced its LoDril rig; over 30 years later, 99 percent of these are still hard at work.
Growing together
45 years ago, Bay Shore Systems was founded in the Bay area of California by Herb and Paulette Minatre. At the time, the two were in an adjacent industry producing piling equipment. Seeing a future in the drilled shaft industry, they decided that this was to be their direction, and, as an engineer, Herb took on the design and manufacture of the equipment himself.
In 1996, the company, with its five employees, relocated to the City of Rathdrum, Idaho, leading to a robust expansion of its product lines, markets, and staff. Today, Bay Shore has approximately 85 employees.
Fostering a positive and collaborative environment from the start, the company is known for being a place where people can grow personally and professionally. “We’re always looking for the right people,” says Ellis. “What makes a good Bay Shore employee is a dedication to the customer experience and a willingness to work as a team to make our customers say, ‘wow!’”
Last year, Bay Shore received several awards for its role as an employer of choice. These include being named to the Best Places to Work list and making the list of Idaho Statesman’s Top 100 Private Companies. In another cause for celebration, this November marks Bay Shore’s 45th anniversary. Tied in with the company’s holiday party will be a special recognition of everyone who has made this milestone possible.
Innovative products
Quality products, selection, and superior customer service continue earning Bay Shore the respect of its many clients. The company’s Truck LoDril series of foundation drill rigs include the TRt95—with 98,000 ft-lbs of torque, a maximum 80-foot hole depth, and a maximum 96-inch hole diameter—and the TR50 and TRt25.
To make selection easier, the company’s website features ‘Help Me Find My Rig’ and ‘Help Me Compare Rigs’ sections. Customers can select options from the product category, hole diameter (max), hole depth (max), excavator weight class (x 1,000), and drill speed range.
“Our TR50 has become one of our most popular machines,” says Ellis. Featuring a maximum 50,000 ft-lbs rotary torque, 80-ft hole depth, and 96-inch hole diameter, the TR Series is known for its ruggedness and reliability. 100 percent hydraulic, the TR50 features a fully integrated, high-capacity, single layer-grooved drum Kelly winch. Customers can choose from three different mounted solutions—truck, track, or excavator—allowing for greater freedom on the job site.
Constantly innovating, Bay Shore is also behind the state-of-the-art, patented Drill Sergeant (skid steer mounted) and Drill Sergeant Excavator.
While typical transport costs for a drill rig range from US$20,000 to US$70,000 for two loads to transport a mid-size drill rig, and US$250,000 for four to seven trucks for a large rig, one satisfied and relieved customer noted, “I can pick up the skid steer and Drill Sergeant with my truck and car trailer at no additional cost!”
The Drill Sergeant also affords better access to job sites with tight spatial limits than conventional rotary drill rigs, saves money, and opens the doors to more business opportunities. With the Drill Sergeant, even challenging projects like fencing, overpass and pedestrian bridges, light poles, pier and beam foundations, and solar farm foundations are made easier and less costly.
Although Bay Shore does not have a rental fleet, the company builds machines for inventory for immediate sale, called Ready Rigs. “We don’t offer rentals because we have rental partners who we work with as a rental outlet for our equipment,” explains Ellis. “We prefer not to compete against our customers in the rental market.”
At Bay Shore, products are sold through its dedicated in-house sales team, which covers the entire United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, Australia, and New Zealand. Rental partners also sell direct.
Although the company cannot give away details about its ongoing product innovations, Bay Shore Systems recently completed a custom application for one of its rental partners. “We have adapted a quick disconnect coupler between the excavator and our drill,” says a proud Ellis.
“Traditional quick disconnect couplers in our industry require each hydraulic and electrical line to be disconnected individually and one to two pins manually removed. This one of ours is a special connector because all of the hydraulic and electrical lines run through the connector, and the operator can virtually detach the drill from the excavator without leaving the seat.”
The big advantage of this quick coupler is that the drill and the excavator can be easily separated to ship in two pieces. With the ever-increasing costs of shipping and delays associated with large loads, splitting them up provides more leeway in pricing out the move, easier and quicker scheduling, and fewer permitting issues to deal with.
Eyes on the future
With its 45th anniversary celebrations coming up soon, the Bay Shore team looks forward to building on its strong foundations for years to come.
“Bay Shore is a family-owned company, and when you buy a piece of Bay Shore equipment, you’ll be seen and treated as more than a customer—as a member of our family,” says Ellis. “You’ll be treated with respect and dignity and we’ll do everything we can to surpass your expectations.”
