If you can’t find it, build it yourself. That was Leon Hake’s philosophy back in 1987. Hake was the bridge superintendent of WCCI, a construction company in Stillwater, Okla., at the time, and he couldn’t find a faster, safer alternative to handheld rock drills. So he took matters into his own hands.

The pneumatic drill he designed and built was a single-gang, automatic machine that immediately boosted WCCI’s productivity and drilling accuracy. Not only that, but it was easy to use, dependable and, most importantly, safe. The drill transferred repetitive vibrations previously absorbed by operators to the drill’s frame, which dramatically decreased the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome, nerve damage and other injuries that can result from prolonged use of handheld drills.

Hake established E-Z Drill Inc. shortly thereafter. Over the next two decades, he designed more concrete drilling and doweling equipment, including multiple gang drills in on-grade, slab rider and equipment-mounted configurations. The multi-gang units, in particular, have become the standard for increasing efficiency on larger projects and meeting tight deadlines.

In 1994, E-Z Drill developed a drill for utility contractors. The Model 20 UTL drills vertically for applications such as pinpointing gas leaks. And, like all E-Z Drills, it minimizes operator involvement for increased safety.

E-Z Drill started making a dust collection head for the Model 20 UTL in 1996, and the first complete dust collection system was built was in 2000.