In 1939 our grandfather, Sarel Strydom Snr joined his first diamond drill crew at Macnamara Drilling Company and with this established our family roots in the industry.

His first experience was on a Sullivan Rig, exploring the Heidelberg area in South Africa for gold deposits. Almost 40 years later, my father, Sarel Strydom continued in his footsteps and embarked on his career by starting his own drilling company, operating from Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. In the following years he expanded his company and footprint mainly through manufacturing his own drill rigs.

After studying civil engineering I decided to join my father's company and for 11 years I managed various projects in African countries, specializing in geotechnical-, exploration- and percussion drilling. While growing up, I spent many hours in my father's workshop and in subsequent years assisted the manufacturing team while managing various projects. It was during these years I realised my passion for manufacturing and as a result I started my own company in 2013. The company is named after Mr Reger Finley, whom, as the legend goes, apparently taught our grandfather to drill.

In 2018 my younger brother Chris joined the company. His background is very similar to mine, and consists of more than 15 years in the drilling industry, more specifically also working in our father's drilling company.

As third generation drillers we have a good understanding of the industry and the challenges of our clients. This insight strategically positions us to offer great value in an industry filled with exciting new possibilities.

Founder and CEO, Cilliers Strydom