About Us

Meet our team

Ohio Drilling Company, Massillon, Ohio

Alex ThomasPresident

Ohio Drilling Company, Massillon Ohio

Jeffrey BrestTreasurer

Jeffrey Brest is the Treasurer of The Ohio Drilling Company. Along with his duties, he also has responsibilities in human resources and is trustee of the employee’s pension. Jeff is a graduate of Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, major in Finance. He came to The Ohio Drilling Company in August of 1995 after working as a margin specialist for Merrill Lynch then as a commercial loan officer for First National Bank and then Society Bank and Trust. He lives in Orrville with his wife Terri.

Ohio Drilling Company

Alex AxelsonStaff Geologist/Project Manager

Alex specializes in well design, well maintenance, pump design and pump maintenance. He can also perform and analyze well field draw-down and pumping data in order to get the most water out of your field. He works mostly in Eastern Ohio, West Virginia, and Western Pennsylvania. His background is in oil and gas and has been a valued employee at Ohio Drilling for several years. He is a member of the American Water Works Association. Alex Lives in Youngstown, Ohio with his wife Martina.

Ohio Drilling Company

Melissa O'NeilOutside Sales/Office Manager

Melissa is Ohio Drilling Company’s X-factor. Filling in the gaps and assisting with all aspects of the office’s daily functions. Melissa is the office’s rose between many thorns. She shares her friendly personality and bright smile at the office, as well as with our clients and business associates. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from Youngstown State University. She recently got married to her husband Shawn and reside in Youngstown with their puppy, Shamrock. Her Irish Catholic family are diehard Notre Dame fans and every Saturday in the fall you will see her supporting nothing but Fighting Irish gear.

Our History

The Ohio Drilling Company has been drilling high capacity water wells for commercial, industrial and municipal customers since 1907. We offer the following professional services; Well and Pump Evaluations, Well Rehabilitation, Complete Pump Repairs, Hydro-Geologists on Staff and Emergency Service. To find out how we can help you call 1-800-860-2285.


The Early Years

We went back into our archives and found some interesting photos. We hope you enjoy them along with our story.

In the early 1900's coal along with water was a valuable natural resource and in great demand. Finding coal and water was not an easy task. Drilling into the earth to get a core sample was a good method to find coal. During these early years the Ohio Drilling Company was used to do both tasks. The demand was great and the company grew with founder Mr. Poe. In 1922 the Ohio Drilling Company had a small plant at 4th Street S.W. in Massillon, Ohio. The rigs were steam powered and the work was hard. During these years it was not uncommon for a drilling project to take a month or longer. Today the job is done in a fraction of the time.

Ohio Drilling Massillon, Ohio

Company Expansion

Around 1932 Jacob Von Gunten who was now the head of the Ohio Drilling Company saw the potential for providing water wells for the Massillon and Ohio areas. The clients list became a "blue book" of large American industries including the largest steel corporations, rubber companies, automobile manufacturers and many other large corporations operating in the area.

Ohio Drilling Massillon, Ohio

The Ohio Drilling Company has been expanding its service area and by this time operates in six states plus Ohio. Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky. The Ohio Drilling Company had a reputation of experienced workers and a very low turnover rate. The company slogan was "Water Where You Want It, When You Want It, and All You Require".


Millions of Gallons

To give you an idea of water consumption, the Republic Steel plant in Massillon was using 42,000,000 gallons of water per day while the whole city of Massillon was using 2,500,000 gallons per day. As you can see the need for water to manufacture steel is staggering. Businesses like Republic Steel needed a reliable source of water to operate their business and they relied on the Ohio Drilling Company to make sure operations did not come to a halt because of lack of water.

Ohio Drilling Massillon, Ohio

Today's Ohio Drilling Company

While the early days saw drilling for coal along with water drilling, today we are strictly industrial and municipal water drilling experts. We operate in Ohio, West Virginia, Michigan and Pennsylvania with offices in Ohio and Michigan. We will celebrate our 110th year anniversary in 2017.

Ohio Drilling Massillon, Ohio

Fun Fact

It takes approximately 1800 gallons of water to make one pair of jeans. Finding water and getting that water consistently to each client is our top priority. We have been drilling for over 100 years. We have the experience and knowledge to handle just about any water demand. The Ohio Drilling Company is here to make sure you have the water you need.

Ohio Drilling