Sam's Well Drilling

Sam’s Well Drilling is a family owned business located in Randolph, WI and is owned by the VanderGalien family, including Sam Jr. and Sylvia, and Jim, Ray and Sid. The well drilling business has been a part of the VanderGalien family for quite some time; Grandpa Bill VanderGalien drilled wells dating back to the 1930’s. The current business was started in 1947 by Sam VanderGalien, Sr., when he traded in his Model A Ford and purchased the first cable tool drilling rig.

Sam Jr. helped his dad while in high school and worked full time at the business ever since. Sam Sr. purchased his first rotary rig in 1964. What a change this brought to the well drilling industry! Rotary Drilling was a more efficient way of drilling a well. A rotary rig could accomplish in a day or two what would take a bale tool rig weeks to do. Sam’s was one of the first in Wisconsin to purchase a new rotary drilling rig. In 1978, Sam Jr. purchased the business from his father. In the late 70s’ early 80’s, Sam’s had 3 rigs that were servicing south central Wisconsin. Sam’s continued to experience growth. In 1986, Jim VanderGalien, Sam’s oldest son, began to drill wells just as his father had some twenty years prior. Since that time, Sam’s son-in-law Ray and son Sid have joined the business. During the late 80’s and early 90’s, Sam’s has been adding new equipment periodically. There are now 10 rigs that are in operation, which means that Sam’s has one of the largest fleet of rigs in the State of Wisconsin. The services that are offered include primarily residential, municipal and irrigation work, and most recently, Sam’s has become a geothermal loop contractor. Last year, Sam’s completed over 1100 wells, not including geothermal bore holes.

Geothermal systems, although unknown to many Wisconsin residents, is a well-established means of providing a cost effective heating and cooling system for residential and commercial use. In the last twenty years, the technology associated with geothermal systems has greatly been refined and is popular throughout the United States. Geothermal looping systems offer “savings from the ground up” by utilizing the earth’s natural temperatures to heat and cool homes, schools, and businesses. This efficiency can greatly lower heating and cooling costs, and can reduce the dependency on fossil fuels by up to 60%.

Over the last several years there has been much change at Sam’s. The company now employs over 30 people and services the entire State of Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. The employees at Sam’s are dedicated and believe that teamwork is a big contribution to the success that has been experienced at Sam’s. The staff is courteous and knowledgeable and can help with any questions or problems that need to be addressed. Sam’s takes pride in their employees, and they are treated like family. This is expressed in the quote from Sam Jr., “We are thankful for our great employees and how they work as a team. They contribute their individual skills towards the success of the company”.

The biggest and most noticeable change is that of the present facility. The building is easily noticed from Hwy 33 by its red and white colors. Sam’s has tripled the actual size of the facility by allowing for a state of the art service area. The facility now has a service shop with five bays and a special bay that allows the derricks (towers) to be placed in their vertical position for service and maintenance. Sam’s has a full time mechanic staff that services the equipment and keeps everything running smoothly. This is a huge asset to the company because Sam’s values quality, efficient and prompt service and part of that is having equipment that is always operating in top condition.

Although there have been many changes throughout the years, one thing has remained the same- Sam’s believes in providing quality water supply to their customers through prompt and courteous service. This can best be reflected in a quote offered by Sam VanderGalien, Jr., “Well water – it’s something that most of us take for granted. The area we work in has been blessed with a plentiful aquifer that contains good quality water. We all need to use and protect this most precious natural resource. We at Sam’s are thankful to be involved in supplying the well water needs of people all over southern Wisconsin”. This shows the passion and level of commitment that has made Sam’s Well Drilling into what it is today.