WDC Exploration & Wells has announced that Robert Ruck will join the management team as chief executive officer. Ruck, who has served as CEO of several public and private companies, brings 25 years of leadership experience in manufacturing and service companies, including serving as a business leader for a nearly $2 billion business at AlliedSignal/Honeywell.

“Rob is a great addition to our management team,” says Joe Spedale, president of WDC. “His background and experience as a business leader will serve our customers well.”

With broad experience including mergers and acquisitions, operational integration, team-building and marketing, Ruck has delivered substantial performance improvements in challenging markets, and has a track record of consistent excellence earned in Fortune 1000 companies, as well as smaller companies and private equity-backed investments.

“I am thrilled to join WDC’s excellent management team to continue to build the business as a market leader,” Ruck says. “I look forward to capitalizing on our strengths and working on identifying a variety of compelling growth opportunities nationwide.”

Headquartered in Woodland, Calif., WDC (www.wdcexploration.com) is the largest privately owned drilling company in the United States. Formed in 1949 to service the needs of the expanding agricultural and municipal markets in northern California, WDC has expanded its operations in the United States throughout the West, Midwest, Southwest and Southeast, and provides a comprehensive array of drilling solutions for its customers’ technical projects.