At the 2024 South Atlantic Jubilee in Myrtle Beach, SC, companies from all across the country joined for a genuine, engaging, and family-friendly conference. Products, services, and equipment were all on display as the multi-generational drilling and pump companies traveled through the show floor, learning, connecting, and growing their brands.

At The Driller, we connected with our sponsors, talked with subscribers, and attended sessions actively throughout the three-day event. However, the highlight of the event in our eyes wasn't even the technical tips and business deals made between leaders and brands throughout the event. Instead, it was the smiling faces of aspiring drillers learning more about why their parents and grandparents call the drilling industry 'home.' As we combed the aisles of the show floor, we sought to interview just a few of these hopeful #FutureDrillers about what they think of drilling, what goals they have in life, and what the future holds in store for them and drilling worldwide.

These are their stories, and if you don't feel the promise of the future of the industry when reading these, we don't know what to tell you—other than the future is NOW!

Logan M., Age 9, Yadkin Well Company

What is Drilling All About in Your Eyes?

• "Helping other people and getting them the water they need when they need it."—Landon R., Age 12, AAA Well Drilling
• "I don't know!"—Liam N., Age 7, Semco, Inc.
• "Learning about the experience...It's a hard question, but drilling means helping people to me."—Ryder L., Age 13, Love Well and Water Works
• "Putting water in remote areas where they have no access." —Cooper H., Age 13, Clyde Sawyers and Son Well Drilling & Pump
• "Giving people clean water."—Elijah T., Age 12, Gloucester Well Drilling Company
• "After having a lot of experience with my dad, I think drilling is mostly about making sure the people have nice, clean water so they're able to survive. Because, without well drillers, where would you get your water, honestly?"—Tucker J., Age 13, Johnson Well Drilling, Drilling Equipment Sales, Inc.
• "It's about letting my family work together because we have a family business, and I think it's really cool seeing what we can do and what we can fix together." —Ella B., Age 10, Gloucester Well Drilling Company
• "To me, it's something that helps people and definitely makes a difference." —Abby B., Age 8, Gloucester Well Drilling Company
• "Water!" —Bo Yordy, Age 6, The Driller
• "Helping people get water." —Brielle Yordy, Age 8, The Driller
• "Making money." —Eli W., Yadkin Well Company
• "Making wells and fixing pumps." —Logan M., Age 9, Yadkin Well Company

Landon R., Age 12, AAA Well Drilling

Have You Ever Seen a Drilling Rig in Action?

• "Yes, Ma'am. I go out there all the time. I go out there with my grandpa. I go out there with a lot of people, and I'll be out there on the back helping."—Landon R., Age 12, AAA Well Drilling
• "Yeah! [Pointing to Semco Rig, which he explains is his favorite] I drove that rig!"—Liam N., Age 7, Semco, Inc.
• "Yes, Ma'am. Me and my dad go to set up drilling rigs."—Ryder L., Age 13, Love Well and Water Works
• "Yes. They're real loud, dirty, and your fingers get smashed a lot." —Cooper H., Age 13, Clyde Sawyers and Son Well Drilling & Pump
• "Yes. It's nothing too much to watch except for when the water squirts out. I've sadly never had that happen when I'm there, but I'd want to see it."—Elijah T., Age 12, Gloucester Well Drilling Company
• "I have. It was pretty messy! It's pretty loud; you can barely hear out there. I'd say it's one of the dirtiest and most dangerous jobs. Well drilling is basically the second most dangerous job in the whole country." —Tucker J., Age 13, Johnson Well Drilling, Drilling Equipment Sales, Inc.
• "I saw them on videos!" —Bo Yordy, Age 6, The Driller
• "Erm, no." —Brielle Yordy, Age 8, The Driller
• "Yeah! They're a truck." —Eli W., Yadkin Well Company
• "Not really, but I've kind of seen them because my dad works at Yadkin Well Company, so I've seen the place, and when we have to get stuff out of his truck sometimes, I see them then. One time, he had an on-call thing, and it was out to a house, but he took one of his trucks, and I got to ride in it with him."—Logan M., Age 9, Yadkin Well Company

Eli W., Yadkin Well Company [Left] and Ryder L., Age 13, Love Well and Water Works [Right]

What do You Want to be When You Grow up?

• "I want to be a well driller because I get to help people and give them what they need when they need it." —Landon R., Age 12, AAA Well Drilling
• "I want to own my dad's business. We put in pumps and all that, Love Well and Water Works."—Ryder L., Age 13, Love Well and Water Works
• "Driller. With my old man." —Cooper H., Age 13, Clyde Sawyers and Son Well Drilling & Pump
• "A well driller for my family business."—Elijah T., Age 12, Gloucester Well Drilling Company
• "Well, you see, I'm next in line to run my dad's company, and I am looking forward to it." —Tucker J., Age 13, Johnson Well Drilling, Drilling Equipment Sales, Inc.
• "Famous football player!" —Bo Yordy, Age 6, The Driller
• "Work at The Driller!" —Brielle Yordy, Age 8, The Driller
• "I don't know!" —Eli W., Yadkin Well Company
• "A cop." —Logan M., Age 9, Yadkin Well Company

If You Could Work Anywhere in the World, Where Would You Want to Go?

• "Right here, right here."—Landon R., Age 12, AAA Well Drilling
• "The Sun!"—Liam N., Age 7, Semco, Inc.
• "Probably here, close to home." —Ryder L., Age 13, Love Well and Water Works
• "Hendersonville, North Carolina." —Cooper H., Age 13, Clyde Sawyers and Son Well Drilling & Pump
• "I'd want to stay in Gloucester."—Elijah T., Age 12, Gloucester Well Drilling Company
• "For a job site, I'd like to at least once go out to the U.K." —Tucker J., Age 13, Johnson Well Drilling, Drilling Equipment Sales, Inc.
• "Florida!"—Ella B., Age 10, Gloucester Well Drilling Company
• "California!" —Abby B., Age 8, Gloucester Well Drilling Company
• "Africa!" —Bo Yordy, Age 6, The Driller
• "The center of the earth!" —Brielle Yordy, Age 8, The Driller
• "Closest to home." —Eli W., Yadkin Well Company
• "I actually like being a cop because it's a cool job. I made a promise to my mom that I'm going to become a cop when I grow up no matter what because it's my dream job to be a cop here in South Carolina." —Logan M., Age 9, Yadkin Well Company

Liam N., Age 7, Semco, Inc. 

What's One Cool Story You Have Related to Drilling?

• "I'll have to think about this just a little bit...One thing is that every place that you drill is different. They all have different sand, different ground, it's all unique."—Landon R., Age 12, AAA Well Drilling
• "I ride with my grandpa sometimes." —Liam N., Age 7, Semco, Inc.
• "My dad and I went to Duke Energy and put a pump in!"—Ryder L., Age 13, Love Well and Water Works
• "One time, I saw one flip. He pulled off on the side of a dirt road, he backed in, and when he did, the ground just fell out, and it flipped." —Cooper H., Age 13, Clyde Sawyers1 and Son Well Drilling & Pump
• "I ain't got one, but I'll have some when I start working, maybe!"—Elijah T., Age 12, Gloucester Well Drilling Company
• "I've got a lot of stories. This past Friday, we were pulling rods out of the well because we were already drilling, and the bit had so much clay caked on it that the mud was not going out of it. So, when we were taking the rods off, so much mud was stuck up in the rods, it got messy everywhere. It was funny! I was wearing overalls, but it barely got on me because I stood out of the way!" —Tucker J., Age 13, Johnson Well Drilling, Drilling Equipment Sales, Inc.
• "One time, my pop pop and my pappy went to work, and they had this one time where it was so far down into the ground that they had to get this extra long one to do the job."—Ella B., Age 10, Gloucester Well Drilling Company
• "I got to ride with my dad to do that call with him, and one time when he had to work on his truck, I got to come to work with him too."  —Logan M., Age 9, Yadkin Well Company

Ella B., Age 10, and Abby B., Age 8, Gloucester Well Drilling Company

As we reflect on the 2024 South Atlantic Jubilee, it's clear that the heart of our industry beats strongest in the stories and dreams of the next generation. The event was a remarkable gathering of industry leaders, but the true legacy lies in the hands of these young, enthusiastic #FutureDrillers. Their passion, curiosity, and dedication to carrying on family traditions are what make the drilling industry not just a profession but a way of life.

A third-generation #FutureDriller wearing our swag on day 3 [Left] and some of our doodle contestants [Right]

Walking through the show floor, seeing children interact with the tools of the trade, and hearing them talk about their dreams with such conviction was a powerful reminder of why we do what we do. These young voices are the echoes of our future, and their stories are interwoven with the legacy of their parents and grandparents who have paved the way.

At The Driller, we are inspired each and every day by the multi-generational bonds that hold our community together. From our very own Brock Yordy, a third-gen driller with the bonds and relationships to show for it all the way to the new generations working tirelessly to create that opportunity for their children, family is the glue that holds it all together. The spirit of hard work and commitment to helping others is what makes this industry unique and what keeps it 'flowing' year after year, decade after decade, and generation after generation. As we look ahead, we are filled with hope and optimism, knowing that the future is in capable, passionate hands.

One of our doodle contest winners, Miranda [Left], and Brock Yordy teaching #FutureDrillers about drilling mud [Right]

To all the families, companies, and future leaders of the drilling world, thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we are not just building wells; we are building a legacy far beyond our wildest dreams. Here’s to a future filled with promise, innovation, and the continued tradition of excellence in the drilling industry. Keep drilling, keep dreaming, and keep the legacy alive!