Vermeer has launched a national search for the Ultimate Crew. The corporation is on the hunt for horizontal directional drill (HDD) contractors and their crews.

All it takes is an online entry and up to 350 words on what makes the crew the Ultimate Crew, and the interested drillers are in the running for the use of a new Vermeer D24x40 Series II Navigator drill for a year. The crew will also be featured in Vermeer marketing efforts.

Entries are due by April 30, 2015 and contractors, company owners or crew members are welcome to enter.

A panel of judges will review the entries and select eight finalists to take part in a video interview. The video will profile the drillers on the job, focusing on how they work together and what they enjoy about their work. The videos will be posted to www.NavigatorNation.com where viewers can vote for their favorite.

The four crews with the most votes will take part in the Underground Showdown HDD skills competition in October. It will take place in the Vermeer booth at the International Construction & Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE) in Louisville, Ky. The crew that performs best will be named the Ultimate Crew.

The reigning champs will be highlighted in Vermeer advertising in publications and they will be featured in a “Behind the Job” Web series.

Vermeer Corporation, based in Pella, Iowa, offers a full line of horizontal directional drilling systems, as well as other products, through a broad network of authorized dealers. Vermeer’s line of piercing tools is manufactured by the McLaughlin Group Inc., based in Greenville, S.C. For more information about the competition or to enter, visit www.NavigatorNation.com.