About Us

In 1988, Richard McCallum started the business McCallum Rock Drilling. At the time he was an explosives salesman based in Tumwater, WA. Richard had a client based in Chehalis, WA who had a contract to service the drilling and blasting needs for the Pe Ell Weyerhaeuser Tree Farm. The client at the time performed only the drilling, while Rich delivered the explosives and performed the blasting. The client was retiring and Rich made him a deal to purchase his drills and the tree farm contract. Rich had the idea to package up both the drilling and blasting which was uncommon at the time.

As rock drills became more efficient, Rich ventured out to sell his services to other tree farms around western Washington and Oregon, as well as smaller commercial quarries. Back then, most quarries and tree farms operated their own drills. However, once new drills became more efficient, MRD was able to perform work that had previously taken weeks in just a few days. This allowed MRD to perform this work cheaper, faster, and safer than most could do themselves. After Rich and his wife Jeanette purchased the business, they moved their family to Chehalis, WA, where the business is based today.

In 2016, Rich sold the business to two of his three children, Hayley McCallum Coronel and Tyler McCallum, both of whom continue to reside with their families in Chehalis. When the company was purchased by Hayley and Tyler, MRD had 30 employees. Since then, the family has grown the company, as well as started other companies to compliment the drilling and blasting service including McCallum Powder LLC, a commercial explosives manufacturing, storing and hauling company.

MRD currently operates throughout the Western U.S. including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. MRD performs all applications of drilling and blasting including large-scale commercial quarries, heavy construction, road and highway construction, residential and commercial development, and utility and trenchline work.