When most people think about innovation in construction, they look up—toward smart buildings, modular architecture, or green rooftops. Kristy Black looks down.
In a recent episode of the Beyond the Megawatt podcast, hosted by Mara Ervin and Valerie Crafton, MBA, Kristy joined the conversation to spotlight an area of infrastructure development that rarely makes headlines: what happens beneath our feet.
The episode, titled “Innovation Below the Surface,” dives into Kristy’s journey from nonprofit leader to construction business owner and highlights the transformative power of vacuum excavation. But more than a technical conversation, it’s a story about culture, safety, and what it takes to lead in a field that’s often overlooked.
How It Started: From an Idea to an Industry Shift
In 2018, Kristy and her husband Adam moved to Northern Virginia, where Adam worked in the data center space. That’s where the idea first surfaced. He kept seeing hydro excavation trucks on job sites—and kept running into a supply problem.
“There aren’t enough of these on my jobs,” he would say. And that’s when the “what if” started.
“What if we started a company that did this differently?”
Kristy didn’t come from a construction background. Her career was rooted in nonprofit leadership and education. But when COVID hit, and like many people she found herself rethinking her path, the idea didn’t seem so far-fetched. With a sharp eye for emerging technologies and a leadership style grounded in purpose, Kristy officially launched Black Hydrovac in 2020.
“It was never just about digging,” she said on the podcast. “I wanted to build something that gave people a place to thrive. Hydrovac just happened to be the right space for it.”
What Is Hydro Excavation—and Why Does It Matter?
Kristy broke it down simply: hydro excavation uses high-pressure water and industrial vacuum to dig. It’s non-destructive, meaning it can safely expose underground utilities without damaging them—something traditional methods like mechanical digging or hand shoveling often can’t guarantee.
“It’s like combining a pressure washer with a massive shop vac,” she said.
On job sites where precision, safety, and speed are critical—like utility installation, data center builds, or urban development—vacuum excavation reduces risk across the board.
The safety benefit can’t be overstated. Every year, tens of thousands of utility strikes happen across the U.S., many of which are preventable. Strikes to power, gas, or fiber lines can cause injury, delay, and massive service disruption. Black Hydrovac helps eliminate that risk by digging smarter.
Unlike 811 utility marking, which uses electromagnetic signals to approximate where lines are buried, hydro excavation offers exact exposure. “Our crews can dig directly on top of utility lines,” Kristy explained, “and not damage them. It’s the safest way to dig that exists.”
Growing a Company Around People, Not Just Projects
From day one, Black Hydrovac was built around team—not just trucks. “I knew that if I was going to do this, it had to be about more than the equipment,” Kristy said.
Her approach flips a common narrative in the trades. Too often, Kristy noted, workers are brought in, given a task, and told not to deviate. But that stifles potential.
Instead, she designed a company culture focused on growth. “We hire people who are curious, who problem-solve, and who want to get better. And we give them the room to do that,” she explained.
From onboarding to field leadership, Black Hydrovac emphasizes critical thinking, accountability, and autonomy. Entry-level assistant operators are trained from the ground up, and experienced crew leads are encouraged to take on coaching roles within their teams.
A Safer, More Agile Team Model
Each Black Hydrovac truck is operated by a two-person crew: a lead operator and an assistant. The operator isn’t just responsible for driving or using equipment—they’re also responsible for safety, communication, and the people around them.
Kristy emphasized how safety culture is baked into that structure. “We give our experienced operators leadership responsibility because we want them thinking about more than just the hole they’re digging,” she said.
That includes passersby, pedestrians, and even dogs walking on public sidewalks.
“Safety isn’t about checking a box. It’s a mindset—especially when you’re on public roads, active job sites, or near live infrastructure.”
Continuous Learning, Continuous Improvement
Kristy described her leadership approach as one grounded in systems, structure, and flexibility. Every process at Black Hydrovac—from reporting to routing—is documented, refined, and updated by the people doing the work.
“If I’m the one doing it, I’ll just keep reinventing it. But if I create it and hand it off, my team will run with it—and they’ll improve it.”
This handoff mindset has helped the company scale with consistency. It also empowers team members to own their processes, which strengthens accountability and reduces errors.
And when mistakes happen? Kristy owns them. “As a leader, you have to be willing to say ‘I was wrong,’” she said. “That transparency builds trust, and trust builds teams.”
Making Hydrovac a Known Name
Although it’s gaining traction, vacuum excavation is still underutilized in many regions. Kristy wants to change that. During the podcast, she announced plans to launch her own podcast to educate the industry.
“There’s still a huge gap in knowledge. A lot of GCs, engineers, or utility companies haven’t seen our trucks work. They don’t understand what we can do—so we want to show them.”
She’s also pushing to make vacuum excavation part of the conversation around sustainability. “We reduce soil disturbance. We minimize runoff. We can be incredibly precise,” she said. “That’s a win for the Chesapeake Bay watershed, for local communities, and for long-term infrastructure preservation.”
Hiring for Aptitude, Not Just Experience
Another challenge Kristy tackled on the podcast: recruiting in a niche, emerging field. Because hydrovac is relatively new, few operators have formal training. So, Kristy looks for raw talent.
The ideal candidate is a problem solver and critical thinker—someone who’s eager to grow and thrive in a hands-on environment. “We’re looking for people who are naturally drawn to equipment, who instinctively understand how machines move and operate,” Kristy said. “That natural ability, combined with a strong mindset and willingness to learn, makes for an exceptional hydrovac operator.”
Her company trains CDL holders and assistant operators in-house, offering career growth in an industry that doesn’t require a college degree. “We give them skills, a paycheck, and a path forward. That matters.”
Looking Ahead: Smarter Excavation Is the Future
Today, Black Hydrovac supports projects throughout Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., especially in the high-stakes world of data center construction. In these environments, Kristy said, there’s zero room for error.
“Some data centers won’t even let a shovel touch the ground once they’re operational. That’s how critical vacuum excavation has become.”
And with utility infrastructure becoming more congested—and more essential—hydrovac will only become more valuable.
“It’s not optional anymore,” Kristy said. “If you’re building in complex environments, you need to protect what’s below. That’s what we do.”
Final Thoughts: Leadership That Looks Different
Throughout the episode, one theme stood out: Kristy Black leads differently. She’s transparent about her learning curve. She invests in people before profits. And she’s raising the bar—not just for safety, but for how construction companies treat their teams.
“Leadership isn’t about knowing everything,” she said. “It’s about bringing in the right people, building trust, and being willing to learn.”
That mindset is what powers Black Hydrovac. It’s what drives innovation in the field. And it’s why, five years in, the company continues to grow with purpose.
🎧 Listen to the Full Episode
📞 Learn more about how we protect infrastructure with precision: blackhydrovac.com
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