Three Partners, One Vision: How Diversified Underground Found Its Niche

For 10 years, Helena and Richard Chuapoco set aside one of their salaries with a clear goal in mind: launching their own business. By the year 2000, they looked at each other and said, “Let’s go for it.” And Diversified Underground was born.  

Relying on the contacts Richard had made while working at a utility locating company, the two entered the directional drilling market. “We bought a used drill and the smallest vac we could get,” Richard recalls.  

Less than a year later, Mark Allen, a former colleague of Richard’s from the utility locating company and a U.S. Army veteran, came on board. “We just clicked right away back then. So when they started up, I jumped in, and everything went forward from there,” Mark says.  

“Between the three of us, it’s been a good team,” Helena says. “I couldn’t imagine working for anybody else right now, but back then it was scary.” As president, Helena oversees the company's finances, while Mark, as general manager, oversees field operations.   

An early truck in Diversified Underground's fleet.Marcia DoylShifting to Hydrovac Excavation, Locating 

Once the company’s bread and butter, directional drilling now plays a much smaller role. “Since directional drilling has become a high-risk, low-reward market, we’ve shifted our focus to hydrovac excavation and utility locates,” Mark says. These two markets are now 80 percent of the business, with directional drilling for small electrical companies taking up the remaining 20 percent. 

The company found its competitive sweet spot using smaller vac trucks for clients such as municipalities and road construction contractors. Their units include one tandem-axle vac, two 500-gallon trailer-mounted vacs and eight 800-gallon trailer-mounted vacs. “We keep all of the utilities exposed while they’re widening the road or replacing bridges,” Mark says. Diversified also provides utility locating for civil engineering firms.  

“Diversified is a great name because it gives us the opportunity to do anything,” Mark notes. “We’re not pigeon-holed into anything.” 

“And we’ve never depended on one big client,” Helena adds. “Along with the larger firms, we’ve also done work for small electric companies, water municipalities and homeowners. It just makes it easier to deal with the bumps in the road.” 

The Power of Small 

While competition is high for larger hydrovac work, especially in the oil fields, Mark saw an opportunity to employ smaller vac trucks. “The big trucks go out for $4,000 to $5,000 a day, where we can use a small truck for just $1,000 a day. We’ll do the smaller jobs, one or two holes at a time, and it’s worked quite well.” 

The company’s fleet arsenal includes Vacmasters hydrovac trucks and Vermeer drills. “We like the support we get from our dealers,” Mark says. With Barone’s Vacmasters division located locally, “we can pull up to their facility and one of their mechanics will get us back on the road. That’s huge, because if we’re down, we’re not making money.” 

Others note the company’s attention to fleet maintenance. 

“They have detailed maintenance records and expectations of service and how things need to be cleaned and the PM services performed,” says Tony St. John with Titan Machinery. “You can always tell the Diversified gear and equipment and trucks because they're so clean. They're just good-running machines.” 

Clear Processes in Place 

Mark’s son, Josh Allen, 29, serves as Diversified’s field operations manager and safety director – a role he takes seriously by establishing a robust driver safety program. “Our vehicles are moving billboards, so we can’t afford to have people not doing the right thing,” Josh says. “We want clear processes in place that can be followed and enforced.” 

“We make sure the crews have everything they need to be safe,” Mark says. While the crews get daily safety briefings, every month there’s an all-hands detailed safety download, complete with a catered breakfast.  

Cross training is the expectation at Diversified, Josh says. “Everyone in a leadership role must go through the ranks. You can’t lead a team if you don’t know how to do all the jobs within that team. We can all operate the equipment. We can go to any job and jump in at any time.” 

“We’re a pretty close-knit group of guys” says Brian Spurgeon, construction manager. “I was in the field up until just a few years ago, so that helps. We’re on in it together; we’re all in it to help each other.” 

Lessons in Teamwork 

Josh brings six years of National Guard experience to the company. “It gave me great lessons in teamwork,” he says. “That includes knowing how to work in a team and how to lead guys on different jobsites.” 

“Helena, Richard and I have always said that we’re building something for our kids, for their future,” Mark says. In addition to Josh, Mark’s son Zack, 24, serves as the company’s estimator.  

“They don’t get any preferential treatment,” Mark says of his two sons. “If anything, they get treated harder. I want people to know that they earn what they get.” 

Five years ago, Diversified Undergound purchased 40 acres on the eastern side of Denver, giving it room to grow. The company transformed a farmhouse on the site into their headquarters – a significant upgrade from the jobsite trailers they previously used as company offices. 

“The renovated farmhouse really gives us a family atmosphere,” Helena says.  

Strong Talent Pool 

There’s another plus with the move to Watkins. “None of our competitors are in this area, so that gives us access to a strong talent pool,” Mark says. “Retaining employees makes or breaks you. These guys do all the work, so if we don’t take care of them, we’re not here.” 

With his Army background, Mark unabashedly gives preference to veterans when hiring. 

“My biggest challenge is letting go and not micromanaging,” Mark admits. “I know what I want and how and when I want it done, but I have to step away and trust my people. I’ve been doing that a lot lately, and it’s paid off dividends because these guys are doing an amazing job.” 

“Our company’s main success is our employees,” Richard says. “The majority of our guys hired on as laborers, and they’ve gone up in the ranks. They see that they can be promoted, and they take pride in the company and in themselves.” 

“Josh calls me the company mascot,” Mark says with a laugh. “We have an easygoing environment. I’ll come in bringing doughnuts and interrupt everybody’s work. Josh is like, ‘Dad, please just leave.’” 

What’s Next? 

“We’re making this shift into an engineering-style company,” Josh says. “When I started, we were much heavier into construction, but now we’re getting to meet new people and deal with different style projects. It’s exciting to see where our engineering will take us.” 

Mark has his eye on adding pressure-washing services for clients such as rail operators and large civil contractors, especially as directional drilling becomes less of a factor.  

“We’re also looking at starting our own traffic control division,” Helena says, “especially as we look at what we spend money on. We could bring it in-house.” 

Whatever direction Diversified chooses, there are people cheering them on. 

“They are respectful, mindful of their reputation and always strive to exceed expectations in all respects,” says Paula Fenn with HALO. 

“Mark is a great leader,” says Mario Estrada with Verizon, who’s also a former employee. “They promote from within, so I started off at a low level then became the manager of a division. Mark’s an ex-Amy Ranger and he had a lot of military leadership training, so he would coach me.” 

Estrada pauses to chuckle. “I didn’t understand his methods at the time, but boy, did I learn.”