You Know the Drill - Hudson Well Company and Water Wizards

“Water is life, and clean water means health,” a simple yet profound adage attributed to Audrey Hepburn, underscores water’s essential role in our daily lives. Not only can we not live without water, but it is also necessary for performing essential everyday tasks. Cooking, washing dishes, laundry, and maintaining our health and personal hygiene all require access to clean running water.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, approximately 13 percent of Americans, or 42 million people nationally, depend on wells for their water supply, including nearly 2 million Virginians and a whopping 50 percent of North Carolinians. Just like any appliance or utility, a well requires maintenance and upkeep from time to time to ensure that the pump mechanism is in working order and that the water flowing from faucets and showerheads is clean, clear, and softened. In a rural community, it is of utmost importance for homeowners and businesses to establish a good working relationship with service professionals who can drill and repair well water systems.

For those with groundwater needs in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina and Southern Virginia, there is a team who can help. Water Wizards, a Virgilina-based water quality company which recently acquired the historical Hudson Well Company, is more equipped than ever to tackle any projects, restorations, and even emergencies related to natural springs. Proud to incorporate the longstanding, reputable Hudson Well Company into the business, Water Wizards seeks to expand into the future while honoring the history and quality Hudson has become synonymous with over the last 80 years.

An Underground Operation

Hudson Well Company, which was founded in the Lowe’s Grove community at the corner of Highway 54 and Fayetteville Road in Durham County, has been providing well drilling, deepening, and repair services since 1945. “It was started by three brothers,” said Charles (Charlie) Collins, who began working for Hudson in 1973; “my father-in-law [Monroe Hudson], Howard Hudson, and Jack Hudson. After so many years, Jack Hudson went off on his own and opened up Acme Well Company. Monroe and his brother Howard ran Hudson Well Company [until] Monroe died.” By the time Howard had passed away, he had sold half of the company to Charlie, leaving the other half to his widow and three daughters. At that point, Hudson was serving Granville, Durham, Chatham, Orange, Caswell, and Person counties.

After a few years, Charlie bought out the company and ran it as the sole owner. Under his leadership, Hudson’s headquarters was moved to Cothran Road in Rougemont, and the service area scaled back slightly to focus on the quickly-growing Triangle. Hudson also played a fairly significant role in the development of the Hyco Lake and Mayo Lake areas, drilling many wells for new homes built there. A major factor in the formation of Hudson’s rock-solid reputation in the industry has been the repeat business of building contractors, who have enlisted Hudson’s help in creating new wells for decades.

In the early 1990s, Charlie hired someone who would take the company’s renown and excellence into the 21st century – a man who was, quite appropriately, named Paul Weller.

You Know the Drill Hudson Well Company and Water Wizards — A view of Water Wizards’ headquarters on Virgilina Road in Roxboro, including two vehicles and the two well-drilling rigs. By Jessie Butner

A Very Smart Man

Born and raised in Illinois, Paul worked as a self-proclaimed “tool-pusher” in the 1970s and ‘80s, maintaining rigs in oil fields all over the country, from Texas, to Oklahoma, to Kansas, and beyond. As the nation began to obtain more and more oil from foreign sources, Paul found it difficult to find sustainable work in the oil industry and moved to North Carolina. While working for a company in Mebane, he met Charlie, and soon Paul was employed by Hudson. Having worked on oil rigs, Paul knew a thing or two about drilling holes in the ground, and his experience helped him greatly in his newfound career. He excelled so much in his role that after just a few short years of working for Charlie, he was able to purchase half of Hudson.

“Paul was a very smart man, and he knew his business,” Charlie said. After undergoing knee and hip replacements, and being confident in Paul’s ability to operate the company, Charlie retired in the early 2000s.

“Paul was very much a perfectionist,” said his wife Phyliss. “If he was going to do [something], it was going to be done right, and he instilled that in everybody who worked for him.” Paul was liked and respected by his employees, particularly by Terry Herbin, who has worked for Hudson for over 30 years. “Paul was my buddy. He was just like a brother to me… He taught me a lot of stuff,” Terry shared.

Unfortunately, things took a downward turn for Paul in 2019. “The last four years Paul was alive, he was struggling with cancer,” Phyliss shared. With Paul sick, Charlie and Terry stepped up to keep Hudson afloat. Paul passed away in February of 2024, at the age of 72. With Paul gone, running the business was an exhausting challenge for Phyliss and Charlie, and the future of Hudson Well Company was uncertain. Enter John Often.

A ‘God Thing’

Soon after Paul’s passing, Phyliss found that there was an issue with her own water treatment system. Paul had always handled these sorts of issues, and she needed a recommendation for a professional. When she called her friend, realtor Tim Chandler, for suggestions, he replied, “Phyliss, call John Often. He’s the best in the business.” John, the owner and operator of Water Wizards, was one of Paul’s competitors. Despite not being well acquainted, Paul and John had respected one another as fellow industry professionals. “[John] did the work the way Paul thought it ought to be done,” Phyliss commented.

“The phone rang, and it was this wonderful woman on the other end of the phone,” John recalled, “She said she had a water problem, and that her husband was a well driller and he had passed away. She was looking for somebody that she could trust to help her with her own personal water issues.”

John took Phyliss by surprise with his kindness and courtesy. “John sent a couple of his guys to the house to work on my water treatment system, and then he showed up, and he said, ‘I just want to tell you that I thought very highly of Paul. He had a very good reputation in the industry. Hudson Well has a very good reputation, and I’m honored that you called me to do your water treatment.’ So, I was like, ‘I just love you,’” she explained.

Not long after, Phyliss and Charlie came to the conclusion that selling Hudson would be the best option to take going forward. Seeking advice, she reached out to John once more. “I thought, ‘I’m going to call John and get him to come look at things and just give me an idea of what he thinks we should sell it for.’ So, I called him, and he said, ‘Phyliss, I will buy it. If we can come to terms, I would love to have Hudson Well and carry on that legacy,’” Phyliss said. She took the proposal to Charlie, who agreed, and Hudson Well Company was sold on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. The way things providentially fell into place was a huge relief for Phyliss and Charlie. “It was a God thing,” Phyliss expressed.

Two T-Shirts and a Website

Prior to the inception of Water Wizards, John was enlisted in the U.S. Army as a heavy equipment mechanic, then worked with Barnette Well Drilling in Roxboro, and finally at Eaton Corporation in Roxboro. While at Barnette, John met Travis Barnette, who was the son of the owner, Keith Barnette.

Travis was about a decade younger than John, and they taught each other valuable skills. “When I left Eaton, he and I started Water Wizards,” John explained. The business’s beginnings were pretty humble. “Our basic start was two t-shirts and a website,” John said. Water Wizards has been Roxboro’s groundwater specialists since 2012, serving 16 counties in North Carolina and Virginia. Tragically, Travis passed away just two years after the company was founded. “I still try every day to make him proud. It’s important to me,” John shared. Water Wizards has grown exponentially over the last 13 years, from two men and one truck to a team of 14 professionals with 20 vehicles, and high esteem to boot.

A Match Made in Heaven

Hudson Well Company has proven to be a boon for Water Wizards. The purchase brought the addition of two employees, one being Terry, who was Paul’s best friend. Terry is extremely happy with his new employment situation. “It’s awesome. It’s like a burden lifted off my shoulders. I’m at ease now… I’m glad to be with Water Wizards,” he said.

Water Wizards was in the market for a new drilling rig when the opportunity to buy Hudson presented itself. One of the company’s assets was a drilling machine, which Water Wizards has used to double production. Despite the equipment not being brand new, John knew that choosing to buy Hudson instead of a new rig was a no-brainer.

“A new well machine doesn’t come with trained staff, doesn’t come with clientele, doesn’t come with a Rolodex full of phone numbers, doesn’t come with builders that are demanding of the usage of the equipment,” John explained, “So it was just a kind of a match in heaven, in my opinion.”

John has found that providing services to previous customers of Hudson has been a success so far. “We haven’t had anybody say no. Because I tell them it’s the same machine, and the same guy, [with Terry running the rig] and the same service that [we] will provide. If that’s what you want, that’s what you’ll get,” John said. Charlie and Phyliss are also more than satisfied with the transaction and the direction Water Wizards is taking Hudson. “John seems to be a pretty straight, upright man. He takes care of his people and he runs a good business,” Charlie commented.

A ‘Family’ Business

The staff at Water Wizards each bring a different professional background to the table and they possess diverse skill sets. “A well contractor has got to be a carpenter, a mechanic, a welder, a customer service representative, an electrician, and a good teammate,” John asserted.

Speaking of teammates, working together is at the very core of what Water Wizards does. “We wanted to name the company something other than a person’s name, and we chose Water Wizards because it’s plural. So when [we] wear the uniform, it’s all of us, not just one of us. Kind of an esprit de corps nature,” John explained. Eric Cook, Water Wizards’ team leader, believes that his colleagues are much more than just coworkers. “It’s not a team, it’s family,” Eric said. “I love everybody that I work with. I enjoy coming to work every day. Anything these guys need at work or away from work, we’re here for each other.”

A Legacy Preserved

While Water Wizards is located on Virgilina Road in Roxboro, Hudson’s headquarters remains on Holly Ridge Road in Rougemont, where it has sat for the last 20 years. As a part of Water Wizards, Hudson’s name and logo are now proudly displayed on company vehicles and advertising. With decades of combined experience, Water Wizards provides expert well drilling, repair, and water treatment services, including advanced inspections, pump maintenance, and filtration solutions. Serving both individual well and city water systems, the company offers testing, softening, and purification to ensure reliable, high-quality water. With 24/7, year-round availability, Water Wizards delivers dependable service for homes and businesses. As John puts it, “A million dollar house with no water is worth nothing,” so getting your water back on track is top priority.

Being the steward of an 80-year-old company is both exciting and humbling for John. “They’ve been in business longer than I’ve been living, and that’s hard for me to fathom, but it’s important to me that we keep that legacy alive,” John said. Carrying the memory of both Travis and Paul, John, his wife Felicia, and their family of teammates continue to do jobs both large and small, commercial and private, for customers old and new. In the first few months after acquiring Hudson, John and his team experienced a very fitting business interaction: “Someone’s grandfather had a well drilled by Hudson Well. And the grandson is building a house. ‘Granddad, who do I get my well from?’ ‘I had Hudson drill my well.’ So they search Hudson and they get us, and we start telling them about our story…”