About SLS

How we built our reputation for excellence

SLS Tunnelling Contractors were formed with the mission to supply top-tier operators for projects.

Our core leadership team are all hugely experienced operators, mechanics and project managers for many forms of tunnelling, including record-breaking direct pipe runs for wastewater outfalls in rural New Zealand as well as the innovative projects like the world’s first 120m deep shaft completed by a VSM.

We take great pride in our work and specialise in providing well balanced crews who are capable of maintaining great production levels even in difficult circumstances.

Selected clients, partners and manufacturers

Core Team

Tom Willis

Tom has worked in the tunnelling industry for over 14 years, across the UK, Ireland, Europe and worldwide.

With an enviable CV including time at tunnelling pioneers Herrenknecht, he’s been at the forefront of globally notable projects such as the 2km world-record direct pipe project in New Zealand, the UK’s first (and also record-breaking) VSM project and the Trans Adriatic pipeline in Albania.

Tom holds the record as the youngest person to solo operate a microtunnelling machine on a National Grid project in the UK, a milestone he completed at 21.

Paul Willis

Paul’s vast experience in the tunnelling world began in the early 1980s. Since then he has been involved in tunnelling projects around the world from diameters of 450mm to 11.2m ID.

Working from the ground up, Paul has managed and executed hundreds of projects including TBMs, pipe jacking methods such as guided and non guided auger boring, and shaft sinking.

Paul’s experience in larger scale projects includes TBM operator and mechanic on the Channel Tunnel, London Underground’s Jubilee line extension and Irish Water’s Skerries project – a 365m run completed with an AVN 1200 that is still the longest microtunnel ever completed in Ireland.

Robert Boldt

A rising star, Robert has built his tunnelling career over the past 10 years with incredible efficiency. One of the hardest working supervisors in the industry, he is renowned for his work ethic and attention to detail.

Robert speaks multiple languages and has been involved in a large number of projects across Europe including an AVN800 direct pipe project featuring runs of 650m and 500m in Poland and a storm sewer project in Denmark that required over 1000m of mixed-diameter microtunnelling. Robert also supervised the Trans Adriatic project.

Gerry Maloney

Gerry, a certified welder, is one of our auger drilling specialists. He has vast experience in guided and non guided auger by a range of different manufacturers including Barbco USA, Perforator and Bohrtec.

Gerry cut his teeth on cross country pipelines and inner city projects throughout the UK and Ireland. He was also part of the team that helped complete the Trans Adriatic Pipeline in Albania.

Dale Archibald

With experience in the tunnelling industry stretching back over 33 years. Dale has been supervised projects around the UK, Ireland, Greece, Albania, Spain and Serbia. His cool methodic mindset is guaranteed to bring calm to any situation.

Milestone projects include multiple cross country pipelines and major sewer developments as well as the Channel Tunnel, the Jubilee Line metro extension and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline project.

Franciszek Ptaszkowski

Franciszek has been tunnelling for over 25 years in a variety of different diameter machines, from microtunnelling to guided and non-guided auger. An exceptional work ethic and the ability to lead and train individuals have been hallmarks of Franciszek’s impressive professional career.

Franciszek has travelled globally working for companies such as GEOSA Spain and Denys in countries including Italy, Spain, Poland & Trinidad and Tobago