In this episode of Rocket Your Business For Trade Contractors, Kathy and Tom welcome Will Sublette, an engineer at HMI, a family-owned company that has been leading the way in concrete lifting and ground improvement for over 50 years. HMI is best known for pioneering the use of polyurethane foam in lifting and stabilizing concrete, but today their work goes far beyond that.
Will shares how HMI is expanding into new areas of ground improvement with innovative products designed to strengthen soils, control water issues, and stabilize structures. He explains the company’s commitment to education and contractor support, describing how his role provides free engineering assistance at every stage of a project—from bidding and planning to execution and follow-up.
The conversation covers everything from HMI’s latest product releases and field-tested tools to the importance of solving soil problems at their source. For contractors and industry professionals, it’s a look at how HMI continues to innovate while staying true to its mission: ensuring that customers succeed by giving them the right solutions, the right training, and the right support.
Kathy: Hey Will, welcome to our podcast today. We're so excited to have you here.
Will: Thank you for inviting me. I really appreciate it. I'm excited to be here too.
Tom: It’s a pleasure. Tell us about HMI. They’re celebrating a huge anniversary this year—45 years in business?
Will: I think it’s actually 50.
Kathy: Oh, 50! I’ll have to change my intro. That alone is amazing. Clearly, they’ve found the secret sauce to not only maintaining a business but growing it. So, tell us what’s new at HMI and in the industry.
Will: For 50 years, HMI has specialized in concrete lifting, originally using mudjacking. About 12 years ago they started using polyurethane to lift slabs. This year, we’re moving beyond just concrete lifting. We’ve dabbled in deep foam injection—injecting polyurethane into the ground to improve soil conditions and lift structures—but there’s much more polyurethane can do.
We’re releasing four new products focused on ground improvement. One is a caulk for sealing concrete joints, with very high adhesion. Another is an acrylic grout used for waterproofing and strengthening soil—almost like cementing it together. We also have a single-component foam activated by water instead of two chemicals, so it reacts with moisture in the soil. Finally, we’re launching a clay stabilizer that reduces the swell potential of clay soils.
Most of these innovations address water, which is really the catalyst behind most soil-related problems. The treatments are minimally invasive, which is a big advantage.
Kathy: That sounds like huge potential. When I first heard the term “ground improvement,” I thought it meant working on my lawn. It’s not something most people immediately understand.
Tom: We actually had a friend at Disney who could’ve used mudjacking. She tripped carrying food at a pool area where the surface wasn’t level—went head-first and got bruised up badly.
Will: That’s common. Concrete settles not because of the slab itself but because of the soils underneath. Water pooling and draining cycles consolidate the soil, which leads to settling. Simply raising the concrete doesn’t always solve the problem—it may settle again if the soil isn’t stabilized. That’s why our focus is on remediating the real issue.
Kathy: Makes sense. So tell us more about your position at HMI and how your work impacts customers.
Will: I provide free engineering support to our customers at every stage of their projects—bidding, execution, and post-project. In the bidding stage, I help estimate material needs and highlight possible challenges. If engineers are involved who aren’t familiar with our techniques, I educate them and make sure everyone understands the process. During projects, I troubleshoot issues as they arise, since soil conditions are always partly unknown. And after projects, I help create case studies to highlight successful work.
My role is to ensure our contractors succeed—because their success is our success.
Tom: We say that a lot too. If our customers succeed, we succeed.
Will: Exactly. Ground improvement has been around forever, but now we’re using new, more nuanced materials. It’s a budding industry. I’m also excited to generate quantitative data to measure results. Instead of just saying “this worked,” we want to show exactly how and under what conditions. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and we don’t want to fall into the trap of seeing every problem as a nail just because we have a hammer. We use the right product—or sometimes multiple products—for each project.
Kathy: HMI must be doing something right—they’ve lasted 50 years. When we first met them 10 years ago, I was impressed with their dedication and follow-through. Their process is specific and unique, and while others try to copy, they don’t have the secret sauce. HMI continually improves, which is why they succeed.
Will: I agree. Before joining HMI, I was a contractor familiar with polyurethane foam. But when I first attended their training seminar, I was blown away. They’ve simplified a complicated process so anyone can do it, which is a huge challenge. That’s what we’re now trying to achieve in ground improvement too—making the process accessible and educational.
Tom: It sounds like you’re not just innovating with products, but also with processes and knowledge. That makes a huge difference.
Will: Yes, exactly. One challenge in ground improvement is that you don’t always have all the data you’d like. Educating contractors to gather more site information is key. Even using aerial photos or Google Earth can reveal development history that explains soil settlement. We also want to provide tools for customers to test soil themselves, without needing to hire an outside engineer.
Kathy: That’s a big value to your customers.
Tom: Concrete lifting is straightforward—you see what’s down an inch and lift it. But with ground improvement, it’s more technical. Can you talk about structural applications?
Will: Sure. With two-component polyurethane, you can actually lift buildings. The foam expands in the soil, densifying it and building enough pressure to raise structures. Our new acrylic grout is non-expansive, perfect for stabilization without lifting. It permeates soil and hardens, increasing strength. It’s also hydrophilic, making it great for waterproofing. We’ve used it in deep excavations with high groundwater to prevent water infiltration.
The single-component foam is similar—it stabilizes soil without expansion, ideal for injecting behind seawalls where too much pressure could cause failure. These products are like surgical tools compared to traditional methods.
Kathy: Fascinating. I’ve watched your demos at World of Concrete and they’re so impressive—fast, effective, and easy to understand.
Will: They’re fun demos for sure. And we’re releasing a new remote-control concrete lifting gun. It eliminates the need to kneel, reduces strain, and gives precise control—you just wheel it into place and operate it remotely. We’ve tested it in the field for over a year through our contracting arm, Raised Right.
Tom: That’s a big improvement for contractors’ health and safety too.
Kathy: And your existing clients will be able to adopt this new technology?
Will: Yes, but we roll out everything deliberately. We test thoroughly with real projects before releasing widely. It may feel slow, but it ensures success.
Tom: That’s smart. Better than pushing updates too quickly and having to roll them back.
Will: Exactly. Real field testing reveals things you can’t find in the lab.
Kathy: Tell us more about how your role connects to HMI’s commitment to customers.
Will: My focus is making sure contractors have successful projects. That means anticipating problems, providing alternate approaches, and offering ongoing training. We’ll be hosting seminars on advanced techniques too. Beyond engineering, HMI already provides marketing support, equipment, and wraps for vehicles. It’s about giving contractors every tool they need.
Kathy: When we first met HMI, I was amazed by their commitment—even partnering with Estimate Rocket to provide top-tier software. That level of dedication to the details of a contractor’s business is rare.
Will: I agree. I wish I’d had software like that when I was contracting. It makes training estimators so much faster and easier.
Tom: Can you share a few favorite projects you’ve worked on?
Will: I’ve always enjoyed nail wall projects—stabilizing large retaining walls with steel anchors drilled through them. Shoring and deep excavations are also fascinating, though challenging. At HMI, I’ve worked on exciting projects in Canada and with power companies. It’s been rewarding to hear their unique questions and perspectives, which push me to think differently.
Tom: Most people don’t realize how versatile foam really is.
Will: Exactly. And with land for development becoming scarce, the focus is shifting toward rehabilitating infrastructure. Foam and soil stabilization are minimally invasive solutions for these challenges.
Kathy: Absolutely. And HMI’s family-owned culture is rare and special, just like ours at Estimate Rocket.
Will: I really value that as well.
Kathy: Will, thank you so much for joining us today. This has been fascinating.
Will: Thank you for having me. I really enjoyed it.
Tom: We’ll have you back in the fall to talk about new projects.
Kathy: And for anyone who wants more information about HMI, you can contact me directly at Kathy@estimaterocket.com. HMI is truly an amazing partner, and I highly recommend them.