Tanner Well Service began with Matt’s great-grandfather, Will Tanner. He began drilling back in the day of horse-drawn drilling tools. Matt’s grandfather Jack Tanner carried on the well drilling tradition started by his father Will. He worked as a boss overseeing the cable tool and rotary drilling rigs in the Bisbee and Globe mine pits. Jack started the tradition of decorating the guide wires on the rigs as Christmas trees during the holidays.
Matt took a keen interest in drilling from the young age of 5, accompanying his father Robert to the drill rig. Robert worked as a fire fighter at the Bisbee fire station, and operated a cable tool rig for additional income to raise his family. His wife Karen worked alongside him on the well drilling and pump work. He and Karen built their own home on their ranch where they raised three children, the youngest of whom was Matt. At the age of 18, Matt acquired his own cable tool rig and began growing Tanner Well Service. The company now has three pump rigs and two rotary drill rigs. The cable tool rigs have retired to Tanner Ranch where fond memories of the early days reside.
Robert retired in 2004. Unfortunately we lost Robert in July 2019, but his knowledge and experience in water well drilling lives on in his son Matt. The tradition of this family-owned drilling business is built upon generations of honest, hard-working men who have provided well and pump services to countless families spanning several towns and counties in Southern Arizona.
