Kristy Black

Kristy Black is the founder and owner of Black Hydrovac, a vacuum excavation company serving mission-critical construction clients across Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. She launched the company in 2020 without prior industry experience, following a 17-year career in education and nonprofit leadership. In six years, she has grown Black Hydrovac into a fleet of twelve hydrovac trucks and an air vac unit, building a strong field team in a persistently tight labor market. As a first-time entrepreneur, Kristy has personally led every area of the business at one point or another: sales, field operations, and fleet management, along with safety, HR, DOT compliance, finances, and marketing. That hands-on foundation came with real challenges, including learning to delegate, shaping a company culture worth keeping, and recovering from the inevitable missteps of building something new. Much of her focus today is on developing a leadership team capable of carrying the company into its next phase of growth. In 2025, Kristy was named an Industry Leader by Hydrovac News. She is a sought-after voice on hydro excavation and leadership, speaking regularly on podcasts and at industry events including the WWETT Show. Kristy brings a builder's mindset and genuine curiosity to every mentoring conversation. She is especially energized by helping owners tackle recruiting and hiring, build and delegate to a leadership team, sharpen pricing and cash flow, and chart a growth path that protects the culture that got them there. She works best with owners in their first few years in business and with anyone entering hydrovac from outside the industry, bringing the same combination of grit and curiosity that built Black Hydrovac from the ground up.