April 2015, Vol. 70, No.4
Features
PLCA Draws 687 Delegates to 67th Annual Convention
Frank O. Welch, president of Rockford Corporation, was elected Pipe Line Contractors Association president at the group’s recent annual meeting at the Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad, CA.
Other officers elected included: Bernie Bermack of Pe Ben USA, Inc., 1st vice president; Robert A. Riess Sr., Sheehan Pipe Line Construction Co., as 2nd vice president; and Robert C. Osborn, Michels Corporation as treasurer.
Directors elected were: Jimmy L. Crotts, Appalachian Pipeline Contractors LLP; Christopher T. Leines, Minnesota Limited LLC; and Kelly Osborn, U.S. Pipeline Inc. Other directors are: John Allen, Pipe Line Constructors LLC; Brian Ganske, Snelson Companies Inc.; Dwayne Osadchuk, Oz Directional Drilling; Steven R. Rooney, Precision Pipeline LLC; Ronnie Wise, Price Gregory International Inc.; and Don Thorn, Welded Construction L.P.
In addition, three new honorary members were inducted: Michael Curran, J W Gulley and David Sheehan.
Outgoing address
In his address to the association, outgoing PLCA President Ronnie Wise noted, “This year we were able to negotiate three year labor agreements with all four crafts. Also for the first time, we have developed agreements with all of the crafts that cover integrity management work. These agreements as written now give us some additional flexibility and should be helpful for contractors trying to compete in the integrity management market.”
Wise remarked that it has been one of the greatest honors of his life to be selected as president of the PLCA. “To be recognized as an individual who can be listed in the same roll call as the presidents that have gone before me is truly humbling.”
Going back to when he started in the pipeline business, Wise noted that pipeline construction was a niche business that fell under the radar of many regulating organizations. “Spreads were families that traveled together from job to job and from year to year. Craftsmen could make a good living working on the pipeline for six to 9 months a year. It was easier to train and educate the younger employees when work was consistent.”
“In 1982 I was excited to get in this business. However, six months after I went to work for Gregory & Cook, the bottom fell out of the pipeline industry. Kelly Cook compared the pipeline industry to the railroad industry. The structure was in place. There was no reason for any future major pipeline expansion. The only future work on pipelines would be maintenance. I can remember when Joe Chapman took Bobby Crotts and I out to lunch one day and made us look up and down Westheimer Avenue in Houston. He said ‘look at all of those cars. No one in any of those cars works for a pipeline contractor and they are making it just fine.’ Dale Morris’ son asked him about getting in the business when he graduated. Dale told him ‘if you want to get into a business with the same growth potential as pipeline construction I will buy you a buggy whip business.’
“But I was lucky. When I was young my Dad explained to me that the most important thing that I would learn in college would be the ability to learn that a person really did not have to know everything if he knew who to call. As usual my Dad was correct. The reason I have been able to make it was the abilities of Bob Gregory, Kelly Cook, Dale Morris, Jack Guelker, Fletcher Evans, Pat Osborne, Coy Johnson and Doyle Maggard. These guys were/are great pipeliners but they were/are even better teachers. They had no ego. They would teach you everything they knew and help you learn more than they knew. The comment ‘if I teach you everything I know then you will be smarter than me’ meant nothing to them. They wanted everyone to excel and exceed.”
Sharing knowledge
“That attitude was also a part of every spread that I was ever a part of. Pipeliners always seemed to be willing to teach you all that they knew and help you learn more. They were always willing to help in improving everyone around them even if it did not help themselves. They were good teachers and were able to communicate at your level,” Wise observed.
“Due to the abilities and resourcefulness of the pipeliners our industry managed to survive from 1983 to 2006. During this time frame we struggled with clients that were able to take advantage of us and the market conditions. We also chased all types of work all over the planet. This is the first time that I heard the comment ‘pipe lining is not fun anymore.’ I was lucky in that we were able to keep enough projects to keep me working. No matter how bad the conditions got in this industry the people I worked with continued to teach me. That kept pipelining fun for me,” he pointed out.
“Everything changed in 2007 and the industry started booming again. The number of man hours worked tripled from 2006 until 2009. But we were able to complete that expansion. The reason that we were able to accomplish the work was the teaching skills of the established pipeliners. They took a large number of inexperienced workers and taught them how to build pipelines safely and efficiently in a very short time.
“Since the boom the number of man-hours worked has been fairly consistent,” Wise continued. “I see the work outlook this year being fairly similar to the last several years. However, even with the reduction in the price of oil I believe that another surge of work is scheduled to begin during the 2016-18 time frame,” he said.
Half full, half empty
“Many in this room are optimists that see this glass as half full. They are telling God that they have learned their lesson and if he will allow this work to go they will not throw away their money this time.
“The pessimists in this room are saying damn man, where are we going to get the men and equipment to do this work. We are never going to get any rest. These are the ones that see the glass half empty.
“For me, I am looking at the glass and thinking that if the glass is already half empty now how long is it going to be before it is completely empty.”
Wise continued, “What I worry the most about is the next generation of pipeliners. We have a young group of very talented people coming into the industry. They are ready to learn and eager to help. The development of tomorrows’ pipeliners is our responsibility today. I am hoping that as an industry we do not forget how we gained our knowledge and that we put in great effort into teaching so the next generation can carry this industry forward. As I said the younger people that I know in this industry are very capable and eager to learn. But it is up to us to honor the pipeliners that taught us and to pass our knowledge and our enthusiasm, without reserve, to the next generation ensuring that this remains a vibrant industry for years to come. “
PLCA’s 68th annual convention will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Scottsdale, AZ from February 23-27, 2016.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Pipe Line Contractors Association, (214) 969-2700, http://www.plca.org
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