Cat Got Your Tongues????

laatsch55 · Jul 26, 2014

In this business you grow or die. Wells historically decline. Some at different rates than others and some relatively flat decline curves after initial production. We are at a tipping point. We have enough work we are running 5 crews HARD. Time to put on another crew or two. One for Marlins stuff and one for the contract side. The BLM IS doing an EIS for the southern powder river basin for 5000 more wells and the contract side is going to expand. We have contracts with 2 global pumping unit companies to un-container their overseas shipments and yard them till the units are needed to be hauled out and set. Customer pressure is driving that side of it cause we are REALLY good with all aspects of pumping units and could make a very good living doing just that.

Gepetto · Jul 26, 2014

laatsch55 said:

In this business you grow or die. Wells historically decline. Some at different rates than others and some relatively flat decline curves after initial production. We are at a tipping point. We have enough work we are running 5 crews HARD. Time to put on another crew or two. One for Marlins stuff and one for the contract side. The BLM IS doing an EIS for the southern powder river basin for 5000 more wells and the contract side is going to expand. We have contracts with 2 global pumping unit companies to un-container their overseas shipments and yard them till the units are needed to be hauled out and set. Customer pressure is driving that side of it cause we are REALLY good with all aspects of pumping units and could make a very good living doing just that.

I hope you continue to grow fast Lee, despite all the regulations that are pressuring you the other way.

laatsch55 · Jul 26, 2014

Me too ...kinda....there are aspects to this I'm not comfortable with. The quality of what we do is based on how and when we do it. That knowledge comes from doing it a long time with the right people to begin with. The partner is the machinist and pumping unit guru for this area. It is amazing what he can do with a pumping unit to make it better than what it is. But when you are not on location you are only as good as your most inexperienced hand and that's where growing TOO fast can be detrimental. We would rather turn down work than do it when we can't do it well. It's a tricky balance when you are warehousing equipment and can't deliver and setup on those folks' schedule. There are undertones of the "captive work" syndrome which don't apply to us but still appear so from one not familiar with us.
Not everyone is cut out for moving and erecting pumping units. It's hard dirty work, but pays well. It takes sifting through a dozen hands to find one who fits. And the demand for labor at this time is very strong. I had hoped to start slacking off as I had my side of Marlin's activity under control, but now find myself committing a lot of time and energy to the contract side as that feller in charge is nearing the end of his comfort zone. There is opportunity there but will take a shift in attitude and equipment to expand with the suppliers we've hooked up with. Both my partner and I suffer from not being able to delegate with comfort and always seem to want to keep our control to the point where it is now constricting our growth. We both realize this but are still reluctant to entrust our reputation to someone else on a daily basis. It all boils down to whether we can keep and train hands that will do it like we would do it without having to be there breathing down their necks, which we both abhor when done to ourselves.....

Gepetto · Jul 26, 2014

laatsch55 said:

Me too ...kinda....there are aspects to this I'm not comfortable with. The quality of what we do is based on how and when we do it. That knowledge comes from doing it a long time with the right people to begin with. The partner is the machinist and pumping unit guru for this area. It is amazing what he can do with a pumping unit to make it better than what it is. But when you are not on location you are only as good as your most inexperienced hand and that's where growing TOO fast can be detrimental. We would rather turn down work than do it when we can't do it well. It's a tricky balance when you are warehousing equipment and can't deliver and setup on those folks' schedule. There are undertones of the "captive work" syndrome which don't apply to us but still appear so from one not familiar with us.
Not everyone is cut out for moving and erecting pumping units. It's hard dirty work, but pays well. It takes sifting through a dozen hands to find one who fits. And the demand for labor at this time is very strong. I had hoped to start slacking off as I had my side of Marlin's activity under control, but now find myself committing a lot of time and energy to the contract side as that feller in charge is nearing the end of his comfort zone. There is opportunity there but will take a shift in attitude and equipment to expand with the suppliers we've hooked up with. Both my partner and I suffer from not being able to delegate with comfort and always seem to want to keep our control to the point where it is now constricting our growth. We both realize this but are still reluctant to entrust our reputation to someone else on a daily basis. It all boils down to whether we can keep and train hands that will do it like we would do it without having to be there breathing down their necks, which we both abhor when done to ourselves.....

Agree with you Lee, controlled growth is the responsible thing to do. If you cannot put your good name behind what you do, then don't do it. Too bad there are so many folks today that do not ascribe to that philosophy.

So I will wish instead that you find someone amongst the folks you have trained that you and your partner feels can step up to the next level of experience and share that responsibility to allow your continued, controlled growth.

laatsch55 · Jul 26, 2014

We've both been through a couple booms and we've seen what can happen that way. Not only reputations but torn up equipment and loss of limb and life are possible. We both take those situations very seriously and we can say since we started , since 1996, in an industry that can take a life in a moments notice, the worst we've had is a smashed finger that eventually healed, and One broken collar bone (Timdalf's) that took a long time to heal , but eventually did. For the man-hours worked with that record we're pretty damn proud of that. And it doesn't come from morning safety meetings or pre-lift meetings or whatever the safety trend-de-jour is, but an all day long commitment to doing things that keep exposure to danger to a minimum and constant vigilence on all rigging, chains, slings and lifting and transporting equipment in general. Safety in our business is passed on every day by doing what has worked in the past and adopting newer ways that show promise to being more efficient but still in our comfort zone. We are also the people to call when you have something really abnormal to do. When a pumping unit wrecks, and there are numerous ways a unit can crater depending on what breaks, SOP is out the window . Taking bolts loose when stress is not standard can be tricky and dangerous if you don't completely understand the consequences to what you are doing. We both have a knack for taking out the right bolt at the right time....

laatsch55 · Jul 26, 2014

Gillette was also the first "boomtown" studied to actually try and quantify what happens in a boom period. The "Gillette Syndrome" was coined in reference to that. Since that time it has matured into a wonderful place to live with amenities not seen in towns of a million or so... the rec center is the finest west of the Mississippi, and the Cam-Plex multi events center comprises performing arts centers with good ol western fairs and rodeos. The folks that were in a position of power during the boom had a vision for Gillette and they managed to bring it off. They saw a need for special impact assisstance and got the cash coming until the taxbase was there to support the infrastructure needed to keep up with the rapid population increase. Gillette is often putting on tours of folks who come to see how to do a boom right....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gillette_Syndrome

laatsch55 · Jul 26, 2014

And with willing neighbors ya never know what might happen.....

Web Police · Jul 26, 2014

Web Police said:

Got the ne modem and meh, dsame speeds as the old one. Though no doubt under sustained download or uploads it would perform better. Not sure where comcast digs up these modems though? Probably a defective recycled one or something.

laatsch55 · Jul 26, 2014

My download speed was 13.5KB this morning...

Web Police · Jul 26, 2014

laatsch55 said:

Not good.

Mean while back at the ranch.

laatsch55 · Jul 26, 2014

Timdalf and Biggsie just showed up and they are dragging us out of the house to go see the mud drags...should be fun. Tim's shirt today...

Rex Everything · Jul 26, 2014

Web Police said:

Did you get a DOCSIS2 or DOCSIS3 Webby? I know that I pay for top speed but the DOCSIS2 modem the cable company hands out will not deliver it. Part of their scam. The solve for this problem, buy your own DOCSIS3 modem and not have their inferior equipment.

Any chance this is your problem?

Web Police · Jul 26, 2014

Sounds like fun to me. :rabbit:

Web Police · Jul 26, 2014

Rex Everything said:

Yeah I have a docsis3 modem and I am paying for 12 down and 3 up so I can't really complain. If the modem wasn't free I'd buy one of my own.

I am pretty sure they give yo uthe bottom of the barrel modems though. as long as it maintains a steady connection I don't care about speed too much.

Gepetto · Jul 26, 2014

Web Police said:

Pretty standard for DOCSIS3.0 when limited by your cable provider. That is what Comcast provides unless you pay more. 30 down, 6 up.

Web Police · Jul 26, 2014

Gepetto said:

Here the next faster option with CC is 50mbs and that would run $75 a month, I pay $40 a month, but the services has crept up to 25mbs from the 12mbs when I first subscribed. So I am getting what I pay for. CC charges a montly rate for modems, but since I subscribed with Earthlink 10 years ago and they provided free modems, so Comcast is honoring that part for the time being. I think Comcast customers pay $2 per month for the modem, but I don't have any extra charges for mine.

Gepetto · Jul 26, 2014

Web Police said:

Here the next faster option with CC is 50mbs and that would run $75 a month, I pay $40 a month, but the services has crept up to 25mbs from the 12mbs when I first subscribed. So I am getting what I pay for. CC charges a montly rate for modems, but since I subscribed with Earthlink 10 years ago and they provided free modems, so Comcast is honoring that part for the time being. I think Comcast customers pay $2 per month for the modem, but I don't have any extra charges for mine.

Purchased my modem online so no modem charge from Comcast.

Web Police · Jul 26, 2014

Gepetto said:

Yep, that was the point to ponder, pay $50 to $100 for a modem, pay Comcast $4 a month, I just checked, or just use the free modem. I decided to use the free modem.

If they were going to charge me monthly rental, then I would buy one.

Gepetto · Jul 26, 2014

Web Police said:

What make and model do they give you?

Lazarus Short · Jul 26, 2014

Web Police said:

Is your signal coming in via DSL? I know how to speed that up, with no one the wiser but you.

Cat Got Your Tongues????

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