CerPro Energy Services

Well-equipped manpower┬áCerPro Energy Services provides value for its clients by investing in its workforce and an ever-growing equipment fleet, Jaclyn Beck reports.  Four years ago, when oil prices began climbing toward $100 a barrel and exploration and drilling companies were pursuing the oil and gas boom that had started in Alberta, industry veteran Peter Pleskie saw an opportunity. With a handful of industry colleagues, Pleskie established CerPro Energy Services, an oilfield and industrial construction company, on basic but essential business values. ÔÇ£We shared the common goal of being quality tradesmen and providing the kind of quality work that creates value for our clients. We never say no,ÔÇØ says Pleskie. ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs simple, really. If one of my clients has a 50-well drilling program and we can do that kind of work for under their budget and leave them a little jingle in their pockets, then maybe theyÔÇÖll drill ten more wells.ÔÇØ Now president of the company, Pleskie built CerPro on the foundations of quality, a readiness to diversify, and a commitment to its own employees to become a steadily growing force in the energy services industry. Recognized by its clients for the value in its services, the company fabricates, engineers, installs and maintains a range of oilfield and industrial facilities, structures and pipelines, and can also manage and supervise oilfield operations. Pleskie says that what brings the company success is maintaining the safety and skill of its workforce and bringing in high-quality new equipment in order to provide value for its clients. ÔÇ£You create a company discipline that in turn creates value,ÔÇØ he explains. ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖve spent three years building a client base by providing reliable value, and weÔÇÖve been rewarded with steady work. IÔÇÖm more than willing to make the investment in my people and my equipment to maintain a higher level of quality. That investment comes back in loyalty.ÔÇØ Headquartered in Medicine Hat, Alberta, the company now employs about 300 people. On any given day, CerProÔÇÖs staff is working close to 15 sites in Alberta and Saskatchewan, and the company claims an exceptional employee retention rate in an industry that has long suffered from the lack of a skilled labor pool. The energy services industry is infamous for having zero unemployment and transient entry-level workers, but Pleskie says he knows how to keep hold of them. ÔÇ£I try to pay them more than the industry standard,ÔÇØ he says, ÔÇ£and I find that theyÔÇÖll give it back with their skills and service in the long run.ÔÇØ CerPro pays for mandatory training for all new employees, emphasizing safety (for which the company has won a number of industry awards) and shaping it to allow opportunities for advancement within the company. Pleskie says it makes for a more organic, qualified workforce, because employees are not only better trained but more motivated. ÔÇ£You wouldnÔÇÖt believe the satisfaction a person shows when theyÔÇÖre being paid to learn,ÔÇØ he says. ÔÇ£We donÔÇÖt compromise on safety or technical training, which results in less turnover in our workforce. I think of it as a small price to pay to get somebody to stay with you after youÔÇÖve trained them properly.ÔÇØ CerPro owns a modern, well-maintained equipment fleet of more than 300 units, including wheel and chain trenchers, backhoes, dozers and graders, highway tractor/trailer units to move equipment, and excavators. Pleskie believes that having more equipment is an incentive to find more work, and thatÔÇÖs one reason why the company is constantly purchasing new equipment. ÔÇ£I buy new because IÔÇÖm in it for the long haul,ÔÇØ says Pleskie. ÔÇ£ThereÔÇÖs less money down, and the debt is extended over a longer period of time and keeps up my cash flow.ÔÇØ In addition to keeping long-term costs down, a large fleet sits well with the cyclical nature of the industry. Oil and gas clients can have difficulty anticipating the ups and downs of the sector, so Pleskie makes certain thereÔÇÖs enough new equipment on order at all times in case of a sudden increase in business. It can always trade in some older equipment, if the market declines.CerPro has more than doubled its revenue annually and is exploring opportunities to expand service for its clients. To take its business to the next level, CerPro is building a new 35,000-square-foot facility on 40 acres of industrial land for shops, stores and office space. When completed, the facility will be used as a head office to merge the four smaller locations that currently exist. ÔÇ£Once we set up this new facility, weÔÇÖll be able to branch out in any direction we want, since we have the property we need,ÔÇØ says Pleskie.The company is potentially looking to diversify into manufacturing, civil infrastructure, and the market for oil sands fabrication: all good areas for the company, since there is a lot of crossover with the skills and equipment that CerPro already possesses. Pleskie says this complements the companyÔÇÖs people and equipment well. ÔÇ£It creates opportunities for them to learn and gain new experience, and in turn expand their skills and our market share in different sectors of the industry. Sharing your bottom line with results-based compensation for your employees can be very profitable.ÔÇØ With the facility near completion, CerPro is well set up for future growth. It expects 30 percent growth yearly once it is finished, and Pleskie believes it will give the company the opportunity to further diversify its business, take on more work, and increase its geographical footprint. ÔÇ£The efficiency of this allows us to focus on our goals and grow into the solid corporation of our dreams.ÔÇØ ┬á