Any oil and gas companies or construction contractors interested in having better control of construction costs on their projects? I have spent over 22 years in the third-party position, 17 years of which were in the roles of Construction Manager and Chief Inspector. I have personally witnessed budget leaks and money pits where both the company and contractor were losing or spending money in areas of the project that could have been rectified either before the RFP/Bid proposal phase or during construction activities. I do not have formal certification in PMP, P.E., or construction management ..read more

Typically, I stay away from politics when posting on LinkedIn. My post yesterday about Colonial Pipeline was half sarcasm and have serious. I'm irritated at the fact the oil and gas industry is losing jobs over political agendas and then seeing the culprit responsible for the loss of jobs "circle back" and say all he has done to ensure the Colonial Pipeline incident doesn't impact our fuel supplies. Yet his actions are already impacting the country's fuel supplies. He is talking out of both sides of his mouth. Double standard. And, to top things off, I did not earn enough money in my base peri ..read more

I'm confused Presidents Biden and Harris, why such urgency and concern over anyone hacking OIL pipelines and facilities? Why don't you just close all the valves, shut down all the facilities, and send all the oil we have to China and let's use alternative fuel sources such as solar and wind farms. I'm not understanding why everyone is in such an uproar over this. We don't need oil or gas. We have solar and wind farms now. Let them hack all the pipelines we do not need them anymore. Right, Presidents Biden and Harris?  ..read more

I'm still seeing inspection firms looking for an inspector who is local to the project. I also observed that none of them will mention why they are seeking local candidates and I am curious to know why they don't. Be a transparent company and tell us why you are needing local inspectors and stop playing your "smoking mirrors" games with your seeking inspector advertisements. - My next point, oil and gas companies, and inspection firms, if you are so dead set on hiring local candidates, why are you not working with each State Workforce Agency and compiling a list of "local" construction managem ..read more

The oil and gas industry appears to be creeping along in low gear at best. I hear a lot of "maybes" for new projects being thrown about but none have come to fruition. There's something about this downturn unlike any other that we have had in the industry. Of course, that is one person's opinion. It feels to me that the oil and gas companies are fairly quiet and not making much of a "ruckus" regarding the hits the industry has taken so far from the current administration. Some states are fighting, but I'm not seeing many companies stepping up in support of changes to be made. Could it be these ..read more

With some research on renewable energy (wind and solar), it appears the construction manager roles contract-to-hire positions are offering $90K to $140K/year. Wanting individuals with construction management, civil engineering, electrical engineering, or related area or equivalent experience, and 5 - 10 years of experience in wind, solar, or utility. So, if you have a good background in electrical with some experience in leadership roles you might have a chance at one of these types of positions. Guys like me with little to no experience in electrical, solar, wind, or utility are pretty much s ..read more

So, I'm going to touch on this renewable energy topic to which I am hearing there will be a big demand for construction workers of all classifications. Has any of these renewable energy companies given any thought to who is going to oversee the construction of these projects? Will you use third-party services and if so when do you plan to compile a team and bring them in for training? I'm certain you will want your company policies, procedures, and specifications followed by the contractors performing the work. How much is it worth to you to get your oversight team together, committed, trained ..read more

Well, I am still shaking trees, sending emails, making calls, pounding the internet websites, and brainstorming ideas to get a paycheck coming back in since I completed my last project on 3/28/21. I'm not going to lie to you, it's frustrating as hell and can create doubts. I answered a post a few minutes ago where someone was asking what keeps those of us motivated to keep looking for projects? I couldn't really pinpoint one or two things. In reality, it is a culmination of many things I think. All I know is I have to stay on point and keep searching and thinking of ways to land a project. Goo ..read more

I'm learning with each passing week that there are many oil and gas companies seeking dual certification candidates only for many types of projects that are getting underway. In many cases, this is all they are looking for to oversee their projects emphasizing that other disciplines of construction are not as important and so will "roll the dice" on the integrity of the product being produced. I've seen this time and time again when there is some sort of correction in the industry. Companies continue down this path gambling possible impacts of sorts to their bottom line with possible catastrop ..read more

Like many of you, I am still looking for work. And when that call comes in, I will take my knowledge, experience, and integrity and join the team with my best intentions. If I end up revealing the Client's shortcomings in their RFP/RFQ, specifications, policies, and procedures and it costs them time and money then I suspect they will find a reason to let me go as has a few others in the past has done. When frustration creeps into my thoughts I ultimately revert back to my principles knowing I cannot waiver from what is right even if I need the job to pay bills and provide for my family. Client ..read more