As president of The JV Driver Group, Roger Gossett expects every employee to think differently, strive for continuous improvement and be innovative. BIC Magazine recently visited with Gossett to learn more about how the company is growing its single-source model to drive paradigm shifting solutions for the industry.
Q: What led to your position at The JV Driver Group?
A: I am very excited about our markets expansion in the U.S. and Canada. I knew based on the upcoming market dynamics it would take an incredibly agile company to meet our customers’ needs and to thrive. JV Driver is that company. Our Chairman Bill Elkington is the most talented leader I have met in my career. Whatever the magnitude of the opportunity, I only have to sit with Mr. Elkington to get a decision; he is that quick on the uptake. Mr. Elkington has built a team of innovative and entrepreneurial-like thinkers.
Q: What is the biggest news in your company right now?
A: Our use of technology. We are taking cutting-edge ideas like radio-frequency identification, virtual reality immersion and other cutting-edge ideas from other industries to bring higher levels of safety and efficiency to our industry. This technology recently helped us win numerous projects, from a billion-dollar (JV Driver’s part) oil sands project in Alberta, to a 10-year lump sum corrosion control contract in Texas and Louisiana. This speaks to our complete project capabilities.
Q: Are you looking to grow in new markets or expand in current ones?
A: JV Driver’s services are as diverse as they are extensive, and its industrial experience spans several industries and regions. We’re currently working in the U.S., Canada, South America and the Caribbean. What we’re interested in doing is building our density, depth and bandwidth in those areas. Whether it’s oil and gas, power, manufacturing, pulp and paper or the pipeline industry, JV Driver has a presence in these areas, and we continue to build our work capacity.
Q: Do you have any plans to grow/expand your business through acquisitions?
A: Absolutely. We’re constantly looking for small- to medium-sized acquisitions that help us expand on our single-source offering. We start early from planning and scheduling to fabrication and field implementation all the way to commissioning and maintenance — true start-to-finish service. Anything that fits in this model interests JV Driver, and we will continue to work on acquisitions. Last year, JV Driver purchased Total Industrial Services Inc., a full-service specialty mechanical contractor with off-site fabrication facilities and on-site services that meet the industry’s growing equipment maintenance, turnaround and project needs.
Q: How do you plan to address changes in the work force and economy in the coming year?
A: One way we have addressed the work force issue is through superior logistics (i.e., where certain work is done). We recently expanded our state-of-the-art fabrication facility in Phoenix, Arizona, to more than 100,000 square feet of fabrication space that includes both pressure pipe and structural fabrication, as well as 31 acres for modular assembly. We have a significant advantage there in Phoenix without the worker competition compared to Houston, and that’s just going to grow. This strategy will take the need for 1,500 workers off of the Gulf Coast area and not put any further stress on this labor market.
For more information, visit www.jvdriverusa.com or call (713) 338-2469.
