Culture of engagement. Performance with a sense of purpose. Solutions driven approaches. A focus on its craftsmen. Servant leadership.
These form the foundation of a dynamic, growing, customer-centered company doing it right and safe. Welcome to Apache Industrial Services.
Apache Industrial Services has quietly built a reputation of doing what it promises, when it promises, exactly how it promises. Its story has been one of determined success, job by job. Its safety record continues to be among the best in the industry, while its man-hours grow exponentially. Yet, with all its accomplishments, the best is still ahead for the company with an obsession for doing it right — inside and outside the organization.
At the heart of Apache’s success lies its unwavering commitment to its craftsmen. Its craftsmen define the company and drive not only its performance and safety but culture. From its inception, the company made a decision it would be forever defined and differentiated by the craftsmen who exhibit Apache Pride daily. The leadership’s belief in people and their very visible demonstration of their commitment through the company’s purposeful culture, personal safety initiatives, investment in world-class training facilities as well as through forward thinking human capital practices has allowed the company to deliver on its promises to its people and its customers. In many ways, the commitment to invest and reinvest in its people is the hallmark of Apache. As CEO Mike Knigin leads within virtually every presentation, “The assets of Apache walk in and out the door every day. They are not attached to the shop floor. It is for our craftsmen that we are committed to doing it right. It is what keeps us all engaged, safe and performing at the highest levels in the industry.”
Leading from the front
Apache’s work ethic and ethos are defined and exhibited by its leaders, regardless of where they operate. Apache is and always will be a service business and thus, “success is 100 percent about our people, our craftsmen.” It is common for the company’s leaders to be on a jobsite working and interfacing with not only the customer but their employees to ensure they are part of the solution. And, the leaders are there not when it is convenient for them but necessary for the job to get done right, even on weekends.
But, to the leaders, it also means establishing a work environment where craftsmen are comfortable to learn and grow and refine their trade. Knigin continued, “It is our strong belief that if we create a place where craftsmen want to be — if we are the employer of choice in the marketplace — the rest will take care of itself. To do this, people need to be able to make a difference — to feel, and be, part of something. They cannot be marginalized or made to feel like a number.”
The company employs men and women of character who have an interest in making a positive impact. They are searching for people who do not want to simply be compliant, rather committed to the Apache way of working and interacting. The Apache craftsmen are each empowered to take ownership of their actions and to be leaders in whatever task they are asked to complete.
“In order to solve problems for our customers, we have to see the world through the eyes of our craftsmen, in the trenches, in the field, in the line of fire,” added Scott Thibodeaux, president of Apache Industrial Services. “We are all about empowering our people — our craftsmen — to take ownership, to be owners of their actions and to be leaders in the execution of the task at hand — performance with a sense of purpose.”
And, that is why Apache invested in the construction of the largest, most advanced, totally dedicated Craft Training Center in the United States.
The training center is a vital part of the company’s mission to be regarded as the leader in providing qualification, training and retention of its people. In addition to traditional classroom style learning, written evaluations and training, Apache is able to perform pre-job field performance assessments and training at the facility for all crafts, including scaffolding and insulation. This means the Apache worker has the technical skills, safety background and practice necessary before he or she ever steps out onto a jobsite. Apache will know the craftsman on the job is the right craftsman for the right job. There will be no ambiguity about the level of expertise and skillset of the craftsman.
Additionally, Apache administers comprehensive safety and skills training at the facility on a regular and scheduled basis. They will continue to collaborate with a number of technical organizations at the training center, including NCCER, NACE, SIA, OSHA, HASC and others. More than certifications, extra learning and skill refinement, the training center provides the link for the employee to become infused into the culture and to become immersed in “Apache Pride.
The largest of its kind
As craftsmen walk outside of the training complex, they experience what many believe is the first of its kind and largest shop facility in the hemisphere, if not the world. As the leadership drives across the complex, they explain the size is not the story; rather the commitment to doing it right is why they have created this facility.
Apache’s groundbreaking Houston Operations Center is on its 125-acre campus and features:
- 28 independent climate-controlled work spaces.
- Blast booth, roto-blast machine and exterior blast area.
- Two paint booths with state-of-the-art air handling systems.
- Over 60 acres of laydown and equipment storage.
- Significant investment in material handling equipment.
- Each of the 28 production bays is 150 feet by 80 feet.
On this campus sits the largest shop coating, fireproofing and thermal spray aluminum capability in the Gulf Coast. Customers send Apache over 3,000 truckloads of equipment, piping, structure, plate, vessels, handrails, etc. on an annual basis — over 60,000 tons of steel and millions of square feet of surface area. Doing so allows for reduced costs for customers due to shop application costs generally being 20-30 percent of field applied costs. Work that takes place in the shop also eliminates disruptions of other crafts and scheduling issues that typically occur on the jobsite.
“This facility’s wide range of amenities and accommodations allows us to deliver an uncommon level of service for our customers,” said David Bretherton, COO, Apache Industrial Services. And with 300,000 square feet of production warehouse space with room for expansion, customers can be confident Apache will be able to deliver when it needs to most.
A proven track record
While the individual craftsmen are the backbone of the operation and ambassadors to the Apache Industrial Services brand, they are supported by an infrastructure, a network and a host of resources that allow them to get the job done right.
Service line by service line, Apache is recognized for its work. In the scaffolding division, all equipment is less than six years old with an average service time of two years. The sheer scale of the scaffolding inventory has allowed Apache to offer some of the best material availability in the industry.
As the largest intumescent epoxy applicator in this hemisphere, Apache has made a name for itself as one of the largest passive fire protection applicators in the United States.
Whether the job entails refractory work or insulation, metallizing or safety management, Apache has the expertise and track record. And, it has a demonstrated commitment to doing it the right way: the Apache way.
The numbers that matter
Some may ask why does the company go to such extremes for its people. The answer is in the work — specifically the safe completion of work, task by task. Safety has been, and will always be, core to how Apache does business.
“All companies want their people to stay safe on a jobsite, and they get very good at talking about the importance of safety,” said Tysen Lutz, Apache’s chief safety officer. “But when you dig a little deeper, you find that the safety message may not reach to the individual level — the worker in the field who is putting up scaffolding, painting a structure or swinging a hammer. Apache makes it a point to connect our safety message and culture to each and every employee, regardless of their role or part in a project.”
While Apache’s man-hours increased year over year, the safety statistics remain extremely low. In fact, Apache’s total man-hours during the past five years have exceeded 24 million with an average TRIR below 0.15. This is but one result of a committed culture of safety, but the work is never finished. Apache’s incident target is zero and the company continues to make great strides, year after year, toward this ambitious but attainable goal.
Added Knigin, “Safety is a performance indicator; it’s a cultural indicator. If our safety performance is strong, it means our message and our commitment to our people is connecting directly with our craftsmen; it means we are operating with Apache Pride.”
Apache employees are empowered to work safely on every task, every time and there is an expectation every Apache takes pride in his or her work. In fact, Apaches are trained that it is their “signature” that goes in each job, so every employee must own his or her work and be prepared to defend the quality of his or her efforts.
Craftsmen are required to “make it personal” with regard to safe work practices and participate in creating a Personal Safety Plan that is carried with the employee at all times. The Personal Safety Plan serves as a constant reminder to always keep safety at the top of mind and to motivate employees to look out for fellow employees’ safety. It also serves as a reminder that not only does their safety matter to customers and co-workers, it matters to the families who rely on them to come home safely each and every night.
Finally, doing it right also means being recognized as an “A” rated contractor with ISNetworld, Browz, PICS and other related industry organizations. The company’s peers consistently recognize this commitment to safety, and its customers have come to rely on the Apache Way of delivering safe and quality work.
Growing with purpose
At Apache, culture is never taken for granted. It is purposeful, and it is fiercely protected. Even as the company grows its services and footprint, it works in defined ways to ensure its culture and way of working never change.
Apache remains committed to expanding its capabilities and footprint with like-minded companies that are committed to Apache’s values and commitment to safety. Case in point: In 2017, Apache was acquired by Quantum Capital and simultaneously merged with Skyway Canada, a Quantum portfolio company, that provides scaffolding and shoring solutions to the Canadian market.
Skyway shares a similar commitment to supporting its craftsmen and to the quality of its work product.
Apache’s leadership team will continue to lead and grow the newly formed organization, which will have circa $500 million in revenues and more than 4,000 skilled craftsmen. “We are very excited to expand our offerings and commitment to excellence with Skyway Canada, in our shared pursuit of building the kind of company that our craftsmen, customers and shareholders can all be proud of,” said Knigin. “Apache pride is something our customers feel and see every day when they work with Apache. We believe this ethos is a direct value driver for our customers.”
Part of building a culture of performance entails protecting what works and doing everything possible to preserve the integrity of what has been built prior to adding new ways of thinking and doing. Apache will continue to build on its growing reputation in the areas it serves but will do so strategically and with purpose.
Through its work and record of safety, Apache continues to make a statement. But it is the actions of Apache’s craftsmen that speak the loudest and most clearly define and differentiate a company doing it right.
For more information on Apache Industrial Services, call Mike Knigin or Scott Thibodeaux at (713) 450-9307 or visit www.apacheip.com.
