Dear friends, welcome to our February 2015 edition of BIC Magazine — your Business & Industry Connection. As we enter 2015, please join me in making a resolution to help expand the scope and readership of BIC Magazine beyond the Business & Industry Connection into our Business, Industry & Community Magazine. Just as we have joined forces over the past 31 years to make BIC Magazine the largest and most read multi-industry, multidepartmental magazine in North America, I believe we all agree sharing our message with our communities and those who govern and regulate our industry is more important than ever in the coming years.
Let’s begin this exciting year by thinking about the relationship between our reflections from the past and our resolutions and goals for the future. Perhaps the best way to do this is to imagine driving our personal or company vehicle without rearview mirrors. Let’s face it, our reflections from the past and where we have been along our highway of life are among the guiding beacons for a peaceful, happy and successful journey forward in our spiritual, personal and professional lives.
As I reflect back to my youth, I can remember vividly how much my parents, just like the parents of our young folks today, wanted us to have an easier journey through life than they did, and, of course, for most that meant and still means getting a college education. The simple fact is for many of us and our children and grandchildren, a college education is not a reality. A recent study in Louisiana showed only about 21 percent of those who graduate from high school actually graduate from college and those who do not have rarely considered other options. In the coming years, one of the top priorities in business, industry, government and education is to help students, parents, relatives, teachers, guidance counselors and friends learn more about career opportunities besides college. This is especially important to those of us in the energy, industrial and construction sectors as our industry grows and more of our folks reach retirement age. An important part of our mission in 2015 is to join efforts with the Louisiana Workforce Education Initiative to help be part of this process to increase awareness.
As part of those efforts, we are excited to share with you that this year we have established the BIC Alliance Scholarship Fund, which will sponsor welding students in the Clear Creek Independent School District local to the Houston BIC Alliance office. The school district shared with us they are excited because this fund is the only local scholarship for the noncollegiate education track.
Those of us in business and industry can learn a lot from our recruiters in the armed forces as they have done an excellent job of letting our youth know about training and job opportunities in the service of our country. Our need to reach beyond our industry is not limited to our manpower needs but also to those in our community and our elected officials and regulators to also understand the role energy plays in our economy and the quality of life in America and around the world.
Like many of our marketing partners and readers, one of our primary goals has been to expand our reach not only across but beyond our industry into our community. We have done this by investing in our website BICMagazine.com, our digital and social media, video and TV, events and community outreach, and, most recently, movies.
In addition to adding over 20 videos to our BIC Magazine website and our BIC Media Solutions firm investing in inspirational and family/faith friendly movies in 2014, we also began sponsoring the viewings of inspirational movies like our “A Gift Horse,” patriotic movies like “Lone Survivor” and educational energy-related films like “FrackNation.” We joined forces with the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association and the LSU Center for Energy Studies in Baton Rouge. We also hosted an Industrial Procurement Networking Breakfast in Houston with the Economic Alliance Houston Port Region.
We have also expanded our outreach in the community and in 2014, we participated in providing and serving lunches to shelters and charities as well as other efforts with those organizations, including bedding, diapers and toy drives. We also participated in blood and bone marrow drives for employees’ family members and also for industry.
As we plan a meaningful 2015 here at BIC Alliance, we are excited about the opportunities for more participation and contributions of this type. We hope you will join us in doing the same with your team. As with each year, I want to encourage you to keep a journal of your thoughts, goals and accomplishments. Just the simple act of writing your goals down increases your chances of achieving them by 25 percent.
In this issue of BIC Magazine, we are proud to offer comments from Thure Cannon, president of the Texas Pipeline Association; Willie Tempton Jr., general manager of the Phillips 66 Sweeny Refinery; George Baker, executive director of Producers for American Crude Oil Exports (PACE); Jay Nyberg, vice president of sales for ENVENT Corp.; and Bob Pragada, president and CEO of The Brock Group.
We also feature topics to keep you informed in the new year with the latest on the manufacturing renaissance, unconventional feedstocks, ISIS and black market oil, the Jones Act and more.
I want to once again thank our staff, marketing partners and readers for making 2014 a year of great peace, happiness and success for our family and our company. We promise to do everything in our power to bring greater peace, happiness and success to each of you. As we reflect, let us ask ourselves, “How can I make a difference in 2015?” and “What could I do better to unify rather than divide?” Let us all join forces to help create greater harmony in our family, our company, our industry, our community and our country. Let us also remember it is easy to live when we are on easy street, but let us remember those of us who are blessed can use our blessings to make life a little easier and enjoyable for others.
Thanks again for your kindness and support, and let’s make 2015 a year of unison among family, business, industry and community!
