Ask any Texan involved in construction and they'll agree that the challenges presented in West Texas are among the state's most daunting.

But remote project locations, extreme weather and difficult soil conditions have not stunted the growth of LOC International, an eight-year-old full-service oil and gas construction firm serving the Permian Basin in Texas and neighboring New Mexico, as well as the Haynesville Shale and Eagle Ford Shale plays.

Founded by Jody Covington and Chance David in 2017, the company began with a four-man crew and has grown to a team of approximately 150 employees serving projects across the oilfield. David recalled that the company's launch was modest, answering the needs of a small group of clients.

"We had some clients reach out about projects back in 2017, and it really just snowballed from there," David said. "We didn't set out to build something big. We just wanted to work hard and serve people well."

Eight short years later and LOC has opened a six-acre facility in Midland, featuring an 8,000-sq.-ft. shop to facilitate the company's continued growth.

Culture First

Strategic equipment purchases have been critical to the company's success, David said, but perhaps not as important as the culture that he and the leadership have developed. That culture focuses on teamwork, transparency in communication, safety and — perhaps most importantly — faith.

"We know where every blessing comes from. That's our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," said Dakotah Klein, area director of operations. "There's nothing we take credit for individually. It's never about ‘I' here. It's always about ‘we.'"

According to Klein, one of the core differentiators for LOC is its approach to communication with clients.

"We call it hot communication, honest, open and two-way," he said. "If there's a delay or an issue, we don't wait until a deadline. We communicate as soon as we know. That transparency is what keeps clients coming back."

He added that this level of communication is not always common in the industry.

"We hear it often from new customers. They're surprised by how upfront we are," Klein said. "We're not trying to win one job. We want to earn all of them."

Iron Matters

While LOC has typically rented most of its equipment, the company recently bought four Sunward machines from Underground Supply Solutions to fill a gap in its fleet. The purchase included two SWE215F excavators and two SWTL 4538 compact track loaders. The machines immediately impacted LOC's projects.

"The SWE215F is a great midsize excavator," said Klein. "Not too big, not too small. We can trench up to nine feet deep and handle up to 20-inch poly pipe. We also run thumbs, grubbing attachments and hammers on them."

He noted that Underground supplied all necessary attachments as well.

According to Klein, support from Underground Supply Solutions played a significant role in the decision.

"Mark Leach and his team made the entire process easy," he said. "They provided quick service, handled the logistics and shipped the machines directly to our Midland yard."

Cost factored into the decision as well.

"The pricing was strong, especially compared to other brands we've looked at," Klein said. "For what we needed, it made sense. We got the capability we needed without the heavy markup."

LOC has used the Sunward SWE215F excavators primarily for clearing and trenching in pipeline construction.

"One of our jobs south of Pecos required trenching 6,000 feet at a depth of 5 feet and 36 inches wide. The SWE215F handled it just fine," Klein said.

The SWTL 4538 compact track loaders are used primarily for site prep and material handling.

"We use them to move caliche to build pads and dig holes for concrete pillars," Klein said. "The pallet forks also come in handy for loading and unloading materials on-site. We're using them mostly on foundation builds these days."

Over the past six months, the company has seen a shift in the types of work being performed.

"We didn't change our focus, but the market did," Klein said. "We've gone from mostly facility work to more pipeline projects. The SWE215Fs have been a good fit for that."

Safety

LOC manages its own internal safety program and employs Kenneth Gilbreath as its full-time safety manager.

"Kenneth keeps us compliant with platforms like ISNetworld and helps us stay up to date with customer-specific requirements," Klein said.

Each job site begins with a daily safety meeting led by the superintendent. Crews review and sign off on job safety analysis forms before work begins. In addition, company-wide safety meetings are held every two weeks at the Midland facility.

"Our owner is the same guy who'll help quote a job, wash a truck or troubleshoot a machine," Klein said. "We're all hands-on."

When asked about long-term goals, LOC leadership said the company is not pursuing a specific growth target.

"We don't have a plan to be a hundred-million-dollar company in 10 years," Klein said. "We're not chasing that. If it happens, fine. But we're focused on the job in front of us."

For details, visit locintllc.com.