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Chet Morrison Contractors has a wide range of services, from marine construction and abandonment of oil and gas infrastructure to fabrication and installation of heavy structures – both onshore and offshore.
But while the projects may change, one thing does not – the business’s commitment to its employees and clients.
Open since 1983, the family business continues to thrive, even while the oil and gas industry evolves and fluctuates daily.
With its corporate office at 9 Bayou Dularge Road, the business continues to treat people right – a business staple, dating back to the first day the company opened its doors.
“We believe in doing the right things for the right reasons,” said Kelly Morrison Reeves, the vice president of marketing within the company. “And that goes for how we treat our employees and our clients. Our vendors have also been instrumental in our successes as we see them as necessary partners in delivering seamless execution.”
Lately, things have been busy for the local business, including a couple big-time projects the company was able to complete without a hitch.
In March, Chet Morrison Contractors completed work on a new biochemical processing plant in Raceland, which will allow sugarcane bagasse (waste) to be converted into industrial sugars and biofuels.
The company provided a wide range of civil and mechanical support services including fabrication, coating and the installation of mechanical piping, pipe racks, ducts and flutes, supports and equipment platforms over eight months to see the project to completion.
Chet Morrison Contractors also performed pile driving, modifications, hydro testing, commissioning and civil work for the job, which was completed on-time, on-budget and without any incidents.
The project is big for the local economy at a time when the area is in need of an economic boost.
It is supported by the state economic development agency (LED), who provided incentives, including a performance-based $1 million Economic Development Award Program grant to offset infrastructure costs.
It’s estimated that the project will create 81 new direct and 469 indirect jobs for the area.
Nicole Coffee, the commissioning and startup manager at Stora Enso’s Virdia B2X Biomaterials Site, said Chet Morrison’s flexibility and versatility made them able to get a difficult job done – all without a hitch.
“(They) were wonderful to work with this last week,” Coffee said in March. “They faced several challenges throughout, mainly a tight congested area with multiple groups trying to get work accomplished, but were friendly and agile enough that they figured out how to stay on track, and actually finish ahead of schedule. They complied with our rules and did not complain. They kept the work tidy and clean.
“I would welcome any of the guys back to the site in a heartbeat.”
Derick Bourg, a general fabrication manager with Chet Morrison Contractors, said the client needed versatility and a little outside of the box thinking to see the project to completion.
He added that Chet Morrison Contractors took pride in meeting those needs and getting the job done.
“Based on ongoing activities, (the client) needed a contractor who could come in and get creative to meet deliverable targets,” Bourg said. “As the project progressed and the scope expanded, we were able to assist them in meeting schedule recovery efforts.”
In addition to the work in Raceland, Chet Morrison Contractors also touts recent success in helping to complete the first-ever aerial pipeline abandonment and dismantlement in the country, meeting stringent regulatory and safety requirements along the way.
The project took a lot of strategic planning by Chet Morrison Contractors and also Shell Pipeline, which owned the pipeline.
But in the end, the company was able to safely remove and dismantle a 22-inch aerial pipeline over fast-moving water, despite challenges from Mother Nature, and also the land area surrounding the project.
Project manager Victor Rodrigue said early planning and teamwork with Shell helped make everything go off without a hitch.
“This project really illustrates how working with us early in the planning stages can pay dividends,” Rodrigue said. “In this case, our early involvement led to better safety, efficiency and ultimately, a successful result.”
Teamwork, planning and a vision for success.
That’s the Chet Morrison way.
Those staples are what will allow the company to continue to thrive into the future – as it has for more than three decades strong.
“Our long-term sustainability in an ever-changing market can be attributed to the vision of our leaders, implementation of well thought out plans and refinement of our processes,” Morrison Reeves said. “We rely on the talent competence and dedication of our employees who make our company a network of innovation.” •
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