Approaching their 10th anniversary, safety is more important than ever to Copperhead Pipeline and Construction
In 2004, Luke Rawlings and Mickey Clark formed Copperhead Pipeline and Construction and since its establishment, the company has accomplished projects such as pipeline construction, pipeline repairs, pipeline coatings, fabrication, pressure testing and casings. The company started in Oklahoma and due to it’s continual success, the company now has offices in Texas, Oklahoma and Mississippi.
Copperhead Pipeline and Construction is a company whose primary focus is on safety excellence, quality performance and timely service. The company produces a quality product and service by employing a management team of highly experienced project managers, superintendents and laborers. Because the team members have spent their lives in the Oil and Gas industries, Copperhead Pipeline is able to deliver their quality product within budget and on time. The company understands that there is always room for improvement and is constantly striving to improve its daily capabilities to expand its customer base. The company employs its core values to meet the expectations of the customer and Luke Rawlings, president, expresses the importance of safety and explains what a key factor it is to the company success as Copperhead Pipeline and Construction approaches its tenth year anniversary.
The importance of safety
The pipeline industry can be a very dangerous one and employers have to take care in ensuring that their work site, equipment and employees are all properly prepared for what the projects entail. What makes Copperhead Pipeline stand apart from the competitors is one of its core values to “Never do a job if it cannot be done safely”. Rawlings believes that safety defines the company and he stresses the importance of a safe workplace environment and is committed to providing the employees, clients and the public to a safe place to live and work. Employees are required to obtain safety certifications as necessary and are encouraged to stop a job if it puts anyone in an unsafe position. Rawlings states, “the more production you try to push, the more likely you are to have the risk of getting someone hurt or killed. When we bid to projects we take that into account”. Rawlings stays involved throughout the production of each project to be sure the safety procedures and operational expectations are up to par from start to finish.
In addition to doing OSHA testing, First Aid and CPR certifications, the company has obtained two Master Trainers with NCCER and Veriforce, maintains programs with ISNetworld and has two clock spring installation trainers to keep up their impressive safety track record. As an additional effort to promote safety, the company spends around seven million dollars every year on equipment upgrades to ensure the employees are working with equipment that is top notch and will not put the work environment in any danger.
Operations and values
Copperhead Pipeline works hard to keep every project within the budget and on time. This integrity and dedication to the customer has led Copperhead Pipeline to build strong relationships with their clients and sub-contractors that the company works with. This leaves clients happy and returning to Copperhead Pipeline for future projects again and again. The company vision is to “build a solid company that is supported through quality employees, sound business ethics, and a focus on safety.” It prides itself on its uncompromised integrity and level of service.
Rawlings explains that Copperhead Pipeline has a subsidy sister company that works in the refinery and plant division. To ensure that operations run smoothly, the company carries the “U”, “S” and “R” code stamps. This permits the company to take action for any repair, modification and fabrication that may be required to do its job in keeping the production on schedule and within the approved budget. This integrity and use of safety operations contributes to attaining overall success in the business and assists the company to be the leader in the pipeline construction industry.
