Tarpon Energy Services, Ltd.

Driving new opportunities┬áTarpon Energy Services has grown rapidly during its five-plus years in business, evidence of the strong demand for its electrical products and services and its related expertise. With its six-year anniversary on the horizon, Tarpon is eyeing growth in the US and other markets. Even with oil prices well off their historic highs of a year ago, energy companies remain active in the exploration and production of both alternative and traditional sources of fuel for power.  Since it was incorporated in 2003, Tarpon has become one of CanadaÔÇÖs leading energy services companies, growing to 900 employees working from 25 field locations across Western Canada and with three manufacturing facilities and corporate headquarters in Calgary. Tarpon serves a range of energy companies, providing customized product and service offerings for their field operations. As it has grown, Tarpon has developed four distinct business lines: electrical & controls, power & leasing, process systems, and structures.The electric & controls unit handles planning, engineering and design, maintenance and procurement of instrumentation and systems and support services such as modular construction and well site tie-ins. The power & leasing unit deals primarily in diesel-powered generators as well as production and installation of water and wastewater treatment systems. The process unit, created through the acquisition of Orban Industries, deals in oil and gas production equipment, working with customers to create proprietary processes and systems while handling everything from planning and drafting to production and manufacturing, as well as training and after-sales support. TarponÔÇÖs structures unit custom-manufactures pre-engineered and modular buildings, including those that house the equipment and systems from its other divisions. In fact, Tarpon often leverages the expertise of its units as well as the sheer size of its company on behalf of clients. For instance, in order to bring an oil and waste treatment facility in LaGlace, Alberta, on line, the electric & controls division reached out to a dozen Tarpon branch units to bring enough manpower to bear on the job to meet the deadline for delivery.┬á Although several divisions may be involved in any project, Tarpon utilizes what it calls a ÔÇ£one team, one point of contactÔÇØ approach as a way of being assured that projects are properly managed and executed. Tarpon enjoys relationships with some of the worldÔÇÖs top energy companies. Recently, the firm won a contract to supply three E-houses for the Canadian division of BP, partnering with Rockwell Automation to supply infrastructure for the Noel Major project in northeastern British Columbia, a project hailed as one of the greenest and most environmentally friendly gas developments. Tarpon designed and built the skids and structures themselves, and it helped coordinate delivery of them to meet restrictions on when roads in the remote region can be used during the year.Other recent projects include an $80 million contract to support the Suncor Voyageur Upgrader project near Fort McMurray, Alberta, a project that includes a dozen electrical substations and ten remote instrument buildings. Work began in fall 2008 on that project, which at the time was the largest single deal in the companyÔÇÖs history, one that would involve three Tarpon divisions. As that work began, Tarpon announced it was wrapping a multi-discipline project for Petro-Canada that involved interconnecting some 12 vendor packages and handling all site services for a compression station near Medicine Hat, also in Alberta.Growth has come through acquisitions in several instances. Most recently, in early 2008, Tarpon expanded its presence in Saskatchewan by acquiring Velocity Controls Ltd., which became the companyÔÇÖs second location in the province. The new location is in Swift Current, a growing city not far from the oil and gas fields, which helped fill in a geographic gap in the firmÔÇÖs electric and controls presence in the region.┬á┬á┬á Tarpon opened its first branch office in the United States in April 2008, setting up shop in Westminster, Colorado, not far from Denver. Shortly afterward, Tarpon won a contract to supply electrical and instrumentation construction service for a sour water stripper upgrade at a refinery in Cheyenne, Wyoming, operated by Frontier Inc. Tarpon said it was also exploring work in several other US states, including Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Rhode Island.The company believes the Rocky Mountain region of the US provides a host of opportunities, with energy companies setting up operations similar to those that Tarpon has been working on in Canada since its inception. The energy-rich region is expected to be the focus of significant upgrades in infrastructure and additional energy exploration and production as the US seeks to reduce its dependence on foreign energy supply. Tarpon has caught the eye of industry groups and others as it has grown over the past six years. It has twice now appeared on the list of 50 Best Managed Companies in Canada that the National Post produces annually. The award is based on a companyÔÇÖs commitment to its core values and vision and its ability to drive stakeholder value and excel in the national and global economies. In 2008, it also reached number two among companies with over $20 million in revenue on the Fast 50 list, a compilation of the fastest-growing companies in Alberta assembled by Alberta Venture magazine.The company attributes its success to its strong culture and adherence to core values, the skill and dedication of its workforce, a deep belief in and support for safety and training, strong leadership, and a proven track record of developing and executing winning business strategies. The companyÔÇÖs mission statement addresses customer service with two words: exceed expectations. Tarpon expects to have a role in the trend toward more green and renewable energy sourcesÔÇömany of its traditional energy clients also engage in the generation of power through solar, wind and hydroelectricity, and it has begun to implement its own energy- and environment-saving measures in house as well. ┬á