Project-specific training helps Salamis Services Inc. - a Louisiana-based oil and gas services firm - deliver quality work.

Employee turnover is high in the oil industry, but Salamis Services Inc. has found a way to not be a part of this trend. Understanding that providing a high level of service to customers will lead to increased market share and long-term relationships, Salamis Services says it is dedicated to providing its employees with extensive training. An added bonus is that people tend to stick with the company longer than the industry average.

"We do a lot of project-specific training - this is important to us," explains John Day, business development manager. "We take in crews for specific projects and invest in training that is focused to the needs of each project. This might include training on product application or training with the manufacturers' products at their facilities. We also give employees certification for particular products - we are the only company of our kind to do this.

"The personnel investment that Salamis makes in its people is a great thing," he adds. "We do this because we want our craftsman to get better and excel in all they do and we want to provide the best service to our customers."

Based in Lafayette, La., Salamis Services was formed in 1984 to provide the oil and gas industry in the Gulf of Mexico with maintenance sandblasting and painting services. Its capabilities include surface preparation, coating material application, rigging and cradle access systems, lead abatement programs, concurrent production, tank and vessel cleaning, and rope access and abseiling. The company also assists its clients with site surveys, workscope planning, budget preparation, project productivity analysis and reporting, procurement and logistics, and technical support.

"Traditionally, our focus has been on offshore painting for customers like Shell, Chevron and BP," Day says. "We have worked for all of those customers for at least 18 years - we work directly for those companies, not as a sub. Additionally, we are a preferred vendor for Shell and Chevron. "Our capabilities are diverse, but we also excel because of our use of technology," he adds. "We use technology that no other company is using in the U.S. This allows us to provide surface preparation and we have people that are certified to use a variety of special equipment. This definitely sets us apart and puts us ahead of the rest."

With a focus on greater diversification, however, Salamis Services created a new division in early 2006 to serve its U.S. customers, Day notes. The company's new land services division will offer bundled services such as scaffolding, painting and installation and cryogenic perlite insulation for liquefied natural gas terminals and material supply.

"Diversification is very important to us, which is why we created this new division," Day says. "This division was created strictly through internal growth. One of our largest projects in the United States for 2006 is on a ground storage tank in St. James, La., for Plains All American Pipeline. This division will help us with this project and will allow us to expand our customer base and provide overall growth for the company."