Danos & Curole Marine Contractors – a labor contractor for the oil and gas industries – says each of its divisions has earned a reputation for solid and reliable services.

Few companies reach the 60-year mark, but Danos & Curole Marine Contractors has managed to hit that milestone while remaining a family run entity. Founded by Allen Danos Sr. and Syriaque Curole in Larose, La., the company has grown from a small boat company to a business offering personnel and construction services to the oilfield and disaster industries around the globe. The owners have bucked the temptation to cash in with a public offering and have chosen to keep the business family owned and operated.

“We see so many benefits to having the business stay in the family,” says Paul Danos, division manager of the company’s disaster response and recovery division and grandson of the founder. “There may be challenges in terms of keeping family harmony for many businesses, but we have family members who truly work well together and are on the same page in terms of values.”

With strong corporate values, the company has earned a reputation for solid and reliable services throughout several business divisions. Its largest and best-known is the provision of production operators and other skilled workers for customers throughout the Gulf of Mexico, according to Eric Danos, division manager for the international division and grandson of the founder. The company has been providing labor to the oil and gas industry for most of its existence and has developed a reputation for excellent customer service. “It is simply a matter of doing everything we possibly can to meet the needs of our customers any time and any place,” says Manuel Merlos, division manager of the labor service division.

The company also performs fabrication and construction services, headed by Construction and Fabrication Division Manager John Bigler. “This division has crews throughout the gulf performing construction projects for both offshore and onshore projects,” he says. “We also have a fabrication facility that supports our construction jobs and serves our customers from the Gulf of Mexico to West Africa.”

Its newest division, the Disaster Response and Recovery division, was borne out of the company’s response to Hurricane Katrina. Because the company employs such a large number of workers around the Gulf Coast, many were enlisted to help in the recovery efforts. “We spent a year with crews, picking up debris and hazardous waste,” Paul Danos says. “We then saw the opportunity to leverage our competencies in finding and managing large numbers of people, to continue pursuing this type of work.”

Today, the disaster response and recovery division is ready to respond to hurricanes, oil spills and other environmental events, Bigler adds.

Danos & Curole continues to look for business opportunities in new markets. Its growth strategy includes strengthening its position in its market segments, while expanding in other directions. “We are looking toward leveraging the infrastructure and competencies we have, by exploring outside our traditional oil and gas industry,” Paul Danos says. “The oil and gas industry has been great to us for many years and there continues to be excellent opportunities for Danos & Curole there; however, because we want to be in business for at least another 60 years, we are also looking to other industries for additional prospects.”

In addition to its commitment to customer service, the company places a strong emphasis on the value of all its employees, both in the field and in the office. Danos & Curole stresses ongoing training to ensure employees can perform efficiently and effectively. “We spend a lot of time and effort developing our employees,” Eric Danos asserts.ᄫ