Lloydminster 鈥� Garrison Oilwell Servicing out of Lloydminster is experiencing a similar labour situation that other service rig outfits around Saskatchewan have 鈥� that they could use a few more hands.
Bev Garrison, who owns the company with her husband Darryl, spoke to Pipeline Newson Nov. 7. She said, 鈥淚t depends what day you ask me. I kind of am right now. We鈥檝e been doing not too bad, then all of a sudden you lose a couple guys, then you gain a couple, then you lose one. We鈥檙e just kind of hovering. It鈥檚 like I need to gain a few more, extra.鈥�
The company has five service rigs. 鈥淭oday we have three working. We were at four. For a few days, we were at five, but that was making us very lean. We鈥檙e good with four,鈥� she said.
It鈥檚 a family-owned and operated business, and has been for around 42 years now. Like several other of the companies Pipeline News has spoken to, management has had to fill in at times when they are short hands. Sheldon Garrison, their field supervisor, does that on occasion, as an example.
Most of the family still works with the outfit, but, she said, 鈥淭his downturn has been hard on that, too. Two of our family members are now working in different places, their choice. We got really slim for a few years.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely been slower, but this last year we鈥檝e actually perked up quite a bit. July and August were really slow for us. A lot of that was the rain. We couldn鈥檛 get permits to move.鈥�
When that happens, the workers sit, just as the company sits. However, she added, 鈥淲e鈥檙e really good at keeping our equipment up, but there鈥檚 only so much shop time we can do. We encourage them, on those days, anything that needs to be done on your equipment, get it done. Do your shop time. But if it goes on too long, once you have everything tip top, there鈥檚 really not a lot more you can do.
鈥淚f you can鈥檛 get permits to move, you don鈥檛 want to be doing stuff where you鈥檙e laying in the mud, either.鈥�
Bev does the hiring. Asked if she could snap her fingers, how many people would show up, looking for work, she replied, 鈥淚鈥檇 probably get five, a whole crew.鈥�
A lot of their recruitment is by word of mouth, and they do some advertising as well.
鈥淧retty much everywhere has felt the effects of this bad environment, to say the least, and its gone on for quite a while,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e follow the CAODC recommended wage schedule,鈥� she said.
Bev appreciates the fact that the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors (CAODC), of which they are a member, has been standing up for the industry.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a great organization for us, and I like the fact they鈥檝e gotten more politically out there,鈥� she said.
鈥淧eople are so silly,鈥� she said, noting that simply brushing her teeth, she noticed of everything on her vanity. 鈥淗ow many products that the petroleum industry had touched?鈥�
She pointed to a TV commercial where everything made out of petroleum disappeared from a man鈥檚 life. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like, everything. It鈥檚 too bad that isn鈥檛 taken more to heart. These kids that are protesting 鈥� you know what? Parents, take your kids phones and all their electronics from them. Put them in a sod hut in the back yard, because that鈥檚 what they鈥檙e preaching they want the country to be, on their phones, sitting in their heated or air conditioned homes, trying to cram this down everyone鈥檚 throats.
鈥淵ou know what? You live in a house with no running water. You don鈥檛 like it. Experiences we forget. We moved forward for a reason. I don鈥檛 think the pioneers loved their sod houses. Between this lifestyle, and the lifestyle back then, I think we know what the choice would be,鈥� Bev said.
Quite a few of Garrison鈥檚 people took part in the convoy that went down the main drag of Lloydminster.
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