Our Center of Gravity | June 2023

A Word From Your Operational Support Managers (OSMs)

Featured Branch Dickinson, North Dakota

Birthdays

Celebrating Gravity's June Birthdays

Where to Eat

4J Brewing Company

Employee Spotlight

Joe Griesel

Anniversaries

Celebrating Gravity's Loyal Employees

Safety Meetings

View Your Schedule

Fun Trivia

Test Your Knowledge

SUMMER, just many sunny days here in South Texas! Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of visiting other yards outside of the great Charlotte branch as an OSM, and I can honestly say that I have learned something new and different at each one. Gravity has one goal, and to see so many different personalities and concepts reach that goal, blows me away. It’s not about the fastest or the most straightforward way, but at each branch I’ve been to, it has been about the SAFEST way, which is fantastic!

As the summer kicks off, my safety tip is that accidents, warnings, and tickets are avoidable. How so?

Accidents: adequate rest, don’t be distracted, and be alert.

Warnings & Tickets: Pre-Trip/Post Trips, do not rush, GET THE ISSUE FIXED!

Many other things can contribute to avoiding the unavoidable and getting us home to our families, pets, or even our bed for a single person, but it’s up to us if we choose to take the SAFE path. Have a great summer, and remember, when you gamble with safety, you bet your life.

Greetings from the heart of the Permian Basin! As we kick off summer, this is just a quick reminder to always bump-test your monitor once a month. It can be the difference between life and death!

Greetings from the Sooner State! As we move into the summer months, pay attention to changing conditions. Here are a few tips:

1. Pay attention to severe weather conditions (flooding, tornadoes, wind advisories, hail, lighting, grass fires, etc.) and keep each other informed. We can keep each other safe and postpone jobs until conditions improve. This is a key component of Gravity’s Journey Management Program.

2. When lease roads are muddy, stop and clean your taillights prior to entering the state highways or county roads. Signaling your intentions early is a key component of Gravity’s Decision Driving System.

3. The first part of a rain event brings oil up to the surface of the roadway and can cause the highway to be slippery. Slow down in these conditions.

4. In a rainstorm, never drive with your cruise control set. This could cause the vehicle to hydroplane and you to lose control of the vehicle.

A safe work environment is a benefit to everyone. By following Gravity’s safety policies and procedures, we can maintain a safe work environment and promote a positive safety culture.

Hey everyone! As we all know, the spring and summer months get busy around here. More work means more boots on the ground and more deadlines to meet. My safety tip for you, no matter how busy we get, is never cut corners. It’s just not worth it. The same principle applies to the field or an office setting. Cutting corners is defined as removing part of a process while attempting to achieve the original result. Usually, it is done to save time or effort, but it often results in unsafe practices as well as costly mistakes.

Let’s have a safe summer, and remember, friends don’t let friends cut corners.

Here is a bit of wisdom from your safety man. The weather has changed, and so have the habits of the critters in the wild. Warmer temperatures and moisture will cause one of those not-so-friendly critters known as “venomous snakes” or “pit vipers” to move about more and seek shade and shelter under various materials (e.g., leaves, rocks, wood piles, etc.).

A word to the wise: utilize an extended tool to lift and/or move materials on the ground that could be providing cover for these deadly critters. Should you encounter one, safely leave the vicinity and contact your local pest control. Should you accidentally get bit by one, contact 911 and seek immediate medical attention.

Snake Bite App – Crofab site: www.crofab.com

SnakeBite911 App: www.crofab.com/crofabresources/snakebite911

As we move into the warmer part of the year, I just want all of you to remember one thing. HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE!

That’s it. That’s my number one tip. If you are out there in the heat, a hydrated person is going to be much more likely to make sound decisions than one who is dehydrated. For those of you up here in the cooler parts of the US, this still applies. Use shade to your advantage when you can, drink your fluids with electrolytes, and get home safe. Be safe out there, ladies and gents, and look out for yourself and your colleagues.

The HSE team is consistently focused on target zero because the safety of our people must be our number one goal. This is not a goal we take lightly. Without the hard work and dedication of our OSMs, we would not be the company we are today.

The ones doing all the work are usually the ones with the answers. If I step back and listen, the OSM will tell me how to execute. Each OSM brings their own expertise and knowledge to Gravity. All work carries risk at GVTY, where protecting people and the environment is a core value, and eliminating or mitigating takes top priority. That means striving continuously to identify hazards, putting safeguards in place, and ensuring that the safeguards are functioning throughout the company’s operations.

As you hear from each of our OSMs, remember that YOU also play a huge role in the safety culture of Gravity.

WHAT TIM LOVES ABOUT HIS PEOPLE: The success of this Branch, Gravity, and myself are directly related to the work that is done by the employees that show up daily to do their jobs. They are the difference makers. They work long hours and still answer phones after hours to support their co-workers. They take pride in the work that they do and truly want to deliver to our customers the best possible equipment. As our fleet continues to age, the mechanics and field techs continue to find ways to keep it operational and ready to rent. I'm extremely lucky to have the employees I do. They have raised the bar with the quality of work and service they provide. It's a privilege to work with each and every one.

WHAT MAKES THE BRANCH SPECIAL: I’ve referred to it before, but I think the longevity of employment for a large percentage of our workforce is exciting. Eighteen of our operations employees have been with Gravity for 5+ years and seven of those have 10+ years of service. The obvious result of having employees with all of this Gravity experience is consistency. I believe reducing turnover not only saves costs but also breeds a culture and creates an environment making it easier for new hires to learn and gain knowledge from a large group of knowledgeable and experienced employees. Success breeds success!

Jeromy Weaver

Application Support Specialist

Houston Corporate Office

Daryl Cogley

Branch Manager

Oakdale

Christopher Cozad

Mechanic - Equipment

Oakdale

Stephanie Highfield

Accountant

Snyder Business Office

Shane Schell

Natural Gas Field Technician

Douglas

Gregory Caudle

Regional Sales Representative

Shreveport

Jeremiah Bokulich

Branch Manager

Charlotte

110 0

111 1

112 2

Daniel Gillen

Assistant Branch Manager

Dickinson

Angel Baeza

Shop Hand

Pecos

James Jorgensen

Lead Coordinator

Dickinson

Justen Hinkle

Mechanic - Equipment

Cleburne

Pasipanodya Makoni

Divisional Controller

Houston Corporate Office

Jeremy Hopkins Field Technician I

Greeley

117 7

119 9 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24

Lacee Echterhoff

Branch Admin

Shreveport

Yasmine Urias

Shop Hand

Pecos

Colton Standridge

Field Technician I

Oklahoma City

Justo Dominguez

Lead Field Technician

Pecos

Jimmy Cooper

25 25 26 26

Zachary Claybrook Director Water Sourcing

Big Spring

Nicholas Larrow Financial Analyst

Houston Corporate Office

Donald Digmann

Mechanic

Douglas

27 27 28 28

Mechanic - NG Generator

Shreveport

Benjamin Reeme

Natural Gas Field Technician

Shreveport

Jose Nunez

NG Coordinator Pecos

Alfredo Tarango

Winch Truck Operator Pecos

Matt Fenner

Natural Gas Field Technician

Douglas

29 29 30 30

Bryant Anderson Natural Gas Field Technician

Dickinson

Christopher Carter Field Technician I

Shreveport

Eddie Espinosa, Jr. Natural Gas Field Technician

Charlotte

Timothy Lantz Branch Manager

Dickinson

Barry Meduna

Shop Foreman

Dickinson

Brian Fuentes Assistant Branch Manager Pecos

Janette Marquez

Payroll Manager

Odessa Business Office

SPACE TOWN in

As we kick off Summer 2023, we have selected a special brewery just under a three-minute drive from our Houston Corporate Office. Please welcome 4J Brewing Company to our Center Of Gravity’s “Place to Eat” for June.

A 100% female-owned brewery and family-operated, 4J Brewing has captured the hearts of the locals with its craft beers and friendly, welcoming environment. A dog- and kid-friendly place of business, there's no excuse not to come and experience what they have created. Operated by four siblings, the “J” refers to their names – Jessica, Jackie, Joana, and Jennifer. They currently offer five varieties of craft beers ranging from 5.1% to 6.7%, plus non-alcoholic root beer!

This operation is based in the Houston/Spring Branch area and serves Amber Ale, Blonde Ale, India Pale Ale, Pale Ale, and American Stout at their taproom. The 4J’s beers are only available in their taproom. The siblings have decorated the place with many repurposed items from the 4J Ranch. Their parents own 4J Ranch in Blue, Texas. They also accept special private events at the taproom and offer memberships to the 4J Ladies. The 4J Ladies hold monthly events on the last Thursday of each month and usually invite female business owners to talk about their expertise.

If you are already in the Houston area or find yourself there, make it a point to stop by and say hello to Jessica, Jackie, Joana, Jennifer, or any one of their family members. If you are on the clock, we encourage you to try the non-alcoholic root beer.

BAKKEN GRAVITY WATER MIDSTREAM

I was born in Vereeniging, South Africa. South Africa is located at the southern tip of Africa where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet. I’m the second youngest of five brothers and was born and raised on a family farm about 2.5 hours from Johannesburg. After graduating high school, I decided to enlist in the South African Army for two years, as service was compulsory back then. Do I believe those two years helped shape me into the person I am today? Yes! There’s nothing better than the army to shape a cocky, knowit-all, 18-year-old.

Once I completed my military service, I started my college career at Vaal University of Technology on a rugby scholarship studying Sports

Administration and Marketing. Playing rugby in South Africa opened a lot of doors for me and through rugby friends and college alumni, I started working in the Marketing and Sales department for a large construction group, building government-subsidized homes in rural Southern Africa. I figured being an adult was great. I loved my job, I had a car and an apartment until…. I got a call from a college buddy all the way from Houston, Texas, “Hi Joe, would you like to come to Houston and play for the Woodland Rugby Club for a season?” Boom, 180-degree shift!!! I left South Africa in early 2000 for Houston, Texas to play rugby for the Woodlands Rugby Club and coach Sam Houston State’s Rugby Team… and the rest is history.

We were able to win a National Championship in 2005, unfortunately, due to a number of serious injuries, I eventually decided to hang up my boots.

I met my wife Holly in 2007, a girl raised on a dairy farm in North Dakota. Holly graduated with a degree in accounting from the University of Houston and in 2008 we got married. I was dabbling in the real estate market flipping houses in the Heights and Holly was working as a tax accountant for PWC. Again, life was great, we had cars, and a house in the Heights, and both had good jobs... until one day, she got a call from a large accounting firm in Bakken offering her a great opportunity that would springboard her career. BOOM...180-degree shift, again.

In 2011 we moved to North Dakota, Holly was moving back to her family and roots and I had no idea what so-called “cold winters” were all about. I’m a South African that moved to Houston, how bad could the winters really be? Holly still loves it over here and I’ve learned that 6-month-long winters and 50-60 below zero winter days are brutal!!!

North Dakota Is so unique and special! Where else can you watch beautiful sunrises, open blue skies, hunting, fishing, and camping? Where else will you observe an extraordinary variety of wildlife, changing seasons, and a wonderful place to raise a family? Nowhere but the Bakken!! Holly and I are extremely blessed with two beautiful daughters, whom we have the privilege of raising in South Heart.

We have been fortunate enough to visit South Africa on a few occasions and have just recently returned from our latest SA vacation visiting my mother and my four brothers. We spent time on the southern coastline and we were lucky enough to take the girls on a few safari game drives to experience large African animals in their natural habitat. Raising our girls and ensuring they have a good understanding of the South African and Afrikaans culture is important to us.

My career at Gravity has been a wonderful experience. We are a small, close-knit group. We are energized by our work and we are very supportive of each other. I believe I work in a workplace where our efforts are consistently valued. We devote so much time of our lives to working in this challenging, fast-paced industry. Thanks to our company I feel valued as an employee. Gravity’s family-orientated work culture provides a perfect work-life balance!!

Christopher Lengowski Branch Manager Fort Collins

Danene Hogan

Regional Ops Systems Manager Permian Region

Artesia Power Generation & Containment Solutions - Artesia, NM

Oklahoma City Power Generation & Containment Solutions

- Oklahoma City, OK

Pecos Power Generation & Containment Solutions - Pecos, TX

OSM Training - Lubbock, TX

OSM Training - Lubbock, TX

Dickinson Power Generation - Dickinson, ND

OSM Training - Lubbock, TX

Odessa Power Generation & Containment Solutions - Odessa, TX

Shreveport Power Generation - Shreveport, LA

Snyder Business Office - Snyder, TX

Lubbock Business Office - Lubbock, TX

Remote Workforce Gathering - TEAMS CALL Watford Energy Partners - Watford City, ND

Water Midstream - Big Spring, TX

Greeley Power Generation - Greeley, CO

Douglas Power Generation - Douglas, WY

Charlotte Power Generation - Charlotte, TX

Oakdale Power Generation - Oakdale, PA

Williston Power Generation - Williston, ND

Central Repair Facility - Cleburne, TX

Odessa Business Office - Odessa, TX

A. 1910

The nation's first Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, in the state of Washington. However, it was not until 1972—58 years after President Woodrow Wilson made Mother's Day official—that honoring fathers became a national holiday in the United States.

C. June 21st

It also happens to be the longest day of the year! In the Northern Hemisphere, the June solstice (aka Summer Solstice) occurs when the sun travels along its northernmost path in the sky.

B. 2007

On June 29, 2007, the first iPhone was released. The iPod Touch, which came with an iPhone-style touchscreen to the iPod range, was also released later in 2007. The iPad followed in 2010.