AL HUEHN and TRAVIS STRUBE of Topco Oilsite Products
The times they
ARE A-CHANGIN’ The oilfield service sector has undergone a lot of change in the last 35 years. Here are two views on the key changes that have happened. BY ELSIE ROSS
C
anada’s oil and gas industry has seen a lot of change
focused on growth and investment strategies: where it
since 1981. Oilfield service companies have con-
could develop more business, how fast it could grow a
PHOTO: JEFFERY BORCHERT
tinually re-invented themselves. Topco Oilsite Products,
company and how it could employ more people.
a PSAC founding member, has survived and prospered
These days, it’s just the opposite, says Al Huehn, pres-
through the ups and downs. President and chief exec-
ident and chief executive officer of privately held Topco
utive officer Al Huehn and Travis Strube, the manager
Oilsite Products, one of the founding members of PSAC.
of Topco’s thread compound plant in Calgary, tell the
“It’s how do we downsize? How many more people do
story of how they have seen the industry adapt to the
we lay off? Where can we cut costs if possible?” he says.
boom and bust cycle.
AL HUEHN
“A lot of time is being spent by a lot of people in this industry in firefighting,” he says. Through his work, Huehn is involved with a lot of the
For most of the past three decades, despite some ups
majors, mostly in the service industry, and is amazed
and downs, the Canadian oilfield services industry was
at what he’s hearing.
PSAC 35TH ANNIVERSARY 2016
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