The upcoming CPCA and BCPCA meetings will be held at Brix Studio in Vancouver on Friday, April 19, 2013 from 10 am to 3:30 pm. Below please find an overview as well as accommodation information. Brix Studio (operated by Support Services Unlimited) is located in the historic Gastown district a few short blocks from the Delta Vancouver Suites.

Brix Studio (Support Services Unlimited)
102 – 211 Columbia Street
Vancouver BC
View Map | Parking Tips

Agenda

Friday, April 19, 2013
10 – 11 am  Pre-meeting Meet & Greet, Refreshments Served
11 am – 12:30 pm  CPCA Annual General Meeting
12:30 – 1:30 pm  Lunch
1:30 – 2:30 pm  BCPCA General Meeting
2:30 – 3:30 pm  Guest Presentation
6 pm  No Host Social Gathering / Dinner Location TBD
Saturday April 20, 2013
Time TBD  No Host Golf – Please indicate interest with RSVP

RSVP

Please RSVP to info@bcpetroleum.com by 5 pm on March 28, 2013. Please indicate if you plan to attend the no host dinner and golf activities.

Accommodation

Rates for accommodations at the Delta Vancouver Suites have been secured for April 18-21 with the group name: BC Petroleum Contractors Association AGM

www.deltahotels.com

Suite Rates

Room Type   Single | Double | Extra Person
Delta Suite   $159.00 | $159.00 | +$30.00
Deluxe Suite   $184.00 | $184.00 | +$30.00
Signature Club Suite   $209.00 | $209.00 | +$30.00

* Deadline for this special rate is March 28, 2013. However, if the Reservations Department receives suite requests after March 28, 2013, the rate will be honoured on an availability basis.

Reservation Procedures

The group rate and guest rooms are subject to availability and are not guaranteed. Individual Reservations can be made by contacting the in-house Reservations directly at either 604.689.8188 or 1.888.663.8811 or by e-mail vancouversuites@deltahotels.com or by calling the Central Reservations Office at 1.800.268.1133.

Callers must mention the group name “BC Petroleum Contractors Association AGM” to ensure they receive the appropriate rate and are included in the guest suite block. Requests can also be made through Delta Hotels & Resorts web page at www.deltahotels.com.

* Attendee’s must make their own reservations for accommodations

This started the thought process that was “What do we have to market? Why work for our industry” and even “Why do I continue to work in this industry” and my conclusion was this: Nine years ago after fifteen years in the upstream oil exploration and construction industry I took a significant pay reduction (- 70%) to begin entry level as a Petroleum Service Technician and Installer. The benefits of having a routine work week, opportunity to boost technical skills, and secure steady employment, far outweighed the loss in income. As I was able to prove that my previously learned skills were transferrable, my income increased and advancement was rapid. Nine years later, I have yet to go home early, send someone home early due to lack of work, have yet to lay off an employee and have continued to see growth every year.

My reasoning behind publishing this article was to remind our fellow contractors that their reasons for being in this business in the first place are quite attractive to prospective employees. Do not sell short the fact that environmental requirements, demand for energy, and the value of our products will insure stability and security for years to come. The opportunity to secure a trade which may have you working in many different environments, high on the technical level (computers, networking, electronics) and high on the trades level(construction, pipe-fitting, welding, electrical) appeals to both the mental and physical interests of a lot of employees.

Take a close analysis of your firm and determine what unique opportunities you offer, get the word out about what advantages your team has over other industries. Money and high salaries are a motivator, however by no means are they the only motivator, particularly in an age where our younger generation has been heard repeating the mantra “time and quality of life is more valuable than money”.

Mike Christie
Director
BC Petroleum Contractors Association

For more information about DIS-12-05, see Information Bulletin 12-44: http://www.nuclearsafety.gc.ca/eng/readingroom/infobulletins/view_bulletin.cfm?bulletin_id=310

List of ITA Certified Petroleum Service Technicians and Petroleum Equipment Installers

*The information contained in this list is provided to the BCPCA by the individual or their company. If you wish to add your name to this list or update your information we encourage you to please email info@bcpetroleum.com.

• Project Manager – CBRE Global Corporate Services

1. View Job Description

   Interested applicants may apply at www.cbre.ca, quoting position #2012004122.

BCPCA President Rob Bateman recently published an article in Convenience and Carwash Canada on cost cutting in the Petroleum Contracting Industry. Read the article.

Visit the Convenience and Carwash Canada website to view the entire issue.

In a recent visit with a customer faced with the prospect of a major renovation due to regulatory requirements, I had a very interesting conversation. This customer had a fueling system on federal land, deemed to be sub-standard and deadlines had been set to fix non-compliance issues.

The customer had determined that in order to save costs, they were going to coordinate and possibly attempt to perform the renovation themselves. Scope of work included, tank removal, remediation and temporary and permanent tank installation in a very public, environmentally sensitive area. Falling under the jurisdiction of at least four governmental bodies in the municipal, provincial and federal level it is needless to say they were under the microscope, and their business was in the transport industry very far removed from construction.

Surveying the job, I recommended that the customer engage an engineering firm, and reputable installation contractors. The customer contacted both and requested further consultation from me on the project. He was shocked by the costs put forward to him to engage these professionals, and once again had decided to tackle it himself. Hours were spent discussing the workflow, interruptions to business, potential hazards, and future needs.

At this point the discussion progressed towards timelines. We discussed the proposals he had received as a factor of time alone. We then compared what he was faced with trying to coordinate it on his own, using unfamiliar contractors (we even made the step of speaking to a few who were very unfamiliar with the equipment). Through this time analysis, we were very quickly able to determine that he was faced with minimum 40% more time required to complete the project.

He was now able to understand the value of hiring a professional (as we all know time=money), minimizing his exposure to risk factors, and by limiting the amount of his involvement, he could focus on his expertise and run his own business to its full potential.

To be continued…

Mike Christie
Director
BC Petroleum Contractors Association.

Recently the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute (CPPI) published information on Contingency Planning for Flood Related Emergencies at Retail and Wholesale Petroleum Facilities. Please click here to view the information.

• 2012

1. 2012-11-27 AGM Minutes
2. 2012-01-12 Minutes

• 2011

1. 2011-11-29 Minutes
2. 2011-09-27 Minutes
3. 2011 AGM Minutes
4. 2011-09-08 Minutes
5. 2011-06-23 Minutes
6. 2011-05-13 Minutes

• 2010

1. 2010 AGM Minutes

The Information Sessions will be held in February and March 2012 in the following locations: Whitehorse, YT; Kamloops and Vancouver, BC.

For more information please click here.

If you plan to attend one or more of these sessions, please complete the registration form and submit via email or fax. Please note, there is no registration fee associated with these sessions and lunch is not provided.