Building a Culture of Respect & Excellence

In the pipe fabrication industry, the Shaw Group is known for its ability to deliver sophisticated pipe and module fabrication solutions that minimize risk and lower overall costs their client’s capital projects. In a recent interview, Michael Childers, President and CEO of The Shaw Group explained the Shaw difference and what makes them stand out amongst the competition. “Our global facilities are outfitted with the latest manufacturing technologies and production management systems to ensure that projects for heavy industrial clients are successful,” explained Childers.

Childers explained that Shaw’s biggest achievement is its resilience and ability to stick to its strong strategy. “We reestablished The Shaw Group in June 2020, which was undoubtedly a tough year,” said Childers. “We stayed true to our plans and adapted to the changing market to emerge from the ordeal as a more robust business. This is a complete credit to the amazing people of Shaw and our vision to become an industry leader by serving our clients well.”

The Shaw Group prides itself on being able to adjust to meet their clients’ needs. The business is nimble and adaptable because their customers need creative solutions to overcome potential project challenges. In today’s world, the ability to see through the noise and change the way things are done is a competitive advantage. Whether it’s a budget issue, logistical challenge or strict timeline, Shaw will partner with its clients to achieve success.

From a technological perspective, the company is constantly looking at ways to deploy new technologies to do things better, stronger, and faster for clients. The company also embraces competition by realizing the market needs ample fabrication capacity, and Childers explains that this mindset helps the company thrive. “Our recognition of the competition makes us better and stronger as we strive to be the best in safety, quality, schedule, and total cost for our customers.”

After many years of leadership specializing in entrepreneurial energy companies, Childers describes a few core leadership lessons that he’s learned and how that’s shaped The Shaw Group. “First and foremost, listen to people; form your own opinions; provide guidance but stay out of people’s way; and finally, don’t be afraid to change if you find yourself having made a poor decision,” explains Childers. “I also believe that it’s essential to recognize and respond to constructive criticism to grow and progress. You can't please everyone, but you can always listen and improve.”

It takes years of experience to be able to navigate a company like The Shaw Group successfully and Childers shared a few things regarding culture that he feels have given them a competitive edge. “We take pride in our ability to motivate our team as we rebuild the company and we’re extremely proud of the work we do for our clients,” shared Childers. “We’ve been laser-focused on our company’s growth, but we haven’t neglected the most important part of our business; our people. In our culture, it’s important that we’re fostering an entrepreneurial spirit within our workforce, so our employees feel empowered to make a difference and implement continuous improvements. We encourage our employees to explore developing new lines of business to better serve our customers, and we strive to show our employees that this is an environment where ideas are welcome.”

Year after year, customers anticipate improved service from Shaw, which is continually evaluating new technology that can strengthen the company. As Childers says, we are at the forefront of technological advances, from digitization to information flow to automation on the shop floor. We are not a company that will be resting on our laurels, and you’ll never hear us say, "That’s how it’s always been done."

As a testament to its ability to act as a strategic partner and quickly adapt to client needs, the Shaw team recently secured a module fabrication contract for a leading downstream energy company. The project is located on the West Coast and, from a logistics perspective, would have traditionally been awarded to a fabricator in that region. The Shaw team saw an opportunity to apply creative solutions to fabricate the modules in its state-of-the-art Lake Charles module shop and provide transportation support for 43 modules as well as loose steel and pipe spools across the U.S. With the full support of the executive team, the team quickly ramped up its craft employee pool and identified logistics solutions to exceed the client’s expectations.

For another client, the team used its logistical and geographic flexibility to store and manage fabricated pipe to provide the client with a just-in-time delivery. “This was a benefit to our client and made their project schedule easier to manage,” shares Childers. “In another instance, we fabricated a first-of-its-kind module and conducted operational testing at our facility before sending it to its final location. This was the very first time that had ever been done.”

The Shaw Group has a positive outlook for the future and the company is excited about its ability to provide advanced capital project solutions, including prefabricated piping systems and engineering solutions for integrated modules, to clients from a variety of industries. However, most importantly, we’re excited for the exceptional team we’re building with a culture where people feel included and respected for their contribution to the company.