Priority One:
Quality Installations

A recent National Driller Web poll (www.drilleronline.com) found that the most frequently cited top priority (27% of the vote) for drilling contractors is “quality work/service.” “Employee recruitment” came in second place with 17 percent of the vote, just ahead of “sales and marketing” (16%). Sharing fourth place were “capital investment” and “competitive price.” Then came “safety” (9%), “professional image” (4%), “other” (3%) and “content employees” (2%).

Nothing terribly shocking in those numbers, but there is a bit of a disconnect relative to the priority rankings of the two issues that involve employee relations. If the recruitment of qualified employees were enough of a priority to rank number two on the list, it would seem that keeping them reasonably content would rank higher than the “other” category. That being said, a likely explanation of that particular ranking would involve the wording of the poll question itself, instead of what contractors think of their employees. Unless there is a major problem at hand, it usually is cheaper and easier to keep current employees than it is to recruit and train new employees - a-bird-in-the-hand and the-devil-you-know and all that. These are, after all, the people who will be executing all those quality installations for your firm.

Smart Name Change

Seems like a good move. Although the old acronym is user-friendly enough, “Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies” doesn't quite roll off the tongue too easily. And as for being friendly image-wise, “Clean Water” trumps “Sewerage” every time. It took them 35 years, but they did get it right.

Further information and news from NACWA can be obtained by visiting the group's new Web site at www.nacwa.org.

EPA Head Confirmed

In a public statement that was issued just after the Senate's decision, Johnson said he was honored and humbled that the president had given him an opportunity to lead the EPA. “Together, we have made great strides in cleaning the air, water and land,” Johnson said in the announcement. “The success of EPA is inseparable from the productivity and creativity of the agency's professional staff and I look forward to our work ahead.”

Johnson, a career EPA employee, was nominated in March to take over after previous EPA leader Michael Leavitt moved to the head of the Health and Human Services Department.

CSDA Head Tabbed

“It is an honor to be elected as president of this umbrella organization of sawing and drilling professionals,” says O'Brien. “The U.S. association, in conjunction with the German and Swiss associations, spearheaded the formation of IACDS 10 years ago. The wisdom of that decision has been reinforced over the past decade as international cooperation has expanded to many areas.”

Training is a key area of focus of international cooperation. A summary report comparing the training programs in member companies was presented. Once this project is completed, IACDS could establish worldwide criteria for certification of sawing and drilling operators.

Also, IACDS delegates visited the Swiss operator-training center and saw demos of the latest in machine and diamond tool technology from manufacturer members of the Swiss association. The 32,300-square-foot facility features indoor and outdoor demonstration areas, as well as classrooms to support 20 separate training programs covering the sawing and drilling disciplines, as well as forklift, scaffolding, safety and management courses.

Tee Time, Anyone?