General Hot Oilers Inc a success

When people unfamiliar with the oil industry hear the term ‘hot oilers’ they may think a favorite NHL team is on a winning streak. If people know anything about the oil patch, however, they’ll probably think of a name gaining local, national and global popularity.

General Hot Oil and Pressure Services Ltd. and its four-year-old sister company, General Hot Oilers Inc., are definite business successes. General has come a long way since its beginning in 1968. The company started with one truck, one man and a small boy with an enormous interest in oil operations.

The man was Wes Cupples and the boy, his son Garett. Garett quickly fell in love with the company and as a young adult, bought his dad’s business. Since then, the company has grown and presently employs 14 people. General Hot Oil and Pressure Service Ltd. provides, heats and pumps fluids used at well sites, while General Hot Oilers is in the business of  maintaining and manufacturing oil/water trucks and equipment for use on the rigs.

Garett’s innovation led to the development of the sister company, which has established clients in the U.S and overseas. Now, says Sales Manager Brad Cleland, they are working on getting a piece of the market in Mexico.

“We’ve been invited by the Canadian government through Canadian Natural Resources to go down there on a trade mission,” he said. The organization has had several inquires from Mexico and Latin America and the trip may result in future contracts, he added.

“We’re trying to increase our opportunities outside the country.” Dealings with foreign countries are not new for General, though, and Cleland says the Internet has played a large part in establishing contacts outside Canada. With many potential clients all over the world, one wonders why General continues to base out of Red Deer. The answer, Cleland says, is obvious. “Red Deer is a good base because of its direction towards the oil patch.” The global reach available due to the Internet makes it possible to successfully market from a smaller city, he added. It’s not simply quality products and services which make General so successful, though. “It’s a personality,” said Cleland. Every company carries the personality of the people who own it, and Garett is a good visionary guy who’s developed a good team. Typically, when dealing with businessmen in the oil industry, salesmen wear a suit and carry a sophisticated manner to achieve the sale.

According to Cleland, however, Garett does not follow the stereotype. “He’s more likely to be seen in coveralls and a hard hat. He’s pretty much a ‘rubber meets the road guy. People feel at ease dealing with him.” And they must. The company’s revenue has doubled annually since the addition of the sister company in 1997, and Cleland predicts figures won’t change much,

“We’re going to see continued success. There’s no doubt about that. We’ve always been, and always will be, a strong company.” What should other businesses do to achieve similar success? “I’ve got one piece of advice for anybody in business. Stick to what you do best,” he added, “and success will come.”

-Written by Janet Pierce