MMR Group by North American Constructors Journal

MMR Group |

MMR Group:

Highly Rated Electrical & Instrumentation Contractor Addresses Labor Shortages With A Win-Win Solution Based in Baton Rouge, LA, MMR Group is the largest open-shop electrical and instrumentation contractor in the United States. Written by Leslie Blaize Produced by Stephen Marino

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ames B. “Pepper” Rutland says, “Blue-collar, skilled workers in America seem to be disappearing on us.”

As founder and president of MMR Group, the largest open-shop electrical and instrumentation contractor in the United States, Rutland knew that his company needed to address the development of a quality workforce. He emphasizes that “labor is our challenge, and we’re only as good as our team.” As a result, MMR developed a successful comprehensive training program that benefits both the company and employees looking for advancement opportunities.

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and hands-on training during oneor two-week sessions. Participants must pass all 40 plus workstations, or they’ll be asked to return for further training to complete the requirements. MMR pays for the trainees’ housing and expenses during the training period. After completion of the training, the participant returns to their existing office. As graduates, personnel are eligible to: • Earn the highest pay grade for any of their projects • Get a week’s paid vacation • Receive a $2,000 set of hand tools The center is recognized by the

To address industry labor shortages, MMR spent several million dollars on its Craft Training Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The facility, built in 2014, offers training to employees who fill the role of front-line supervisors and craft personnel in the field. The company’s training program redefines the industry standards of qualified craftspersons and supervisors. Supervisors recommend qualified workers who receive classroom www.mmrgrp.com

James “Pepper” Rutland

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National Center for Construction Education and Research as an Accredited Assessment Center and Accredited Training Sponsor.

Training Future Supervisors Rutland says that this training helps groom the next level of supervisors. So far, 540 employees have participated. And of those graduates, only about three percent have left the firm.

Accommodating Hispanic Workforce MMR is also addressing the need to become bilingual in the company’s operations. One of these initiatives is through the launch of MMRTV, a bilingual digital mobile platform to provide employee training and assessment. With a large Hispanic workforce, Rutland remarks, “If we don’t adapt, we’re going to be left behind.”

Celebrating 30 Years MMR, founded in 1991, is consistently ranked at the top of

the Engineering News-Record’s annual specialty contractors list. The company delivers one million work-hour projects and manages 30 offices in North and South America. Its project list spans 36 countries across four continents with an average of 5,000 employees. The company has performed more than $7.5 billion in electrical and instrumentation services since its inception. It brings in $768 million in annual revenue. MMR strives for horizontal integration. Its goal is to handle all of a project’s electrical and instrumentation needs. In addition, it operates fabrication facilities.

Football Taught CEO Life Lessons Rutland, a lifelong Louisiana resident, attended Louisiana State University on a football scholarship and graduated from the engineering department in the construction management program. His role as a football team captain

“I learned a long time ago that if you can get everybody on the same team, pulling the same way, it’s a huge benefit.” - James B. “Pepper” Rutland, CEO and President www.mmrgrp.com

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taught him many life lessons. “I learned a long time ago that if you can get everybody on the same team, pulling the same way, it’s a huge benefit,” he says. After college, Rutland was given the opportunity to run the instrumentation division of an E&I firm under Leonard Matthews and Bob McCracken, to which he would become the “R” in MMR (Matthews McCracken Rutland). “It’s the only job I’ve ever had,” he says. Now, as CEO of the parent company, Rutland spends his day solving problems. “I do what nobody else wants to do,” he notes www.mmrgrp.com

.Instead of enjoying good news, Rutland seeks out the challenges. He asks a lot of questions: • Where do we have an issue? • What are we doing about it? • How do we effectively fix it?

Managing Complex Projects MMR’s projects range throughout the world. Rutland picked out a few to highlight. Sasol Lake Charles Chemical Complex – Cracker and Derivatives Project - Westlake, Louisiana MMR performed electrical, instrumentation, and start-up for the project. The company’s scope

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of work included duct banks and manhole installations and finish assembly of 12 substations. The company also provided high voltage cable installation and termination to eight substations, grounding, cable tray, cable and fiber optics, lighting systems and Public Address and General Alarm (PAGA), and camera installations.

practices throughout the project. “We had a lot of trying aspects to the job that made it very difficult,” Rutland says. Challenges included moving personnel to the job site and traveling on a two-lane road.

With a contract value of over $320 million for MMR, the project brought together 1,400 MMR employees logging approximately four million work-hours. MMR is proud to be consistently recognized for its safe work

“We integrated many of our resources on this project,” Rutland reports.

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Kinder Morgan Elba Island 35V and 15KV Project - Savannah, Georgia

MMR performed electrical and instrumentation services, telecommunications, start-up, and

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commissioning assistance on this $2 billion mega project. The scope of services included 1.5 million feet of 35 and 15kv armored cable, 60 each 35kv phisterer plug terminations, 60 each 35kv stress cone terms, and 288 each 15 kv stress cone terms. MMR also provided turn-key telecommunications system design, installation, and commissioning.

People-Driven Company Despite its size, Rutland still thinks

of his company as a “big family unit.” The workforce enjoys an on-site full-time gym staffed with a trainer and nutritious meals following the lunchtime class The company plans activities multiple times a year. They include attending football games, holiday parties, fishing tournaments, and picnics. Rutland emphasizes that his employees spend 80 percent of their waking life at work. As CEO, he says, “I want to help create an atmosphere where people actually www.mmrgrp.com

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“I want to help create an atmosphere where people actually like coming to work, being part of the process, and seeing success.” - James B. “Pepper” Rutland, CEO and President www.mmrgrp.com

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like coming to work, being part of the process, and seeing success.”

failure.” He adds, “Listen to your gut more than you probably do.”

Selecting Top Partners

Don’t focus on your competitors, he advises. “Focus on what you’re doing, and do it better than anybody else, and all those other issues seem to take care of themselves.”

As a top specialty contractor, MMR focuses on working with quality partners. The company self performs many services but still needs partners for some aspects of a project. When Rutland was a football captain, he promoted working together. He uses that same approach with subcontractors, vendors, and service providers. “We’ve all got to pull together,” he says, to deliver quality projects for the client. That means the partners need to come through despite material and pricing challenges. “At the end of the day, we’re held accountable, and we’ve also got to hold them accountable,” he says. MMR looks for stable partners who have successfully delivered services on past projects.

“Just trust your instincts,” he says. “They’re usually right more times than they’re not.”