BUILDING MORE THAN JUST MAN CAMPS How JCubed is changing the game in the Oil & gas Housing Sector There’s not much to look at except dirt, mesquite, and sagebrush around the 10 acres of flat, almost treeless land near Goldsmith, Texas., where a housing complex sits that is used by itinerant oil workers. Three years ago, all 188 rooms were as empty as the landscape; a testament to crude’s tumble from more than $100 a barrel to $30. Today, prices are up around $70 and almost every bed is occupied, just as at many other man camps throughout West Texas. The Permian Basin, a more than 75,000-squaremile expanse of sedimentary rock that’s
An Oil & Gas housing facility in West Texas, is one of many “man camps” that have sprouted in the Permian Basin, which is drawing fresh investment as oil prices have climbed higher. Photo by Callaghan O’Hare / Bloomberg
one of the world’s biggest
It’s a great place to
oil plays, is drawing billions
work, but a terrible place
of dollars in new
to live, he says, citing the
investment. Companies
heat, dust, and dearth of
are scrambling to find
grocery stores and
people to do everything
restaurants among the
from operating drilling rigs
negatives.
to driving trucks. Wages
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have reached such lofty levels that even unskilled
JCubed however, is
laborers can earn $100,000
offering a different way to
a year.
approach the challenge
Many of the jobs are in
of offering quality
remote areas with no
workforce housing, in a
houses, schools, or
way that takes all these
supermarkets, so free room
negatives and creates a
and board are essential
better way to do
perks for workers, most of
workforce housing.
whom elect to leave their
The JCubed
families at home. David
community offers more
Penny, a 57-year-old pump
than a man camp. The
operator who’s originally
park of apartments made
from Zimbabwe, stays at
of repurposed shipping
the Goldsmith camp
containers is not only “cool
during his two-week shifts.
/ hip / masculine” it has
the amenities you want
after a long day in the
field. It’s a place to rest and relax in the comfort of
spacious rooms, so you
can be refreshed and
ready to work next day. Each apartment has
premium climate control, keeping the temperatures
of West Texas controlled.
With a separate bedroom for privacy, a luxury
mattress and black-out shades, the unit creates
the perfect environment for a good night’s sleep. A
sizable closet allows for the
accommodation for all
one’s gear. Large showers offer the room to wash
away all the Texas dust. Kick back on the living
room sofa and listen to some tunes or stream your
favorite channel on the
flat screen. This place is designed with tech
gadgets in mind.
Each JCubed apartment has its own
kitchen and there is also a
restaurant on the premise. Common areas include
recreation, laundry facilities, BBQ area, Wi-Fi,
and cable TV. The best part is there’s no long
commute. JCubed units
are conveniently located near the drilling sight. Original article written by Rachel AdamsHeard and first appeared in Bloomberg.
OIL & GAS HOUSING REDEFINED JCubed’s Workforce 1 Villages Are the Future of What Housing Looks Like for The Oil & Gas Industry It’s called “the great crew change” in the oil and gas industries, but it affects construction, mining, and other sectors as well. Baby Boomers are retiring, and the pool of
time to succeed in their
the risks faced by younger
jobs. They’re more likely to
workers at isolated sites:
quit than to put up with poor housing or food.
workers may take risks that
At the same time, positive leisure time options appeal to these younger
workers with more training or experience avoid.
Poor diet: Overreliance on junk food and fast food
workers: big-screen TVs,
chains in remote location
pool tables, exercise equipment, and even
On the job injuries: Younger
impacts health.
Mental health problems: Low morale and even depression
luxuries such as saunas.
can become a factor with
Access to the Internet in
younger workers in an
isolated locations is a
unfamiliar environment away
necessity to the tech savvy
from friends or family.
Gen X and Millennial generations as well. Investing in a higher quality of life for these remote
Substance abuse: In turn, these younger workers may turn to drugs or alcohol to deal with depression or loneliness.
workforces means more workers will stay on the job.
skilled workers is shrinking. Companies face a new set of challenges when it comes to recruiting and retaining Generation X and Millennial workers, who have different skillsets and different expectations. What’s the best strategy to recruit the best younger workers and retain them for the long haul? The answer lies in workforce housing that attracts
Three Oil & Gas workers in West Texas taking a break. Photo by Unknown / Target Hospitality
Risks for Younger Workers Another aspect to
These risks hurt workers, and the resulting high
keeping younger workers is
turnover and lack of
safe, happy and healthy.
focusing on health and
productivity hurt the
safety issues. The Great
companies and the
Work-Life Balance
Crew Change: Managing
projects that hire them.
workers, and keeps them
Today’s reality is that younger workers are less willing to sacrifice their free
Generational Differences in Oil, Gas, Mining and Construction Workforces, our white paper, discusses
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The Answer Is A Village
answer that will attract
younger workers. What is
The JCubed approach:
Build positive recreation
The key is superior housing
that attracts Millennial and
JCubed has the
it? It lies in offering a superior product, built around the concept of a village, as opposed to a man camp. Villages offer a better quality of life and can help attract workers and alleviate risk.
options with Internet access and exercise facilities.
Have a zero tolerance for drugs, alcohol, firearms and cohabitation.
Offer on-site security services.
Install comfortable beds with nutritious, good food around the clock, and help workers stay well-rested and well-fed.
Addressing the wellbeing and health of younger workers make them less likely to quit.
Gen X workers, helps them stay healthy and productive, and reduces risks. When it comes to the next generation of skilled remote workers, high quality accommodations JCubed has the right strategy that will serve the Oil and Gas Industry well into the
21st
Century.
Original article written by Troy Schrenk and first appeared in Target Hospitality.
CLOSENESS COMFORT & COMRADERY JCubed Offers the Best Scenario for Bridging the Gap Between Workers and Their Home Josh Garcia found himself in a position familiar to many energy workers
Josh Garcia, Business Development Manager with a West Texas Oil & Gas Company\, in portrait at a coil tube operation utilizing chemicals from Garcia's company. Photo by James Durbin / Houston Chronicle
“There’s not another
recruiters must overcome
when he was laid off from
industry out here if things
as they try to convince
a Houston-based energy
go south. It’s a sink or swim
qualified candidates to
company during the
proposition.”
relocate to West Texas.
recent oil bust. Unemployed for months and short on options, he
Since oil prices began Exhausted Local Labor With the local supply of
their recovery in early 2016, unemployment in the
went back to school,
labor all but exhausted,
Midland-Odessa region
earned an MBA and tried
energy companies are
has plunged from about 5
a different industry before
finding that recruiting
percent to 2.4 percent,
finding another offer in
workers like Garcia to West
compared to 4.1 percent
energy with a Louisiana
Texas is a tough sell — one
in Texas and 3.9 percent
chemical supplier in the
made all the harder by
nationally.
booming Permian Basin.
strong national and state
The company offered
The Midland-Odessa
economies that provide
population has grown
a six-figure salary, free
skilled workers with plenty
more than 20 % since 2010
housing for a year, and a
of options elsewhere.
to nearly 350,000 people.
company car. But Garcia,
New housing is
But at any given time,
33, still hesitated, unsure
constantly being built, but
Midland may only have
about moving far from the
it can’t keep up with the
200 homes for sale.
state’s population centers
rate of growth and the
and the diversions they
energy sector is hiring
not to work for engineers,
offer to young
many of the skilled laborers
managers and other
professionals. “I knew how
needed to construct those
white-collar workers who
remote it is out here,”
homes, Burns said. Isolation
want to relocate with
Garcia said.
is far from the only issue
families and buy homes.
But man camps tend
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The Cost of Distance
travel means many
workers don’t come back.
that the management
team can reside in and an
This is where JCubed is beginning to create a different solution to the growing problem of the cost of distance. We know that most workers are long-distance commuters, living for two weeks in man camps, going home, then returning for anther twoweek stay. But the grinding
The closer people live to their jobs, the better the retention, says a local Oil and Gas Industry executive. With housing options
environment where families can visit from time to time, the retention rate of the workers would increase dramatically. JCubed offers quality lodgings with the comforts of home. Walkable surroundings in a place where friendly relationships foster rapport among peers is common. Just because workers are away from home, doesn’t mean they can’t still feel at home. Original article written by Jordan Blum and first appeared in the Houston Chronicle.