Workforce Housing Magazine

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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

__________________________

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

__________________________


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


__________________________

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.





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