Further developing OFES sector relationships with elected officials, PESA and Sunbelt Steel welcomed Sen. John Cornyn to visit Sunbelt Steel’s headquarters on Clinton road in Houston on August 28.
Sen. Cornyn toured Sunbelt’s facilities, which included demonstrations of manufacturing capabilities and overview of services provided to onshore and offshore production companies. Sen. Cornyn met a dozen Sunbelt employees to learn about their roles in steel production.
After the tour, Sen. Cornyn hosted an industry roundtable discussing economic benefits of Texas’s oil and gas industry. Joining PESA’s Tim Tarpley, Vice President of Government Affairs, at the roundtable was Tiffany Villarreal, President, InfraTex Consulting; Ron Bailey, CEO, Digital Network Assets; Michael Kowalaski, President & CEO, Sunbelt Steel; Dr. Kevin Roberts, Executive Director, Texas Public Policy Foundation; Kathleen Hartnett White, Senior Fellow, TPPF Life Powered; Jason Issac, Senior Manager and Distinguished Fellow, TPPF Life Powered; Hector Rivero, President & CEO, Texas Chemical Council; John Esparza, President & CEO, Texas Trucking Association; Bethany Reinhardt, Vice President, Enterprise Business Development, Dunavant Trans Gulf Transportation; and Karr Ingham, Economist, Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.
Tarpley addressed the crowd of 30, including many Sunbelt Steel employees, and focused on specific economic benefits PESA members provide to the Lone Star State.
[su_quote cite=”Tim Tarpley, Vice President Government Affairs, PESA”]If Texas were once again its own country, it would rank as the world’s sixth largest energy producer. The energy sector employs more than 292,000 Texans, including 40,000 women, with an average income of $92,000.[/su_quote]
“This sector forms the backbone of the middle class in Texas,” he said. “While some of these jobs are technical and require advanced degrees, many don’t. They just require a good work ethic.”
This visit marks the eighth PESA Congressional Tour hosted by PESA this year. Sen. Cornyn joins Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29) who toured Baker Hughes, a GE company, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX-10) who toured BJ Services, Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX-36) who toured DistributionNOW, Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK-4) who toured Kerr Pumps, Rep. Kendra Horn (D-OK-5) who toured Kimray, Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK-1) who toured Gardner Denver and Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA-3) who toured M&M International in Louisiana. These events are excellent opportunities to build relationships between PESA Member Companies, their employees and elected officials.
PESA continues to organize similar events throughout the country regularly. Should you wish to host such a visit, please reach out to Tim Tarpley, VP Government Affairs.
