"Safety is not a priority because priorities can change—it's part of our culture," Toups says. "When we work 40 million man-hours in a year and maintain a good safety record, that says something. Our guys work with some hard iron next to them."

Turner Industries is also making its mark in work force development, earning CURT recognition. The company is part of the North Baton Rouge Industrial Training Initiative—a collaborative effort with ExxonMobil, the Capital Area Technical College, the Baton Rouge Community College and other partners.

Given the anticipated demand for workers on future industrial projects along the Gulf Coast—where some predict as many as 80,000 workers may be needed—Turner is exploring all options to staff its jobs. The company has a proven record of bringing in large work forces when needed. It brought in 3,000 workers to the $4-billion Marathon Petroleum refinery expansion in Garyville, La., drawing from around the U.S. and abroad for qualified talent.

In light of the construction forecast, Turner Industries could consider myriad opportunities in the coming years, but Toups is trying to maintain perspective. "I'm cautioning my people to not get carried away," he says. "A lot of what has been announced will get deferred. People talk about work force issues, but a main concern is a lack of qualified engineers to design this work. But the fact is, even if half of it materializes, there will be a hell of a lot of work to go around."

Looking to the horizon, Toups says the company is holding firm to its heritage as a privately held company. In a market where many of its major competitors are public firms, Toups sees its ownership as an advantage. "We've had many opportunities to go public over the years, but we want to protect this family culture that we've built here," he says. "That's valuable for our employees and our customers. When you lose that, what legacy is left behind?"