Earlier this year, MMR was recognized with the Associated Builders and Contractors' Diamond Level National Safety Training and Evaluation Process Award.

MMR is investing in the community and helped fund and build a materials and methods laboratory at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. "We're also involved in the upgrade of its college of engineering," Rutland says.

Big Year Ahead

Much of the work that's being announced in the Gulf Coast will actually be built in 2014, 2015 and perhaps into 2016, Rutland says. "So quite frankly, the Gulf Coast region appears very bright for us," he says. He projects strong years in both 2014 and 2015, "assuming all these announced expansions actually come to fruition."

Rutland sees plenty of overlap in both the Texas and Louisiana industrial markets. "There are a lot of similar industrial facilities in both areas, and the Houston Ship Channel and the Mississippi River have many of the same clients with whom we do a lot of business."

In the Baton Rouge corridor and southwest Louisiana, local industry is anticipating a $50-billion boom in construction activity—right in MMR's backyard. Bruser adds, "We've put eight to 10 projects in Lake Charles on the sales radar that were over $1 billion, so it's going to be incredibly busy in Lake Charles."

MMR has already been notified it will be a major participant in South African oil giant Sasol's integrated gas-to-liquids and ethane cracker complex planned there. "It's been announced as a $21-billion project that will take several years to build," Rutland adds.

"The state of Louisiana has said that it's the largest private investment ever done in the state. So that's a project that's got everybody's attention," Rutland says.

MMR has inked a memorandum with construction manager Fluor to be the project's first-tier electrical contractor. "We think the next three or four years are going to be very exciting," Rutland says. "We're proud to capture our part of the business in upstream, downstream and midstream, and we're happy to be in the Gulf Coast."