SWAT Focused on Performance
SWAT logo
It goes without saying that any business looking for providers of highly specialized turnaround services will inevitably seek the help of the best and most trusted option in the industry.
Founded in 2014, Specialty Welding and Turnarounds (SWAT) prides itself in being qualified as such, maintaining an industry-leading safety record, superior execution capabilities and a wide range of services. Such services provided include specialty welding, general mechanical, catalyst, cooling tower, refining, chemical, renewable and chip manufacturing services, as well as semi-conductor work, to name a few.
Company overview: Consistent in service
Upon its inception in 2014, SWAT’s founders identified an industry need for better execution, quality and technical expertise during turnarounds. Over the course of its nearly 10 years of service, SWAT identified the same need across new service lines, including catalyst, alky units and cooling tower services. SWAT performs services across the U.S. While headquartered in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, area and serving the Gulf Coast region, it also maintains a prominent presence in the Midwest as well as the Southwest portion of the country, namely across the region spanning from the Greater Los Angeles area, to Arizona, to the Texas Golden Triangle market. SWAT has a coverage area spanning more than 18 states and a nationwide craft labor database of over 10,000 highly experienced and trained professionals. With master service agreements with more than 50 U.S. facilities, including some of the world’s largest oil refiners and petrochemical suppliers, SWAT maintains multiple touchpoints across its crucial customer relationships.
Regional expansion
"We’re continuing to grow our current client relationships," said CEO Marcus Deal about the current and future state of SWAT. "Our clients and connections are of utmost importance to us, and we’re constantly striving to branch into new territory to offer our services to clients nationwide." Deal revealed that the biggest news at SWAT at present is the grand opening of its newly built facility in Baytown, Texas. The facility will support its ever-expanding operation by housing its cooling tower and catalyst operations as well as its piping and mechanical divisions, according to Deal. It officially opened in June. Deal also told BIC that SWAT is continuing its renewables operations with a focus on its California and Montana projects. With an ever-evolving energy-producing landscape, SWAT is constantly expanding its capabilities to meet the needs of alternative energy providers. Hydrogen production, biomass gasification and renewable diesel are all areas of renewable energy in which SWAT has expertise and resources to complete a project.
Cooling tower installation
The cooling tower business will be a significant aspect of the Baytown presence. SWAT already has extensive experience in cooling tower rental installation, inspection and repair services, and this will only be boosted by the additional operation. After its recent acquisition of Midwest Cooling Tower Services (MWCTS), SWAT is capable of supplying a safe, easy to install modular cooling tower solution that can scale up or down based on customer needs. The accompanying fleet of electric pumps offers a wide range of flow rates and pressure possibilities. MWCTS’ client list includes some of the largest companies in the world, all of which the SWAT subsidiary has helped implement efficient cooling tower assets while ensuring an understanding of asset maintenance. As is already the case across the board, the MWCTS operation in Baytown will work closely with companies to maintain, repair and extend the life of their cooling towers while keeping a substantial inventory of the most critical parts needed to keep large cooling towers up and running.
Catalyst work
SWAT’s catalyst work will also be a prominent fixture of the Baytown operation. The current operation uses advanced processes, procedures, modular equipment and technology to safely remove spent catalyst and load fresh catalyst into process vessels. This expertise helps to seamlessly transition between different project phases, eliminating common delays and improving efficiency. That said, SWAT is the exclusive provider of the Hydropac® high-performance dense-loading system. Hydropac® is optimized to handle a higher ΔP, a measure that describes the pressure difference between two measured values that can be measured at different times or at different locations in a system. Hydropac® distributes catalyst in a uniform pattern and at just the right speed — slow enough to let the particles settle, fast enough to streamline loading. This process occurs in a manner that delivers better performance and prevents catalyst attrition while also ensuring operational safety. SWAT’s catalyst work delivers services safely and efficiently; services offered are as follows:
- Loading dense loads
- Wet dumps
- Dust free
- Load software
- Inert entry
- Video inspections
- API inspections
- Full line of inert PPE and life support trailers
SWAT new facility
SWAT’S NEW FACILITY Located in BAYTOWN’S CEDAR PORT INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX Client facilities are supported in part by SWAT’s planning for new and existing equipment installation and modification. Such work includes tower replacement, tower tunneling and cleaning, tray replacement, exchanger replacement and repair, fin fan replacement and repair, general valve replacement and unit decommissioning and start-up. The Baytown facility will support SWAT’s operation by housing its cooling tower and catalyst operations as well as its piping and mechanical divisions.
Heat exchanger services
Another critical portion of SWAT’s offered services is its heat exchanger business. SWAT provides maintenance and repair to guard against shell failure, sheet joint and tube leakage and gasket failure with the following application-specific services:
- Blind-to-blind disassembly
- Shell and channel repair
- Bundle extraction, retubing and repair
- Mechanical and chemical cleaning
Torquing, tensioning and machining capabilities
Another service offered by the company is a wide range of torque and tensioning services, including broken stud removal, stud replacement, hot bolting, nut splitting, and re-torquing after a shutdown or turnaround. SWAT’s torquing and tensioning services provide safe and effective methods for ensuring the controlled tightening and loosening of bolts. With the ability to marshal a wide range of light, compact, safe and efficient hydraulic, pneumatic, electric and battery-powered torque tools, SWAT can service any unit or component. Clients can perform a post-turnaround restart with the guarantee that the integrity of their completed systems is top-notch. Field machining and mill working capabilities at SWAT include exotics, stainless steel, alloys, carbon steel and polymers. The company prides itself in having milling and machining that ensures structural integrity to any project to which they are applied. Current refinery processes dictate that units and components must be able to endure extreme pressures, temperatures and caustic materials related to operations such as heat exchanging, turbine operating, distillation processing, reactor cooling, cracking and coking. As such, SWAT understands the crucial importance of unit and component integrity when it comes to key structures. Such components include:
- Bar, pipe and tubing
- Forgings
- Castings
- Structural plate and beams
A culture of high expectations
SWAT’s company culture, first and foremost, expects the highest effort from its team and therefore selects the best talent for its operation. Selecting from a referral-only pool of about 7,000 professionals, SWAT employs project managers, supervisors and technicians to plan and manage projects and direct a labor force of skilled craftspeople. Project managers at SWAT can assemble and engage all parties involved in an entire project and communicate key aspects and details of the project with any and all relevant stakeholders. They will then assess all of a project’s staffing needs and make the necessary adjustments to meet customer expectations. Project managers also identify any and all obstacles in the planning phase — before they become a problem. They assure elimination of any such hindrances before turnaround commences, leading to a smooth and safe process for the duration of the project. As SWAT expands its operation into new frontiers, it guarantees the same standard of quality it has maintained since its founding. Whether it’s providing services in welding, turnarounds, torquing, tensioning, machining, catalysts, heat exchangers or otherwise, SWAT guarantees excellence from start to finish.
For more information, visit swatservice.com, email mareno@swatservice.com or call (225) 644-1200.
