Many machine shops are making parts for oil industry and downhole drilling. Right now many are closing the doors or just idle to survive the slow time. Here in Edmonton is not busy for this shops. Is your machine shop connected to oil industry? Do you have work? What are you doing to keep the business alive?

Back in the early 80's, ( Lafayette, la) when the oil patch went "tango uniform", I was acquainted with a guy who owned a little machine shop that actually prospered. When the money is really flowing in the oil business, people bought new 'stuff'. When it tightened up a bit folks tended to fix what they had, especially the independents, of which there were many. There was a time, before the bad times hit, if you could spell "wire line", you could go to the bank, borrow money, and start your own business.

In the Milwaukee area, there are three firms that I know of that do work
for the Oil-pumping industry.
But, of the three two are looking as sad as the rest of us.
No new hires, lay-offs in some cases, so can't be certain of curant
indicators.

m1m

Sorry to hear things have slowed down in edmonton, i just left there about 6 months ago.

The fly by nighter oilfield shops are going toes up but the guys who have a couple manual machines repairing stuff are keeping there head above water. I'l tell you one thing that may help, I worked at Vanoil equipment in Nisku for a bit that did the downhole stuff and BOPS but it was nothing compared to the money to be made repairing pumps(spent most of my time working at large pump division after i left Vanoil), seems everyone needs there pumps repaired be it a splitcase multistage (huge job, i wouldnt recommend it right away) but an excellent bread and butter job would be to get into the refurbishing of verticle multistage well pumps. you could probably get some sweet contracts from suncore, shell, sask power, keep hills ect, because they all use pumps.

May be helpful.

BTW if you dont mind me asking whats your shop in edmonton?

It's been rough for the past couple of months with no real hope in sight until next year. We make API tubular products for the oilfield. Range 2 tubing, pup joints and some crossovers. We are still selling pups right now. The volume is off from it's peak but holding pretty firm. Not much tubing moving right now and that hurts. Regualr volume is off by at least 70%.

We have laid off roughly 20 people. Leaves us with a little under 50 hourly and salary employees. Hourly are on 32 hour weeks right now and will be taking off the entire week of Thanksgiving. Hourly will be paid for two of those days. Supervisors are coming in to put in our 40 hours.

Right now we are cleaning up the plant. The machines have gotten a much needed clean up and the shops have new paint. We are just trying to keep the people we have left so when it does come back we don't have to train every position again.
I've been at this game for 26 years. This has been a bad one, not the worst. 1985-87 were worse for us.

We are lucky to be a part of a larger corporation. Without the parent company to lean on we would be in deep s%$t.

The only thing to be happy about is I am still getting a paycheck. At least for now.

Oilfield work has always been a rollercoaster ride. Hang in there it will be back. Good luck to you all.

Hickstick_10, PM send.

In Oklahoma it's awful right now. For having $80 oil its real bad. We had more work when it was $10 before! Maybe it's getting outsourced overseas like everything else now. Many shops will go out if something does not happen.