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http://www.highschoolrudyawards.com/Nominees/29/Calob_Leindecker.aspx]]> General http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=134 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:31:19 -0600 http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=132 null

HOUSTON, TEXAS. January 28, 2010 – For over 10 years, CECO’s ACTT division has provided testing, training and consulting services to compressor operators and pipeline crews, helping to make field operations safer and more efficient. CECO, the Houston-based compressor and engine optimization experts, announced today that the ACTT unit will now be known as CECO Training & Technical Services Division.CECO Training & Technical Services include instructor-led training, printed course material, certification and online training programs as well as mechanical health and performance analysis, emissions testing, facility optimization and horsepower curve development. As the premier provider of technical training, field testing and professional consulting services for the natural gas and petrochemical industries, CECO helps companies to promote long-term, efficient, reliable and emission-compliant equipment operation.

The ACTT brand -- for Anderson Consulting, Training and Testing -- was founded by Randy Anderson, now CECO’s Principal Consultant. Anderson will continue to lead CECO’s industry-best consulting business -- Expert Witness Services, Failure Investigations and Maintenance Programs. “The name change is a natural,” Anderson said, “and will help our customers to know they will still receive the personalized service ACTT has always provided and with the strength of CECO to back it up.”

CECO is the world’s largest independent manufacturer of engine and compressor replacement parts. Customers include gas pipelines, gathering and processing companies, petrochemical, industrial and refrigeration plants worldwide. CECO’s new rMax® high-speed mini poppet valves and LEP™ packing lead the industry in innovative solutions for compressor efficiency and reduction of emissions. In addition, CECO Pipeline Services provides new construction and a variety of maintenance services to pipeline operators. CECO, headquartered in Houston, also has facilities in Odessa, TX, Irondale, AL and Walker, LA.

More information about CECO and its many products and services is available at www.TRYCECO.com.
null]]> Press Releases http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=132 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:05:05 -0600 http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=130
Unlike our northern counterparts, Houston has a way of shutting down when snow and ice begin falling from the sky. Kids are released from school early so they can play in the snow for the first time in their lives travel home safely. Adults skip out of the office for a few moments to toss snowballs at coworkers. Some (but not here) find themselves sent home early from the office as well, only to find themselves on roadways full of people who have no clue how to drive in even the tiniest amount of snow and ice.

CECO Corporate Headquarters

At least the flakes in the air and snow covered rooftops might make you hum to yourself, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…” Enjoy it while it lasts, because tomorrow we’re back in the 50’s!
]]> General http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=130 Fri, 4 Dec 2009 14:55:28 -0600 http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=128 Mr. Jim Hutton's suggestions for career enhancement, as presented at the 2008 GMC.

SUGGESTIONS FOR CAREER ENHANCEMENT

1. Be honest and have integrity
2. Have a good reputation and keep it
3. Love your work
4. Improve your people skills
5. Be a good listener
6. Improve your letter writing skills
7. Confirming in writing all important information
8. Send the right signals out and you will get the right signals back
9. Keep all your promises
10. Keep in touch
11. Improve your telephone manners

This Post highlights Mr. Hutton's seventh suggestion, to confirm in writing all important information.

Confirm, in writing, all important information, not only to avoid misunderstandings, but also so the recipient will remember more.

I couldn’t use this chart in my book because I was unable to determine the source.

Studies have revealed the following about information retention:



This tabulation shows how much information is retained after (3) hours, (24) hours, and (72) hours, depending on how it was presented. From this you will note that if someone hears something only, after (72) hours they retain only 2%. If they see it only, they retain 10% after (72) hours – but if they hear and see it, they retain 50% after (72) hours. If you tell someone something and also put it in writing, they will retain 25 times as much information as if you just talk only.

I find the numbers in this table astonishing – even frightening. To realize that if you just tell someone something verbally that after three days they will remember only 2% of what you told him. This is sobering. In my early days, I failed to confirm very much. – Now I do.

Also, you should always strive to avoid misunderstandings because when misunderstandings occur, it seems that everyone loses. It can cause you embarrassment and can even cost lives. For example, maximum cylinder or vessel working pressure is transmitted only verbally to someone and not confirmed in writing.

Confirm in writing all important information.
]]> Ask Mr. Hutton http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=128 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:33:00 -0600 http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=126 Jim Hutton's 6th suggestion for career enhancement urges us to improve your letter writing skills.

Very few people seem to be able to write letters anymore. Perhaps e-mail has contributed to this.

Our sales people were all university graduates, but their draft letters to customers were pretty grim.
To help them, I always asked them to put down on paper what they wanted to write and to give it to me for revision, but I always told them to be absolutely honest in what they included.

Letters you write are a reflection of you and your company. Also, when you send a letter or e-mail, you lose control of it and you do not know who will read it besides the recipient. His boss or someone very high in, or even outside, the company may be given a copy. Think carefully about what you include in letters and also how you write them and the words you choose. Some words are inflammatory and should be avoided. Read your letters over again and again and don’t hesitate to revise. If the letter is complex, or if other people have been involved in what you are writing about, suggest that they read your draft and make comments, especially for accuracy.

Keep in mind also that virtually all organizations have internal politics and occasional jurisdictional disputes; therefore, study and give a lot of thought before including critical or unflattering comments in your written communication. Printed messages have a life of their own and can be forwarded to other people and can be used to crucify, embarrass, or otherwise make someone or some department look bad.

Other suggestions for writing good letters
• Don’t play games.
• Be careful with copies. Send copies judiciously.
• When confirming agreements, don’t slip something in that wasn’t specifically agreed to.
• Avoid inflammatory words.
• While composing the letter, practice empathy. Try to place yourself in the recipient’s shoes and evaluate how you would interpret the information included and think about what your reader wishes to know.
• Think about how you can best serve the reader’s interest.
• Never talk down. Use temperate language if writing upward or to customers.
• Make sure all names are spelled correctly.
• Make sure titles are correct.
• Make sure grammar and spelling are correct.
• Use soft language. Say we believe, we feel, or we think rather than making strong or rash statements.
• At the top of your letter, in the reference, include relevant information such as:
o Subject
o Purchase Order Number
o Name of Plant
o Contract or Job Number
o List of previous meetings, phone calls, or correspondence on this subject.

This enables the recipients to know immediately what you are writing about. It also aids in accurate filing.
• Keep sentences and paragraphs short.
• Use simple language – a province of clear thinkers.
• Tabulate technical information rather than include in sentence form. If lengthy, include it on a separate attached page.
• Do not include in-house terms without identifying.
• Forget I, me, my, mine, we, and ours. Substitute you and yours.
• The opening sentence must, besides compelling attention, obtain the reader’s confidence and must radiate the “you” attitude. It must also make clear that he is the one to benefit from the message.
• The closing sentence should be forceful and make it clear what you expect the reader to do.

There are many good books on letter writing. One of the best to help with sentence structure is “Elements of Style” by Strunk & White. Another good reference is “The Elements of Business Writing” by Blake and Bly. Take great pains to learn how to write good letters. It will pay dividends.
]]> Ask Mr. Hutton http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=126 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:35:00 -0600 http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=124 Jim Hutton's 5th suggestion for career enhancement is to be a good listener.

In 1973, I went with the local manager to call on the maintenance foreman of a large overseas oil company.

On his desk was a plaque with this inscription in Spanish. Since I did not read Spanish, I asked him what the inscription said. He said it epitomized his life history. Then he translated it for me.

After I heard the translation, I told our host that it also epitomized my life history and it still does today. People, in general, just don’t listen – and people, in general, do not know how to listen. Most people are lousy listeners, but technical people cannot afford to be poor listeners.

The eye has been the favored child in school while the ear has been left to fend for itself. The neglected ear performs poorly in the world where it must work overtime. It is estimated that we listen at about 25% efficiency. How we do our jobs, how we get along with other people, how we get along with our superiors, what we eat, the medicine we take, what we do to our hair, what we wear, how we furnish our homes, the moral codes we adopt, how we vote – are all greatly influenced by the way we listen.

One hundred technical workers in 47 states were asked to rate reading, writing, speaking, and listening in order of their importance on their jobs.

The results were:
Reading 4%
Writing 11%
Speaking 22%
Listening 63%

These statistics probably apply to most groups.

To better understand what is being spoken, keep in mind something about the person talking because everyone, when he is speaking, is to a large degree talking about himself. The speaker will unconsciously reflect into his words his inner feelings, his idiosyncrasies, his preconceptions, his assumptions, his background, and his prejudices.

A good example of poor listening by most people is what happens when several individuals from the same company or group attend a meeting with a customer or with their own colleagues. When you caucus later to discuss what you heard in the meeting, you will invariably have as many versions as you had people in the gathering. Sometimes there is such a divergence that you are quite sure that some of the individuals were in a different meeting altogether.

Some suggestions for improving your listening skill:
• Bear in mind listening is hard work and requires real effort
• Pay attention to the speaker and put his needs first
• Let him know that you are listening
• Be empathetic and responsive
• Look at the speaker and stay alert
• Listen for ideas
• Suspend your own judgment while listening
• Ask clarifying or follow-up questions when the speaker stops talking

We often fail to listen because:
• We are too busy.
• We already have our minds made up.
• We are uninterested or day dreaming.
• The problem is either too simple or too complex.

To show how important listening is, consider the following:

This is a true experience. Several years ago (in 1968) we were working on a large project in the Soviet Union. Other firms were involved and their presidents were leading the discussions. Following the conclusion of one of our negotiating visits, I was traveling out to London where I lived and at the Moscow airport encountered one of these presidents whom I knew. The plane was not crowded, seats were not assigned, and when we boarded the flight I sat down across the aisle from him. As soon as we were airborne, he invited me to move over and sit by him. I began the conversation by asking a question about his career, where he grew up, etc. When he finished responding, I asked another question. This was repeated during the next 3 ½ hours. I made a few comments, but mostly I asked questions and listened intently to his replies. Upon our arrival, he was met by his London manager and continued back to the U.S. A week or so later, I had lunch with this London manager. He told me that his president said I was the best conversationalist he had ever met. The only thing I did was to ask questions, to listen, and to let him know that I was listening. Even today, even today, because of the answers I received, I probably remember more about this president than 98% of the salesmen who ever called on him – even those who saw him over a long period of time.

Two good books on listening are “Your Most Enchanted Listener” by Wendel Johnson and “Are You Listening?” by Nichols and Stevens.

Work hard at being a good listener.
]]> Ask Mr. Hutton http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=124 Tue, 3 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0600 http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=122 Jim Hutton's Suggestions for Career Enhancement

1. Be honest and have integrity
2. Have a good reputation and keep it
3. Love your work
4. Improve your people skills
5. Be a good listener
6. Improve your letter writing skills
7. Confirming in writing all important information
8. Send the right signals out and you will get the right signals back
9. Keep all your promises
10. Keep in touch
11. Improve your telephone manners

We'll now continue with his discussion of suggestions to love your work and improve your people skills.

Love your work

All of us have noted how much more can be accomplished if we love our work and are therefore highly motivated. We have all observed what motivated athletes can do by winning when no one gave them a chance. All loved what they were doing.


There is a Chinese Proverb that goes like this:
“If you would be happy for one hour, take a nap.”
“If you would be happy for a day, go fishing.”
“If you would be happy for a week, kill your pig and eat it.”
“If you would be happy for a month, get married.”
“If you would be happy for a year, inherit a fortune.”
“If you would be happy for life, love your work.”

Love your work and you will accomplish much more and have a happier and healthier life.

In early history, work was considered a necessary evil. Not anymore. Today our work defines us.

Now when we meet someone new, we usually ask them what they do even before we ask where they are from.

New York Federal Judge Milton Pollack died recently at 97. Work, he often said, kept him alive.

Here is my thought about work:

Find a job you truly love and you will never work another day in your life.

Love your work.

The next suggestion is:
Improve your people skills

A few years ago, I was playing golf with a retired senior executive from a major oil company. While waiting between holes, I asked him a few questions about his career and what experience gave him the most satisfaction. He told me that during his last few years, he spent several hours each week on a committee whose only job was to evaluate the outstanding performers and recommending who among this select few would be promoted and move up to even bigger and better jobs and to eventually run the company. He went on to say that invariably those not selected for promotion failed due to shortcomings in getting along with people or in their people skills. He said all were competent technically in their fields. All the engineers were excellent in their disciplines. The mechanical engineers were good. The chemical engineers were brilliant. The civil engineers were outstanding. The geologists, accountants, and lawyers knew and did their jobs well technically, but the failure of almost all of this group to move still higher in the organization was due almost entirely to their inability to communicate well, to manage people, and their inability to get along well with their colleagues, their superiors, and their subordinates – their failure in the “people” category.
To me, it seems that people with only technical skills reach a plateau in their careers and unless they possess other talents outside their disciplines, they top out and don’t move up.

It is like this diagram:

null

You move up the ladder to a certain level; then you stall.

In order to break out of the pack, you require talent and abilities out of your discipline. Here is what a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh said:

“I advise students all the time, you have got to have something you can do for a company now. That is what gets you in the door. But, if you want to succeed long term, you’ve got to have a broader range of skills and problem solving abilities.”

Hopefully, this presentation will help you toward this goal.
Work hard to improve your people skills. Practicing the other topics I am discussing will help in this category.

]]> Ask Mr. Hutton http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=122 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:30:00 -0500 http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=119 null

Congratulations to Philip Fuentes who is the winner of our Blog Drawing from last week. Thanks to everyone who posted comments make sure to visit our blog for new and exciting things going on at CECO!]]> General http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=119 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:52:26 -0500 http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=117 Today we continue with the second of ten suggestions for career enhancement that Jim Hutton gave in his 2008 GMC presentation, have a good reputation and keep it.

I cannot over emphasize this. Bear in mind your reputation is built up...

hour by hour,
day by day,
month by month,
year by year...

over a lifetime and can be severely damaged or destroyed in a heartbeat by inappropriate behavior.

Victor Hugo's thoughts about this almost 150 years ago:
“Be it true or false, what is said about men often has as much influence on their lives, and especially upon their destinies as what they do!”
It is still true today.

As Shakespeare put it:
“The purest treasure mortal times afford is spotless reputation.”

Charles W. Eliot, a 40-year President of Harvard University, had this to say about reputation:
“It is the judgment of your contemporaries that is most important to you; and you will find that the judgment of your contemporaries is made up alarmingly early, and often lasts a lifetime. Live today and every day like a man of honor.”

From “The Unwritten Laws of Engineering” (an ASME publication):
“In a surprisingly short period, individuals are recognized, appraised, and catalogued for exactly what they are, with far greater accuracy than they usually realize. Therefore, it behooves you to let your personal conduct, overtly and covertly, represent the very best practical standard of professional integrity by which you would like to let the world judge and rate you.”

Here is a Bible quotation:
A good name is more desirable than great riches.
To be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
Proverbs 22:1

Bear in mind that your reputation goes out in front of you – it does not follow you. The industry is small and the word gets around. Your image is created by all that you say and do both inside and outside your organization. To many people, a person’s word transcends what is put in writing. Have a good reputation and keep it.

Join us next week for Mr. Hutton's next suggestion, Love Your Work.
]]> Ask Mr. Hutton http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=117 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0500 http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=116
This packing came from a compressor that was submerged during Hurricane Ike. Yuck!

hurricane ike packing

This valve came in recently and we are working on figuring out exactly what might have caused it and four other valves to split into two pieces. (You can see one of the other valves behind this one.)

split channel valve

Fortunately, the packing case these pieces came out of has been repaired. Nothing but a serious piston problem can cause damage like this to a packing case filled with bronze!

bronze packing
bent packing case screw
You can see the springs embedded in the metal!
embedded spring

While you can repair a poppet valve yourself, if you end up with a rough surface like this one, you will end up needing to replace the entire seat.

poorly repaired poppet valve

Other times these get so worn down there isn’t much anyone can do.

worn out poppet valve

This pre-combustion chamber has also seen better days:

busted pre-combustion chamber
]]> Repair with David Crawfoot http://www.ceconet.com/blog/index.php?itemid=116 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:18:37 -0500