When Stacy Thatcher began working in the oilfield, Nixon was president, sideburns were in, and a gallon of gas cost $0.36.
Stacy is the Branch Manager at Control Equipment Inc., in Odessa, Texas. This last year marks his 50th year of serving customers in West Texas, and we took a moment to celebrate the man and his contributions.
Karl Kovacich, Vice President at Control Equipment, has known Stacy since 1982, when the two worked across the street from each other.
"Stacy knows Kimray valves and controls better than anyone I’ve ever met. He bleeds Kimray, said Karl. "Once, he once came out with an idea to control four high pressure control valves with four different pilots to do different things in an "if/then alignment. It was an ingenious concept, and the roustabout crew and instrumentation folks were thoroughly impressed and grateful for the solution."
"He’s dedicated, and seems to always be happy," said Jenny Kennedy, Customer Service rep at Kimray. "He can always put a smile on your face."
As Control Equipment grew, so did Stacy’s responsibilities. His career began in the warehouse at Control, stocking valves. Soon he moved his way up to up to filling orders, then to warehousing and filling orders, then to service mechanic, where he learned to repair and modify the insides of numerous products. After that he was assistant branch manager and has now served as branch manager for 25 years.
These days, the two like to play golf together, and they often run into people who know Stacy—or at least his voice. "It’s happened several times where we’ll be playing in a golf tournament, and another player will say 'I know you—we’ve been talking on the phone for 20 years.' But they had never met in person, only spoken on the phone."
Jenny has found him to be a valuable reservoir of knowledge. "He knows everything about the oil and gas industry—his area and everyone else’s. When I have an issue or we have something going on at another location, he's regularly involved in helping us find a solution, whether it’s a field performance-related problem or an inventory challenge."
“He’s just a generous person, said Karl. “And in many ways—sharing knowledge and even financially—he’s helped several people.
"It’s important that that we honor those who have laid the path for us and set solid foundation," said Zack Tallon, Director of Customer Experience at Kimray. "Stacy has been an invaluable resource for Control Equipment and Kimray customers in Odessa and West Texas, and his impact and legacy have been vital to our success."
