Working Underwater: The Story of the Commercial Diving Industry

ONYX SERVICES,
INC.
Above: ONYX setting articulating concrete
mats on a pipeline in Biscayne Bay, Florida.
Below: Splashing a diver to inspect pipe.
ONYX Services, Inc. is a diversified pipeline
services company based in Houston, Texas.
The company specializes in pipeline inspection,
maintenance and repair. ONYX partners
with a broad range of clients across all energy
sectors and environments, including land,
marsh, and underwater.
ONYX Services, Inc., began in January
2012 after a small group with knowledge
and experience in oil and gas service agreed
to pursue a common goal of working for
themselves and owning a business.
The mission of the new company was
to provide all pipeline operators a one
call resource for their inspection, repair,
maintenance, and construction needs on
land, marsh, or underwater. Professional,
knowledgeable and experienced crews provide
and implement cost effective solutions
for any location, wherever customers work.
They summed up the services they offered
with the slogan, “Got Pipe? Get ONYX!”
It took a few months to secure all the
permits, licenses, and insurance required
to get the business going. Finally, several
experienced people were hired and ONYX
hung out its shingle and began work in the
North Houston, Texas, area. Starting with
some basic equipment and a leased building
and land purchased three years later, it was
not long before the first small project was
awarded. Soon, through word-of-mouth and
lots of cold calling, more and more projects
were awarded. ONYX has now performed
work in all the contiguous forty-eight states.
ONYX had to overcome a major challenge
when a drought-ending flood early in 2014
left six inches of water in the building after
the rain stopped. With no power in the area,
but plenty of customers calling for ONYX’s
services, all employees not already working
on projects started cleaning the building
while continuing to answer the needs of
their clients. This went on for several days
and on through the weekend before things
began to gain a semblance of order. However,
ONYX’s clients never realized the chaos
caused by the flooded building as all their
needs were met during the post-flood cleanup.
ONYX has grown steadily year after year
and had approximately fifty employees in
2016. The company and its employees take
great pride in supporting the local high
schools and many youth teams in the area.
Looking to the future, ONYX plans to
remain highly diversified in its clientele
and services with a focus on North America
and the Upstream and Midstream oil and
gas sectors.
To learn more about ONYX Services, check
their website at www.onyxincorporated.com.
WORKING UNDERWATER: The Story of the Commercial Diving Industry
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