Historic Midland

CROUCH
WELL
SERVICE
The story of Crouch Well Service begins with
the arrival of Howard and Jimmie Crouch from
Paris, Texas, one night after midnight in 1949,
where Howard banged on the door of Paul
Bates, co-owner of G & W Well Service.
“I need a job,” he explained to Bates in his
darkened house.
“Well, if you’ll come back during work hours,
I’ll put you to work,” said Bates. The next morning,
Howard was at the yard at 5:30 a.m., and
Bates made Howard a hand.
Howard went into partnership with Barney
Foster in 1954 to form F & F Well Service. Then
in 1965, he started Crouch Well Service. He went
to Watson Truck & Supply in Hobbs, New
Mexico, and told owner Finn Watson that he had
no money, but he needed two well service rigs.
Watson let him have them. The first years were
tough ones, with pole rigs and manual tools, and
all of them working from 5:30 A.M. until past
sundown. They concentrated on the Spraberry
Field, doing what they knew how to do, and the
work paid off. They added rigs and personnel in
response to the growing business. In the 1970’s,
Crouch Well Service added hot oil services.
In 1980, Howard bought a derrick, complete
with power tongs and power slips, from Watson
Truck & Supply, for $429,000 cash.
The Crouch’s son, Jim, is now manager of the
company’s 70 employees, 11 well service rigs
and 10 hot oil trucks. Although the work days
still begin at 5:30 a.m., the power tools and
computers make it easier. Last year the company
did some $6,000,000 in business in the
Permian Basin.
Howard says he doesn’t have any high-minded
philosophy about the business.
“I just want my kids to have it a little better
than I did,” he said.
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Bottom, left: Howard and Jimmie Crouch
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