Wyoming? WY Not? Associate Spotlight on Eric Williams
The rugged terrain of Wyoming is where Derby, Kansas, native Eric Williams finds himself these days. Eric has now been a Wyoming resident for five years, and it all started when he joined P1 Group as an HVAC technician.
In May 2014, Eric was hired in the Wichita Division. In July 2014, P1 Group was awarded the preventive maintenance (PM) agreement at the HollyFrontier Corporation’s Cheyenne, WY, petroleum refinery - the largest PM agreement in P1 company history.
The Wichita Division had previously done work at the HollyFrontier Eldorado Refinery, so when the Cheyenne Refinery needed work, calling upon P1 was the obvious choice.
Eric had yet to establish customers in Wichita, so he was an ideal choice for this new HollyFrontier Corporation account.
“Being single made it easier for me to relocate, and I enjoy the adventure of working out of town,” Eric said.
Eric officially relocated to Cheyenne in July 2014 to work on the initial equipment condition survey and moved forward with maintaining and repairing the equipment at the facility, which includes:
- Class l, Div. ll, Pressurization Equipment for Control & MCC Rooms
- Gas Detection Systems
- Chillers
- Boilers
- Commercial Heating and Air Conditioning Systems
- Control Systems
- Computer Room HVAC
- Unitary Equipment
Service Manager David Pate praised Eric’s commitment to the work. “The petroleum refinery industry has its own unique safety standards and procedures which are quite different than the requirements in the general industry,” David explained. “Eric has attended weekly HFC safety training and uses these standards in his daily work to keep himself completely accident free during his tenure in Cheyenne."
In addition to the preventive maintenance contract, P1 Group has completed a number of design-build HVAC projects at the Cheyenne refinery in which Eric has been instrumental. The maintenance work on the HVAC and pressurization systems at the plant has kept classified area control rooms and MCCs in optimum running condition, which is essential to the refinery’s work.
Although many P1 Group associates have contributed to the success of the sales process and continue to provide administrative support for the PM agreement, Eric’s efforts in the field have resulted in the equipment running nearly 100% of the time, AND a very satisfied customer. “Eric’s positive attitude, demonstrated dedication to the trade, and customer service are greatly appreciated,” David said.
That's WY: Eric's Adventures Away from Work
“When I moved to Wyoming, keeping in touch with family and friends back in Kansas was the most challenging part. I found myself spending a lot of time alone,” Eric said.
Eric has a vast love for the outdoors, which includes dirt biking, mountain biking, and camping, and he soon discovered that the spectacular National and State Parks in the area were perfect venues to enjoy his hobbies.
He was able to meet others who shared his interests and through those friendships, he met Stephany, a Wyoming native and a biking and camping enthusiast. Stephany and Eric were married September, 2018.
