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Louisiana business owner creates local opportunities, expands industrial supply chain
Kaizen Mechanical Services participates in development program to broaden service offering and support skilled professionals in the local community.
Tony Montgomery had a vision. When he started his small business in Louisiana, Kaizen Mechanical Services (“Kaizen”), he was focused on service and a deep commitment to achieving results the right way.
Creating local opportunities
When Tony started his career in the refining industry, it was hard to find opportunity to advance even as he broadened his knowledge, experience, training and degrees. As his company grew, he wanted to take his own experiences and help bridge those gaps for people in his local community. Today, Kaizen is a minority-owned business that creates workforce opportunities in south Louisiana.
During the past 5 years, Kaizen has grown into a company with more than forty employees to support an increasing workload. Originally focused on providing technical support for rotating equipment like turbines, pumps, generators, compressors or engines in refineries, Kaizen has expanded to offer equipment overhauls and maintenance.
In the petrochemical and refining industry, the reliability of critical equipment, as well as safely and efficiently executing work, is key.
"About 80% of Kaizen’s workforce is local to south Louisiana, which means we are able to give opportunities to minority employees who found it difficult to advance in other companies."
Tony Montgomery, president of Kaizen Mechanical Services
Since 2021, Shell’s Norco Partnership Program has focused on developing a competitive supplier base, so they grow and become more integrated with Shell.
The program has since expanded to Shell’s Downstream Partnership Program to include Geismar and Deer Park locations. To be considered for the program, please fill out the form below.
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Expanding expertise strengthens supply chain
One of the most technical, hard-to-find groups of suppliers for chemicals and products facilities are qualified rotating equipment service providers, and increased demand for these services can increase costs. New suppliers add capability and capacity to the marketplace, which can drive competition and collectively raise the quality of rotating equipment companies and the services they provide.
When rotating equipment is “down” or “broken,” sites face unplanned downtime, which may lead to production loss or shrinking margins. Having a growing group of skilled rotating equipment suppliers helps prevent prolonged downtime and protect value. So when Shell Chemicals & Products saw Kaizen’s efficiency in overhauls and maintenance, it offered Tony and his company a place in its supplier diversity program.
Turnarounds, when a facility is taken offstream for maintenance, are part of operating an industrial site and can be expensive. Work must be delivered on time and at or under budget. Once the facility comes back online, it should be producing more efficiently, which helps improve performance and production. By supporting on-time, underbudget delivery of turnarounds, Kaizen is helping improve the overall performance of Shell’s chemicals and products business.
Kaizen is set to graduate in 2024 from the Shell Norco Partnership Program.
The program is aimed at developing a competitive supplier base, so they grow and become more integrated with Shell. Initially conducting work at Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Norco, Kaizen’s reputation preceded them when other Shell USA locations needed similar services, including Deer Park in Texas, Geismar in Louisiana and Shell Polymers Monaca in Pennsylvania. Kaizen now supports Shell’s entire maintenance, turnaround, and construction organization in the US with the planning and execution of rotating equipment outages, including millwrights, planners, field coordinators, warehouse support, shop inspectors and engineering support.
The future is bright
Kaizen has plans to open another rotating equipment shop in the Louisiana River Region. Tony hopes to train the next generation of skilled professionals, allowing Kaizen to bring more opportunities to the local workforce, as well as better serve their customers.
"Shell has provided Kaizen with various opportunities and helped facilitate our growth in rotating equipment, engineering, and logistics. The Shell Norco Partnership Program was an integral step in being able to develop as a company and personally as a company owner."
Tony Montgomery, president of Kaizen Mechanical Services
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