Finalist
Business Services & Staffing
June Ressler didn’t know much about the oil and gas industry in 1996 when she had an opportunity to supply a few consultants to a major energy company so that they could share a group insurance umbrella.
Ressler, a family law attorney who had moved from Pennsylvania to Louisiana, had been preparing to take the state bar and put out her shingle in the South. Instead, she shifted gears, founded Cenergy International Services out of her living room and became certified as a woman-owned business.
Starting with only a few consultants and little or no supporting staff, Ressler began soliciting additional contracts from other oil and gas companies to provide consultants to oil fields that specialized in everything from the design to completion of oil wells.
Cenergy’s first few years of growth happened slowly, but it was able to pick up contracts with industry notables such as Chevron.
After stringing together a group of successful client engagements, Cenergy, with its corporate headquarters now in Houston, started a three-year expansion tear.
But once again, things changed. Internal client procurement groups that were responsible for hiring consultants started sourcing for value and safety rather than just expertise. So Ressler adapted, quickly forming a safety group and re-evaluating her pricing structure. The moves reignited Cenergy’s growth and set the company on the path for its next phase.
Today, Ressler maintains a pool of about 400 consultants who specialize in all aspects of oil well construction and development. She has secured numerous long-term clients with industry leaders. And she is focused on the future, which she believes is international, and is positioning her firm for global expansion. She has opened shop in Canada and built a presence in China, but she is constantly on the lookout for other good opportunities to pursue.
How to reach: Cenergy International Services LLC, (713) 965-6200 or www.cenergyintl.com
