NPL Construction Company has been a leader in the natural gas industry for almost four decades. The company is dedicated to the highest quality and safety standards possible. Southwest Administrators [SWA], a division of NPL in the Southern California region, is currently busy working on an extremely challenging project for Southern California Gas Company in Laguna Beach.

The project entails the replacing of old gas pipelines along Park Ave. and
Legion Ave. The existing pipeline is being replaced due to a combination of factors. Much of the pipeline being replaced is well over 50 years old. The old
four-inch steel pipeline is being replaced with 1900 feet of three-inch plastic pipeline and 2200 feet of two-inch plastic pipeline. SWA is handling all trenching, service work and tie-ins that include a church, Laguna Beach
High School and some 70 residences. The company is also providing tie-ins
to seven side streets in the serviced area.

Due to the nature and location of the project, SWA has been faced with a
number of challenges. The City of Laguna Beach mandates that 100
percent of all materials excavated in the trenching process be hauled away
from the site. Due to a major portion of the project involving both the
servicing and trenching adjacent to Laguna Beach High School, SWA
has faced a number of restrictions.

One Sack Slurry is then poured as a final step before asphalting the street. The pack is a combination of sand and cement. Not only does the slurry act as a solid cover for the pipeline, it also serves as an indicator for any other contractor that will trench the area on a subsequent project. The solution is also pliable enough to allow for the constant geological shifts Southern California experiences. By being pliable, an easier dig is allowed should any repair work be required in later years.

Using plastic pipe as opposed to steel is another major time and job saving factor. When steel lines are used, a pressure control fitting must be installed in order to shut off the gas so that repairs can be completed. Plastic pipelines allow the company to “pinch” the line to control the gas pressure for repair work, and eliminate any need for welding the pipe.

At the Laguna project, SWA performed some of the work “hot” – meaning that, because Laguna High School was operating at the time work was being performed, SWA fed gas to the school through a temporary line while installing the new pipeline. Once the new line was installed, the company performed a switch-over from old to new with the school never losing its source of gas.

SWA opened their southwest division in Ontario in 2001. At the time the company had three crews and 20 employees. By the end of their first year in business, they had ten crews operating.

Today SWA boasts over 40 crews working daily on a wide variety of projects throughout Southern California.  The company covers 17 districts throughout Orange County and portions of Los Angeles County, as well as in San Bernardino and Imperial Counties.

“This company is quality and safety driven,” said Carlson offering the primary reason for SWA’s unprecedented growth over the past five years.

“We consistently strive for the highest quality of workmanship in any project the company is involved with. We have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to our quality level of performance. Everyone who works for the company understands that quality and safety are of paramount importance.”

One way SWA has taken the lead in being pro-active in safety is to offer classes to newer employees with less experience working with gas. Classes are held in a traditional classroom setting, and teach safety measures in the handling of gas pipeline installation.

The company has also two Safety Directors on staff whose sole role is to ensure that all SWA projects conform to the highest safety regulations and standards.

SWA also holds weekly foreman meetings, allowing a forum for all local managers for input and feedback and open discussion on various challenges faced on projects.

Carlson enjoys this very type of company philosophy and teamwork. “I started in the industry back in 1982” he said.  “Over the years, we have seen greater challenges occur due to stricter regulations and restrictions dictated by local government entities. SWA is clearly the best company I’ve ever worked for. The company fosters a team work atmosphere. It is team driven with a common goal for doing the job

safely and ensuring the highest quality. Working together to deal with the challenges a project offers is very rewarding. Ensuring that all of our customers are satisfied is the goal of the team. Knowing that the project is completed to everyone’s satisfaction is extremely satisfying.”

High quality standards, meeting the challenge and making safety a priority is what NPL and SWA are all about. Cc