As Seen in Oilman Magazine: Danos Celebrates 75 Years of Business
Original article featured in the May/June 2022 issue of Oilman Magazine, seen here - Contributor Nick Vaccaro
While names of organizations like Chevron and Shell command first recognition as service stations around the country, Danos, LLC, carries the same weight as the premier service provider rooted deeply within the energy industry. Founded in 1947, Danos has evolved with a changing market and industry scope to arrive at the pinnacle 75-year celebratory mark.
Danos, a family-owned and operated business headquartered in Gray, Louisiana, employs 2,500 men and women and serves nearly 150 customers across 17 states. While its reach and coverage are vast, company direction and development mounts from the Danos family itself. Three generations of the Danos family have steered the ship and weathered the storms to arrive today as a well-respected leading player in the industry.
“When I reflect on the key to Danos’ sustained success, I think about our values of integrity, safety, service, respect and improvement,” says Paul Danos, president and CEO of Danos. “These founding principles have guided the company for 75 years. Although we’ve said them in different ways over the years, they are the core of who our organization is today.”
Because of the superior service provided to its customers, Danos has achieved notable success and is taking to the streets to celebrate with its 75th Anniversary Road Show. Because its employees and customers are in many geographic locations, the company will host various events throughout Louisiana and Texas with the specific goal of thanking and honoring those who have played essential roles in ensuring its success from the start. Events will range from crawfish boils to happy hour gatherings. Danos employees have embraced the spirit of celebration themselves and have pledged to volunteer 1,947 hours to nonprofit organizations in honor of its birth year.
The company is celebrating this milestone in notable ways, which prove Danos is a key player that has enjoyed success. The more interesting factor is identifying how the company has managed to remain successful and avoid the pitfalls of an industry that can be just as fickle as it can be lucrative. Danos’ recipe for success is based on family application. It has changed slightly over the years, with seasoned family moguls passing the torch to the younger family members entering the scene. Regardless of the demographic, the Danos name signifies a tradition of pride enjoyed by many throughout the oil and gas sector.
Family Patriarch
With only $2,000, Allen Danos, Sr. and his brother-in-law, Syriaque Curole, partnered to form Danos and Curole, later changed to Danos. What started as a tugboat company and labor gang provider has grown into a one-stop shop of many specialized services, including automation, coatings, construction, fabrication, instrumentation and electrical, intelligent integrated material solutions, and mechanical maintenance. Additionally, Danos provides market solutions with power generation, production workforce, project management, regulatory compliance, scaffolding, rope access, logistics, and even valve and wellhead services. While keeping a mindful watch over the Danos machine, Hank Danos serves the company as the family patriarch, owner, and chairman of the board. He joins the executive team in planning and implementing the company’s strategic plan. At the same time, he steps back to evaluate the company’s growth since his start.
Hank Danos occasionally traveled with his father and witnessed day-to-day operations from an early age. While his father emphasized the importance of education, he also felt that one should be working, if not participating in school or school-related activities. At just 20 years old, Hank Danos and his brother, Allen Jr., began intense preparation to take over the business affairs in response to their father’s cancer diagnosis. A year later, the brothers stepped up and took over the company. Time has passed, along with Allen Jr., leaving Hank Danos looking to the future.
“I am mindful of the humble beginnings of our company. When I had the privilege and responsibility to join in a leadership role, we had an established and successful company,” says Hank Danos. “Our customers and employees were willing to work with my brother and me to help us continue the legacy that began some years before. I have also had a great opportunity and blessing to work with [my] three sons who decided that they also wanted to be a part of the Danos company legacy.”