WorldWide Drilling Resource

40 OCTOBER 2015 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Lifetime Achievement Award is Presented to Tom Dinn West Frankfort, IL prepared by Veronica I. “Ronnie” Jones, Managing Publisher WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Mr. Tom, as I affection- ately call him, has a history as long as ten times around the world. No, it’s not a bad history - on the contrary, it is all positive. That is why he has been chosen to be the recipient of this month’s Shakti Pumps’ Lifetime Achievement Award. I first had the pleasure of personally meeting Mr. Tom in 2004, as Doc Faison said we had a “road trip” to take. That t r ip involved I l l inois and TEE JAY International in West Frankfort. Not a large facility, but the heart within that facility for the drilling industry had it burst- ing at the seams. A shy man, as you can see by the limited number of photographs we have, Mr. Tom, along with his wonderful wife Ruth Ann, rolled out the red carpet for our visit. Back then, as now, he had BIG plans for the future of his company. You see, Mr. Tom is one of those people who just will NOT give up. Oh yes, he threat- ens, and then he’s right back in there. Dedication for the drilling industry is tops with him and his company - TEE JAY International . When asked to send in a short biog- raphy, Mr. Tom did just that, and here it is in his own words: “In the late fall of 1939, my father was a zone manager for the Ohio Oil Co. (now Marathon Oil). Dad received a phone call late one Sunday afternoon from a drill rig working in the next county. The rig was running low on fuel, and he decided to load up the tank truck and make the delivery. I jumped up and down and pleaded with my mother to let me ride along, she reluctantly agreed. When we got to the location, I could hear the diesels humming and see the lights on the mast. It was after dark, and to reach the rig, dad had to go thru a farmer’s lot and down into a hollow to reach the fuel tank. It had started to snow, and the path the dozer had cut was slick and icy. Dad was concerned he would get hung up, so he went to the farmer’s door and asked if I could stay with them until he unloaded. The farmer ’s wife agreed, and I went in and had supper with them. The kind lady then had me lie down on their couch and cov- ered me with a blanket. The next thing I knew, Dad was picking me up and carry- ing me back out to the truck. I was four years old! Since then, I have been on hundreds of locations, domestic and international, over the last 60 years. We are located in the Illinois basin. This is the lower third of Illinois and Indiana and far western third of Kentucky. It is also a major coal field. From time to time, over the past six decades, we have done business with 90% of the coal producers and an equal number of drilling contractors. When the price of oil fell in the early 80s, we had to go after another market to survive; this was the water well industry. This took us international and with it, an education in howtodobusi- ness on a wo r l dw i d e sca l e . The wi re t rans- fers, certifi- cates of origin, and waybills all had to be learned the hard way. A side benefit was all the international travel. I have a “mil- lion miler tag” on my luggage! I have been fromCanada down to Peru; and from Germany around to India, China, and Thailand, with many stops along the way. I have served two years with the U.S. Army in the Far East and am a life- time member of the Elks and Moose, as well as a 4th Degree Knights of Columbus. And now, as us old hunters say ‘It’s about time to call in the dogs and ---- on the fire.’ The hunt is almost over.” Yes, Mr. Tom is a unique man - one who is eager to continue with his lifelong passion of serving the drilling industry, whichever industry that may be at the time to survive. He threatens to attend some trade shows, but somehow things just get in the way of that passion to see people. So, if you are in or around West Frankfort, Illinois, do stop in for a visit! When you think of this man and how he got started in the industry, it makes one smile. From a four-year-old boy just wanting to go out in the middle of the night with his dad, to a grownup who still remembers that start in his industry. As we say here, Mr. Tom and Ruth Ann, “Our hat’s off to you!” Thank you for sharing your story with the world through WorldWide Drilling Resource ® . As Company Owner of the Month, Shakti Pumps USA, LLC will present Tom Dinn, TEE JAY International, with a Shakti Pump Trophy along with a Certificate of Appreciation for all his long, hard hours of work to ensure the people of World receive the best service possible, to complete their jobs, and he will receive a monetary gift so he can take his lovely wife Ruth Ann to a wonderful dinner at the restaurant of their choice. Always keep that wonderful smile and great attitude Mr. Tom. We love you! Congratulations Tom Dinn, from Shakti Pumps USA LLC and WorldWide Drilling Resource ® ! Taking a break in China at the National Museum. On location in the jungle of Guatemala. Fishing in the Sea of Cortez