Locally born employee contributes entrepreneurial spirit and skills

Born in Zahl, ND, Noel Hendrickson is an entrepreneur and contributes to Summit as a roustabout foreman.

Roustabout Foreman Noel Hendrickson is no stranger to North Dakota.

Raised just over 30 miles north of Williston in Zahl, Hendrickson remembers riding his bike 15 miles to have a burger at the bowling alley in Grenora.  It was during this time when he began developing his mechanical skills.

“I’ve had mechanical experience all my life,” said Hendrickson.  “I’ve been a mechanic since high school.”

Hendrickson eventually settled in northwestern Montana, where he utilized his experience by becoming an entrepreneur.  He established a mechanic shop and sporting goods store.  Hendrickson said establishing and owning his own businesses provided him with business and management skills.

At Summit, individuals like Hendrickson are supported and rewarded for hard work.  Employees with entrepreneurial tendencies receive Pay for Performance incentives, which essentially entail bonuses for hard work.  Delegation of tasks is a huge part of Summit’s culture, and whether an employee is running a roustabout truck or leading the operations department, each position is coupled with possibilities similar to those of starting and owning a business.  For business owners like Hendrickson, taking initiative pays off.

When asked if he ever thought he’d be returning to the area, Hendrickson replied “I thought about it in the 80s, but a friend said the boom was over quicker than it came.  I never saw myself coming back- not enough economy to sustain.”

That was before the Bakken Boom.

Last winter, Milton Daugherty, a friend of Hendrickson’s and now fellow employee, encouraged him to relocate and work for Summit Energy Services.  Hendrickson chose to not miss the opportunity.

“I came in the winter,” said Hendrickson, “It was a much better winter than I’ve seen.”

As a Roustabout Foreman, Hendrickson and the roustabout team perform everything from installation projects to equipment maintenance while upholding values of environmental responsibility.  They also tackle much of the cleanup afterward.

“We do just about anything in the oil field,” said Hendrickson.

Although he has family throughout the state of North Dakota, Hendrickson’s wife is still in Montana.  They plan on having her join him in Williston soon, as Hendrickson enjoys his work and plans to stay and resettle in the oil patch.

“I enjoy the company,” said Hendrickson.  “They have good people and management.  I’ve had the privilege and blessing of having really good people working with me.  It’s easy for me to look better when you have people that know how to work.  The type of work, the variety of work- I enjoy it.”

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