Interviewer(s): D. Austin. New Iberia, LA

Affiliation: University of Arizona

Lee Kleinpeter's daughter-in-law was one of the researchers in the family impact study we did in New Iberia in 1999, and Lee was interviewed during that study. He was very willing to be interviewed again. I met him at his office at Cajun Wireline Services in New Iberia. He then asked to do a videotape interview of his company and the wireline equipment. His nephews played a major role in the interview.

Lee began in the wireline business in 1947 when he went to work for Otis Pressure Control in New Iberia. He worked for them from 1947-1952 until he had had enough of working offshore and started working for Shell at Weeks Island. He was convinced to go back to Otis again and then resigned again and went into business with Perry Decuir to begin Klein Deco Wireline Company. That company grew to have over 160 people working for it but was sold in 1976 to Schlumberger. Several years later, Lee began Cajun Wireline Service.