Interviewer(s): Jason Theriot

Affiliation: University of Houston

Bill Jackson is the Houston region sales manager for Gulf Offshore Logistics, a boat owner, operator, and broker that services marine transportation industry in the GOM. He first began in the offshore industry as a roughneck and welder, fabricating platforms at the Port of Iberia. In 1983 he went to work for the pioneer of the telecomm industry offshore. He has been in the GOM oil and gas industry for over 25 years, primarily in sales.

Company's history/significance: Jackson worked for several companies at the Port of Iberia and in the Gulf of Mexico before his career in the telecomm offshore business took off. He discusses how laxed the hiring policies, particularly drug screening and background checks, were in the late 1970s. If you wanted a job, you had a job, no questions asked. Universal Fabricators started in 1980 and brought new technology and innovation to the Port of Iberia. It was a brand new all electric fabrication facility and Jackson worked as one of the top welders. He entered the telecomm business at the very beginning and became part owner in one of the largest telecomm companies in the Gulf Coast region, Solar Comm. He has witnessed the boom in the marine transportation industry as a result of the three recent hurricanes.