The Distribution Contractors Association (DCA) launched DCATrenchless.com at the DCA Virtual Spring Meeting at the beginning of March.
The microsite — a smaller website connected to the main DCA page — provides information such as what is horizontal directional drilling (HDD), the equipment and fluids used, as well as the benefits of HDD and other educational materials, including photos, videos and presentations.
The trenchless-oriented site joins the DCALetsGetToWork.com microsite, which was launched in October 2020 at the DCA Mid-Fall Virtual Meeting to provide a variety of resources related to workforce development.
These microsites were developed in cooperation between DCA members, staff and Jeri Lamerton and her team at Lamerton Strategic Communications, said DCA executive vice president Rob Darden.
“These two microsites were developed to provide the DCA members with industry resources for their specific focus,” Darden says. “DCA has access to a lot of resources, and we were able to use these sites as a place to house them.”
There is a third microsite on the DCA parent site — OQIP.org — dedicated to the industry Operator Qualification Integrity Process that DCA initiated with partner associations, such as the AGA, SGA, NGA and others, as well as training providers and utility companies.
Darden says he hopes the microsites will have a positive impact on the industry.
“There are a lot of changes happening in the industry and the hope is these sites will help educate people on the industry and what DCA members do, and help get people back to work,” Darden says.
The DCA is working on additional microsites to benefit the industry.
“We are working on sites for Government Relations and Safety/Risk Management,” Darden says. “DCA plans to promote the safety aspects of the industry we work in, and also promote the benefits of natural gas and attack the misperceptions and false information in the public and in government.”
Darden explained why the DCA launched these microsites now.
“The ‘Let’s Get to Work’ site was timed in coordination with the partnership DCA developed with Mike Rowe and the launch of his show Six Degrees with Mike Rowe on Discovery+, which premiered in January,” Darden says. “DCATrenchless was the next one in development, but the timing is good with the start of the new administration in Washington, D.C.”
Trenchless Educational Tool
As the newest DCA microsite, DCATrenchless.com continues to add new content for visitors. Darden says the site provides myriad educational benefits for DCA members and the industry at large.
“It provides awareness of the benefits of trenchless technology and HDD to the industry,” Darden says. “The site gives our members who aren’t in the trenchless world an opportunity to see how this side of the distribution industry works.”
DCATrenchless.com features a variety of information, as well as project photos, videos and presentations from professional contractors.
“This site is an educational tool focusing on all aspects of trenchless technology installation,” Darden says. “There is a great deal of confusion in the public and government agencies on the difference between HDD and fracking. This is an effort to help combat the misinformation that is out there. The content of this site is developed by the associate and contractor members of DCA doing the work in the field.”
Getting to Work
DCALetsGetToWork.com provides useful information and resources for workforce development and highlights the association’s partnership with various organizations and with Discovery Channel celebrity Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs fame.
“Our goal with this initiative is to reorganize the resources in an easy-to-use manner and show member companies how they can use these materials to their advantage,” Darden says, adding a special message for DCA members. “We all know there is a shortage of workers in our industry. And lots of people have developed some great materials to help our industry attract new people. The problem is, there’s so much stuff out there, many of you don’t know where to start. That’s where we come in.”
The DCA has gathered resources from mikeroweWorks Foundation, Jason Dorsey and the Center for Generational Kinetics, the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD), SkillsUSA, Helmets To Hardhats, Troops To Energy, and more. The microsite puts all that information in one organized place to make it easier for companies to find what they need and use those materials to attract new hires. There are even simple guides to help companies get the best results.
Featured prominently on DCALetsGetToWork.com is a video DCA developed with Rowe to help promote opportunities in the industry. Rowe and Darden discussed a show to promote energy three years ago and the result is Six Degrees with Mike Rowe, currently streaming on Discovery+. DCA and the American Petroleum Institute (API) are the sole sponsors of the show, and several DCA members (including Michels and Artera) have placed advertisements throughout the series.
As the DCA celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, these new microsites will serve as resource for members and the industry at large into a new era.
