Passion Meets Purpose: Nick Leblanc Leads New Coastal Restoration Service Line
Nick Leblanc is your classic kid from Houma. He grew up hunting and fishing with his family, and he’s passed his love for the outdoors onto his own children. Whether perch jerking with his kids or fishing for trout down in Cocodrie, you’ll usually find Nick out on the water in his spare time.
Like so many from this neck of the woods, Nick chose to make his career in the oil and gas industry. After earning his degree in petroleum technology and safety management from Nicholls State University (as well as associates degrees in safety and production) he was hired as an HSE specialist at Shamrock six years ago. Following the acquisition by Danos, Nick moved into a new safety position supporting the energy systems team. He liked his job and did it well for several years. Then, someone made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
General Manager of Projects Jerry Knight asked Nick if he’d be interested in taking on some additional work — while still doing his current job, of course. Danos had established a partnership with the Raleigh, NC-based Natrx, a company specializing in coastal preservation technology. They needed someone like Nick to nurture the fledgling partnership and help investigate its future potential.
Nick didn’t hesitate. “So, you’re telling me I gotta go out in the boat, in the marsh, go out in the swamps ... for my job? You can sign me up right now.”
And with that, Nick was off on a new adventure. Granted, his primary focus would still be safety, but he was challenged to learn everything he could about coastal restoration — and its potential as an avenue for new business. He dove headfirst into market research, learning everything he could about how coastal restoration projects are contracted, designed and funded, who the key players are, and what opportunities might exist for Danos. He saw immediately that despite the challenges of standing up a new service line, the potential impact was enormous — and the need was undeniable.
Nick had watched over the years as the precious marshland and fishing spots of his childhood were washed away, more land disappearing each year. He understood that time was running out to protect the land that still exists. And he learned that the problem went way beyond Louisiana, affecting coastal communities across the Gulf and around the world. He knew Danos could make a difference.
Senior management asked Nick to put together a business plan showing how coastal restoration services would make sense for the company. They signed off on his plan — and asked him to lead the effort full-time. He’s since transitioned into his new role as operations manager for coastal restoration, an exciting new direction he couldn’t have imagined when he first started out.
“I’d always been focused on the safety side of things,” he says. “I never imagined being able to combine my work life with my passion for our wetlands and waterways. It makes me proud — we’re going to use these products, technologies and capabilities to restore land right here in our own community.”
The last few months have marked the beginning of an exciting new direction for Danos, which now offers both high-tech bio-engineered products and supportive services for protecting and preserving marine areas. Danos has completed several coastal restoration projects, including a recent artificial reef installation south of Cypremort Point. In addition to positive feedback from Danos customers, his fellow employees have expressed their excitement. “They all wanted to get the exact coordinates for the reef so they could go fish it,” Nick says, laughing.
While part of Danos’ plan for growing coastal restoration includes mobilizing a custom 3D-printer for deployment via barge to sites around the world, the urgency and importance of protecting local wetlands is always top of mind.
“It’s something I bring up pretty often,” he says. “Our purpose as a company — honoring God, developing great people to solve big challenges for our customers and communities — is truly at the heart of everything we do.”
Pictured above from left to right is Danos Staff Project Manager Kenny Dillard and Operations Managers Nick LeBlanc and Clay Carter on a team building fishing trip.