Today we’d like to introduce you to Hernan Orihuela.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Hernan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Professionally, I started working as an intern for a Swiss global inspection group when I was 19 years old while I was still in school back in Lima, Peru. After going through the ranks, and making what others would’ve called a career, I decided to come to the United States to continue my education. Although, in hindsight, I was looking to escape the monotony of Lima; I felt it had suffocated me.
I picked Houston because I had family here. I must admit, I overestimated my English. I had much to learn and that was the first challenge. The next one, much more difficult to overcome, was the cultural barrier. Middle-class Peruvians were, at least at the time, not used to following rules and thought they could bend them. Well, not here, unless you wanted to end at the 6:00 PM news. The first year was extremely difficult. When I get asked by other people weighing whether or not they should migrate to the US, I tell them the truth: the US is not for everyone; you have to be young, willing to adapt and to sacrifice. The only reason I did not go back within the first year was that I was too proud and refused to go back in defeat. I thought to myself: If others have made it, I can too. After doing my fair share of odd jobs, anything from placing signs on the street, waiting tables and bartending, I caught a break working for a French inspection group. There, I became exposed to the Oil & Gas industry and stumbled upon one of their many sub-industries, the Steel Pipe industry. I quickly recognized it was being underserved as all major inspection companies were only focused on serving the large operators, drilling companies, and refineries. They were paying no attention to the rest of the players in the distribution chain such as trading companies, steel mills, and master distributors. I saw this as an opportunity and formed what today is Innova Energy Services. Surprisingly enough, having an accent and being “funny looking” did not stop people in the industry from meeting with me and giving me an opportunity to prove my worth. Inarguably, Houstonians are open-minded, and above all pragmatic, as long as you know what you are doing. Today the company continues to grow, having close to 50 full-time employees and continue adding services to support the Energy Sector.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As I said before, overcoming the language and cultural barriers.
Please tell us about Innova Energy Services.
Innova Energy Services was born in 2004 as Innova Inspection Services. Over the years we have continued to evolve, and today we offer a wide array of specialized services to the Energy Sector. Our core on-site solutions are:
Pipe Repair
Pipeline Services
Power & Utility Services
Technical Inspection & Testing
Being centrally located in Houston, the Energy Capital of the World, we are able to quickly dispatch crews anywhere within the lower 48. Innova Energy Services crews are typically on-site within 48 hours of our client’s initial request. Our client base ranges from Pipe Mills, Trading Companies, Master Distributors, EPC Companies to Pipeline and Utilities Operators.
We engage with our clients with a partnership mindset because we understand our success depends upon the success of our customers. We are constantly adapting to changing markets and embracing new technologies to stay at the forefront of the industry.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
There are many, but definitely the most memorable ones were spending Christmas at my grandparents with all my cousins, uncles and aunts.
Contact Info:
- Address: 12780 Market Street Rd.
Houston, TX 77015 - Website: www.innova-es.com
- Phone: 7134294724
- Email: customerservice@innova-es.com
Image Credit:
Lux Photography – Manolo Grajeda
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