Independent artist Ryder Grimes has once again soared to the top of the Texas charts with his latest single, “8 Seconds at a Time,” marking his second consecutive No. 1 hit.
Hailing from the Northeast Texas town of Poetry, Grimes has grown his fan base across the state and beyond with his authentic blend of heartfelt lyrics and traditional country sound.
“8 Seconds at a Time” is a song about rodeo life and chasing the dream of earning a gold belt buckle.
“The lyrics describe the pain of losing, but in the end when you win – it’s the greatest feeling ever, in my opinion,” said Grimes. “You can relate it to a lot of things in life, not just rodeoing.”
Fans and radio stations are relating to the song’s message and loving it! It’s found a home on the Texas charts for an impressive 28 weeks.Grimes’ latest success comes on the heels of a remarkable first half of 2024 where he not only clinched the New Male Vocalist award at the Texas Regional Radio Awards but also secured sponsorships with four prominent companies that recognize his talent and potential in the music industry.
He feels humbled to have the support of R. Watson Boots, Ranch Fuel Energy, COWI Brand (apparel), and Cowboys Trailers and Ranches.
“It means a lot to be recognized by companies that I love and to know that they like what I am doing and want to partner with me – that’s cool,” said Grimes.
Grimes attributes his success to hard work, a great team, and his dedication to growing as a songwriter.
He recalls a pivotal moment listening to country legend Toby Keith discuss songwriting in an interview.
“Toby once said, ‘Anything can be a song. If you see something inspiring, put it in your pocket so you always have something to pull out and write.’ That advice stuck with me,” Grimes shared. “We all have those songs that mean a lot to us, and a lot of those songs came from guys and gals who poured their heart and soul out into the music they wanted to write and play – and that’s my goal. I just want to write great songs and put out good music.”
Since he was only 11 years old, he has spent thousands of hours on and off stage perfecting his craft, turning him into the performer he is today. His inspirations range from ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s country legends such as Merle Haggard, Keith Whitley and Tracey Lawrence – to Texas stars like Randy Rogers, Deryl Dodd and Charlie Robison. Named the 2023 Texas Country “Emerging Artist of the Year” and 2024 “New Male Artist of the Year” with two No. 1 hits under his belt, Grimes is having a massive year and learning firsthand how hard work and great songs pay off.
Writing is how Grimes spends most of his time when at home in Poetry, and he tries to write at least half a song each day. When on the road, he spends his time focusing on the positives, reading scripture, and praying before he hits the stage to give his best to his fans.
“Doing this for a living is a blessing, for sure. It makes me happy that people are coming to see me – whether it’s five people, 500 or 5,000 – I want to give them the best show I can and perform like it’s my last show to play,” he added.
As Grimes celebrates his second No. 1 hit, he is solidifying his place in country music – and there is no place he’d rather be.
For more information on Ryder Grimes and to stay updated on his latest music releases and tour dates, visit www.rydergrimesmusic.com.
A long-time disc golf player, Synjin Dillard, said he’s seen the sport grow tremendously in the Houston area in the last four years.
His family owns Lone Star Disc in Conroe that manufactures the golf discs used in the sport. As people became restless during the early days of the pandemic, the outdoor sport offered the opportunity for socially distanced fun while shedding a new light on the sport.
Here is what to know about disc golf and where to play in Montgomery County and northern Harris County:
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What is disc golf?
According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, disc golf is played much like golf except, instead of a ball and clubs, players use a flying disc. The sport was formalized in the 1970s and shares with golf the object of completing each hole in the fewest strokes (or, in the case of disc golf, fewest throws).
The app UDisc offers a database of 15,000 disc golf courses including ones in Montgomery County. Each description lists the location, level of difficulty and condition of the course.
Disc golf courses in Conroe
Conroe maintains two disc golf courses. The one at McDade Park was established in 2004 and is adjacent to the San Jacinto River. It’s an 18-hole course with both narrow and open shots in a park setting. McDade Park is at 10310 FM 2854 in Conroe.
An 18-hole course was established at John Burge Park in 2012. This is described as a wooded, hilly course with lots of shade. It’s at 11050 Little Egypt Road in Conroe.
A nine-hole course exists in Gwen Hruska Park in Conroe’s River Plantation neighborhood. It’s off of Brandon Road at Butler’s Island Road. Lone Star Disc also has a nine-hole course adjacent to the shop at 12686 FM 1314 in Conroe.
The city offers a free disc golf clinic at 8 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month. The free clinic is at Madeley Pavilion at Owen Park. The city also offers private lessons.
For more information contact the Westside Recreation Center at 936-522-3990 or on the City of Conroe website.
Disc golf in The Woodlands
The Bear Branch Sportsfield Park has an 18-hole course described as wooded with a pond challenge. This course was established in 1994 and has sports fields and public picnic areas nearby. It’s at 5205 Research Forest Drive in The Woodlands.
A nine-hole course is in Terramont Park in The Woodlands. It’s described as a course for intermediate plays that is very hilly. It’s at 8500 Terramont Drive in The Woodlands.
Designed in 2010, an 18-hole course is behind Stonebridge Church and offers a range of shots. It’s at 1 Stonebridge Church Drive in The Woodlands just south of FM 1488.
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Magnolia and Tomball disc golf courses
A revamped nine-hole course is at Gracepoint Fellowship Church off FM 1488 at 426 Corporate Woods Drive in Magnolia. Plans for an 18-hole course are in the works.
The Spring Creek disc golf course is along Spring Creek. It’s a nine-hole course near Lone Star College – Tomball. It’s off of Coral Canyon in Tomball.
An 18-hole course at Graceview Baptist Church was designed in 2023 as a memorial to Eric Paddy, a longtime church member. According to the description, this course offers a challenge for players of all skill levels and shaded benches at every hole. Paddy was a coach in Tomball ISD and he died in January 2021 of cancer.
The course is at Graceview Baptist Church at 21206 Telge Road in Tomball.
Spring disc golf course
Spring Valley Golf & Disc Golf is a 53-hole course owned and operated by World Disc Golf Hall of Fame member Andi Young and husband Don Young. There’s a pro shop, a flex league, snacks and dogs are allowed on the course as long as they are cleaned up after.
It’s at 25110 Gosling Road in Spring.
Fearing a nuclear attack by Chinese communists in the 80s, the late Ling-Chieh “Louis” Kung financed the construction of a nuclear bomb shelter next to the former Westland Oil Co., building off Texas 105 near Montgomery.
Originally intended to withstand the effects of a 25 megaton bomb, the site is now being used to ensure power interruptions in the Houston area are minimal for businesses and agencies that are dependent on saving lives.
Bomb shelter turned data bunker
A week before Hurricane Beryl made landfall near Matagorda Bay on July 8, Houston-based Data Journey moved into the property that sits on roughly 50 acres, with some 911 centers renting space at the data center.
The site was put to the test of whether it could withstand hurricane winds that knocked out power to more than 2.2 million customers.
“If this facility had failed, which it didn’t during any of these hurricanes, there would be major problems in the city of Houston for 911 services and other things that really could make an impact on people,” said Todd M. Smith, commercial adviser for the data firm.
Having a nuclear bomb shelter 50 feet below ground with several data halls and fail-safe backup generators while also not being reliant to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state’s electric grid operator, has its perks.
“All of our tenants were up,” said Ishnella Azad, managing partner of the company. “We did not go down.”
The facility gets its power from Entergy Texas, which is on the Midcontinent Independent System Operator electricity grid. It serves 15 states spanning from Louisiana up through Minnesota.
What is a data center?
For those unfamiliar with the IT world, a data center is a physical location that stores computing machines and their related hardware, according to Amazon Web Services. It contains the computing infrastructure that IT systems require, such as servers, data storage drives, and network equipment. It is the physical facility that stores any company’s digital data, the website states.
Almost every business operation uses data centers to store computing equipment at a central location, where they can run web applications, offer services, sell products or run internal applications for accounts, human resources and operations management.
The benefits to using a data center include backup power supplies to manage power outages, data replication across several machines for disaster recovery, temperature-controlled facilities to extend the life of the equipment and easier implementation of security measures for compliance with data laws, Amazon Web Services’ website states.
It’s like an apartment complex for businesses’ computing machines and related hardware.
‘A data center with gun turrets’
After World War II, Kung came to the United States as a diplomat assigned to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., then later moved to Houston, according to a previous report. The multimillionaire founded Westland Oil Development Corp. in 1962, moving its headquarters to Montgomery.
In the 80s, Kung financed what was known as the “Westland Bunker.” The bunker could comfortably accommodate 500 people for about six months in its two levels that totaled 40,000 square feet. Features of the bunker included dormitories, hospital facilities, a jail, wells for an unlimited supply of water and a generator that could provide electricity.
The walls were built with 2 feet of heavily reinforced concrete as well as blast doors.
Walking through its halls today, remnants of the past can still be seen such as bullet holes left on a window to one of the entrances to the shelter, prison cells that are now used as storage and empty spaces where gun turrets were once stationed.
“This you won’t find at another data center,” Azad said, noting the bunker comes with a unique background. “Who the hell has a data center with gun turrets?”
While the data center definitely has unique features, it also has enough power that could support a small neighborhood, Smith said.
“It has been a successful property,” he said. “It just hasn’t gotten the appropriate love and attention in a number of years…and now that the industry is more important, bigger and more dynamic, now it’s time.”
Data center beginnings
As for the “Westland Bunker,” the site was previously used as a data center after Westland Oil Co., filed for bankruptcy in 1987 and sold the property.
Before Data Journey acquired the site, the previous owner had one company that used the site to store computing equipment. As of Aug. 8, Data Journey has 60 tenants at the data center. Costs are customized based on the needs of each organization’s requirements.
While the company does welcome bigger clients to rent out space at the center, it doesn’t want to “get away from serving the community of the sites that we’re in,” Smith said.
“We want the smaller customer,” Azad said. “We’re not just going after the big guys with the huge money. We want everybody to be OK. This is a place where our fellow Houstonians can come to make sure that their money, their business and their families are safe.”
Inside of the 100,000-square-foot facility next to the bunker is a community area, which Smith calls “Club Journey.” Both Smith and Azad said they hoped the space would help them in making a connection with the community.
“We want to be more personable,” Azad said. “We don’t want to be cookie cutters. We want a relationship with our clientele and we want to make sure that we are on this journey together … we’re going to have a hangout zone, we’re going to connect with each other, we’re going to know what each others needs are so we can fulfill those needs.”
Smith said he hopes the company can host people at the facility to get to know them better and offer consulting if needed.
“And if that means that that some of the data won’t live here, that’s fine,” he said.
Ronald Bailey, technical adviser for the company, said that there are already conversations with clients that work with artificial intelligence. Smith said he predicts that the company will eventually work with bigger corporations such as Google and Microsoft.
Conroe’s Dillard family has turned a favorite family hobby into a successful spin-off business from their Conroe-based custom injection molding company for oilfields.
During the pandemic, Terry and Barbara Dillard along with sons Synjin, Travis and daughter, Britney, launched Lone Star Disc on FM 1314 alongside their Lone Star Molding. They manufacture the plastic or rubber round discs used for playing disc golf.
An idea that sprung out of a slow time during the pandemic, now has the family shipping disc golf discs all over the world from their shop just south of Conroe. In addition to a pro shop there is also a nine-hole disc golf course on the property.
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What is disc golf?
According to the World Flying Disc Federation, disc golf is a variant of ball golf, but with special frisbees or flying discs. However, instead of hitting a ball off a tee and aiming at getting it down a hole in as few strokes as possible, disc golf involves throwing a disc from the tee and hitting an above-ground target basket in as few throws as possible.
Conroe has disc golf courses at McDade Park and John Burge Park at Shadow Lakes and there are several other courses throughout Montgomery County.
Synjin and Travis have played the sport for years. given their experience in making molds, years back Synjin had an idea to make a custom disc.
Starting Lone Star Discs
The plan got shelved but he eventually showed the drawing to his brother, Travis, who was just out of the U.S. Navy.
They manufactured their first disc in 2017.
“It was terrible. When you threw it, it almost made a complete circle in the air. I told him ‘I don’t think we did this right,’ Synjin said.
During the pandemic time, their oilfield injection molding business slowed down and they came back to the disc golf project.
This time they were successful and Travis took the disc to a local park to play. They caught the eye of one of the local disc golf professionals and they bought 100 that day.
Then they made a starter set with driver, midrange and putter discs and he said their hobby project snowballed from there. They developed several different series of discs made from a variety of materials and in every color one could think of.
Discs with Texas themes
The disc series have different themes with many having Texas themes such as the Yellow Rose, The Tex, The Trinity, The Dillo, Waco, Frio River and The Dome which was Britney’s vision as they pay homage to the Astrodome with the design.
Travis’ designs involved a penny inspired by his service on the U.S.S. Lincoln in the Navy.
They also carry glow-in-dark discs for night-time play and special series related to professional disc golf players like Fredy Meza, Jake Hebenheimer, Carter Ahrens, Deann Carey and others.
For Synjin it’s an honor for their designs to forever be associated with the sport.
“Me and Travis have been playing disc golf for a long time and we thought it would be cool to have our own little footprint in this. Even if it doesn’t last that long, people are going to know Lone Star forever,” he said. “It feels cool to know we’re going to be a part of disc golf history.”
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‘We were willing to try something new’
Britney said their start in disc manufacturing was at the right place and time.
“Things were slow in the oilfield side and we were willing to try something new,” she said. “It happened to be in the time when people were tired of being locked up in their houses and wanted to do something outside that they could be with people but you’re not necessarily standing next to each other.”
Synjin said it is a very good social-distancing sport.
The Lone Star Disc pro shop is at 12686 FM 1314 in south Conroe. Shop hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. The shop is closed Saturday and Sunday.
Howdy folks, it’s that time of the year again! Our 48th year of the Conroe Noon Lions Club – Annual Buddy Moorhead Pigskin Preview. Beginning in 1976, but was named in 1983 after Coach Buddy Moorhead, who was a Lions club member passed away unexpectedly.
President International Director Don Buckalew designed the program somewhat after the “Touchdown Club” and until Lion Buckalew passed away he served as the program’s Master of Ceremonies. Many of our club members were Conroe Tiger football players and still have that Tiger passion for their local team.
Dr. Null Superintendent of CISD introduced the nine-area high school football coaches who brought us up to date on both the offense and defense for their teams. They talked about how they are looking forward to their players performance this season. I have enjoyed how the coaches, over the past few years, banter and tease back and forth between each other making for an interesting and entertaining program. Conroe Noon Lions greatly appreciates the coaches guiding these students to not only become good sportsmen but mentoring them to become productive citizens. In return we, as a community Lions Club, strive to provide scholarships for many high school students to achieve their goals. Thank you coaches for your leadership!
Now for some club news. We are looking forward to completing our drive for school supplies this week for our adopted school – Reaves Elementary. Also, our Service Saturday project was a big success helping the teachers at Reaves set up their classrooms for the new school year. Plus, we have the club’s major fundraiser for the year, our annual 2024-2025 Community Partners drive underway. If you’re interested in helping Conroe Noon help our community this program is for you.
President Bryan Rennell-thanked the coaches for coming and we’ll be looking forward to hearing from them at our next Pigskin Preview. Before closing the meeting, he reminded us of club projects coming up and we should always strive to invite new members. Remember to encourage our newbies to join in on our activities and make them feel welcome. Please come and join us any Wednesday at noon. The food is good, and fellowship is great!
The Conroe Noon Lions Club meets on Wednesdays, at noon, at the Lone Star Convention Center. For more information about the Conroe Noon Lions Club, please visit our website, www.conroenoonlions.org, or call the club office at 936-760-1666.
Education of our youth has been a large part of the service aspect of Rotary. We sponsor Interact Club at High Schools which is Rotary for High Schoolers. We provide scholarships for college-bound students in the tens of thousands each year. We mentor at schools. We support sports activities for our youth, including the Rotary Club of Conroe sponsoring “Girls on the Run” at Runyan Elementary School.
This past Tuesday, the Rotary Club of Conroe hosted the six Head Football coaches to tell Rotarians about what they are doing to elevate youth. These Head Football Coaches are also the Athletic Directors for each of their High Schools. These six Coaches had common goals and values. It was wonderful to hear how supportive these coaches are amongst this cadre of six. The older coaches mentored the younger coaches. The six were focused on building up the youth by enhancing their lives intellectually, physically, emotionally, and more. These six focused on elevating our youth as athletes, leaders, and learners.
Their goal is to include all that want to be involved in sports. Coach Shaun McDowell at Grand Oaks High School lets the volleyball teams monopolize their three indoor gyms since the girls’ volleyball team for this young school has won a State Championship once and encourages them to make it again to the State Championships. Coach McDowell’s Football Team is young, but growing with lots of potential to more than best their 3-7. He has more starters returning than the other schools to the Varsity Football Team. It was interesting and very pleasing to hear how these Coaches are proud of not only the athletic prowess of their students, but to hear them brag of their educational achievements and leadership on and off the field. These six were obviously elevating their students and emphasizing the need to have well balanced lives, including nutrition.
These six coaches along with principals from Conroe High School and Caney Creek High School and the CISD Athletic Director provided great perspectives on how CIS is focusing on developing our youth, both boys and girls, turning them into accomplished men and women. The only regret that these six coaching mentors had was they had to play against each other. These educators strongly believed in building up the youth. It is delightful to hear of such great things about our youth and how CISD implements greatness in our youth. This is a Rotary value. Later that week, these six sports directors also provided their insights to the Rotary Club of The Woodlands.
Clarence Lewis of the Rotary Club of Conroe heard of a need of a 77-year old elderly gentleman whose residence was hit hard by Hurricane Beryl. He visited the home and scoped out what was needed by the elderly, disabled gentleman before recruiting a cadre of Rotarians to help clean up the mess of trees that ransacked this gentleman’s yard. Besides Mr. Lewis, Billy Tarver, Brian O’Keefe and others worked diligently to clean up the debris and get the yard back to manageable. Rotarians are servants of the community!
The Rotary Club of Conroe meets each Tuesday at noon at Honor Cafe, 103 N. Thompson in downtown Conroe.
For more information on Rotary, please contact Ron Saikowski at rsaikowski@comcast.net.
Simply amazing. Is there anything the Internet doesn’t know? I was just browsing that pinnacle of wisdom, Facebook, when I ran across a friend’s post saying that “you know you’re in Texas when” the temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little chilly or when hot water comes out of both spigots or when you can make sun tea in seven seconds. Yes, indeed. It’s a Texas summer when you have to steer your car with two fingers and your seat belt buckle is a seriously potent branding iron.
It’s even been rumored that some golfers witnessed birds using potholders to pull worms out of the ground. And admit it. You know you’ve parked a quarter mile away and sweated your way across some parking lot just so you could leave your car in some shade. Yessiree, it’s summer in Texas. Don’t know about you but, toasty or not, I’m happy, happy, happy to be here. There’s a lot to like about Texas. And Bentwater.
Somewhat different context, but you’ve heard that motivational chastisement telling us that if we can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen, right? Well, I don’t know why anyone would since it’s not as hot in the kitchen as it is outside right now. Plus, it just ain’t cool to stand outside and complain about what’s going on in the kitchen. Still, some do. The Property Owners Association (POA) runs pretty smoothly most times and its Board does an admirable job of managing how things work here in our little bubble of life. So, personally, I don’t understand those few folks who spend way too much time chirping online about how they don’t like this or think that should be different. But, good news. They have a chance to do something about it by jumping into the kitchen and fixing those things themselves.
You see, the POA has a five (5) member Board of Trustees and there’s an election coming up to fill the seats for two of them whose terms are ending. Now, remember that all on the Board are volunteers as well as your neighbors. No salary, no benefits and no special consideration. Every penny spent by the POA is their money, too, because they pay the same assessments as everyone else. Moreover, they’re bound by the same CC&Rs, not their personal opinions or pet peeves. So, not intending to curb anyone’s enthusiasm, all aspiring candidates might want to maybe review their CC&Rs to be sure they understand what’s required to “fix” things. Any little bitty thing. Still, there’s plenty of room in the ring for more hats so, by all means, toss yours in. Just be sure you do before noon on the 23rd.
Send Bentwater fun news and social tidbits to Bruce at Bruce@TheLakeConroeGroup.com
Conroe ISD school starts on Wednesday, Aug. 14. Watch for school buses and school zones.
Get ready for school by shopping our local merchants in Conroe. Mod Boutique, Sweet Texas Treasures, Main Street Market, The Collective, Assistance League of Montgomery County, Cartwright’s Western Wear and Conroe Shoe Shop and Conroe Service League. Shop to help local businesses and nonprofits!
Super Tax Day for those needing tax preparation assistance is offered Friday, Aug. 16 from 11:00am-7:00pm for families in the community at no cost at the Children’s Books on Wheels’ Mulitpurpose Building, 9847 Sleepy Hollow Road in Conroe.
This coming Saturday, Aug. 17 is the Montgomery County Funky Junque Market at Lone Star Convention Center from 9:00am-5:00pm. Entry fee is $5 and allows shopping by 125 local vendors for holiday items, decor, handcrafted items, Women’s and Children’s Clothing, Home, Holiday and Garden Decor, Gourmet Food Items, and handmade jewelry. Military and First Responders with ID and Children under 15 are free.
In the evening, Saturday, August 17, make plans to attend the 12th annual Fire Up the Bands charity even to benefit the Conroe Firefighters Association at Pacific Yard House. Taking the stage will be Trent Cowie, Cannon Brand, and Cameron Allbright. The show starts at 7:00pm and tickets are selling in advance at https://bit.ly/4dA4t5D.
Have a safe first week of school!
Margie Taylor may be reached at margie@taylorizedpr.com.
A 50-year-old Magnolia woman accused of setting fire to her neighbors’ house and several vehicles apparently had no interaction with them before Tuesday morning, according to the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office.
After a 12-hour standoff with Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office SWAT and the Crisis Negotiation Team, Christine Riley was arrested at the 26000 block of Rhode Island in Magnolia and charged with arson with intent to damage or destroy a habitation or place of worship — a first degree felony.
Around 5:30 a.m., Riley set fire to her neighbors’ home and several vehicles, forcing the family of four to flee their burning home through their back door, according to a release from the county fire marshal’s office.
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Riley then fled to her house and refused to leave after sheriff’s deputies and county fire marshal investigators tried to apprehend her, the release states.
Responding deputies suspected that Riley had access to a gun and was in the midst of a mental health crisis.
“(Riley) had not had any interaction with the neighbor,” said Fire Marshal Jimmy Williams. “The victims don’t know why she set the trucks on fire and set their house on fire. We’re still investigating to determine the motive.”
Riley is being held at the Montgomery County jail with a $50,000 bond. The county fire marshal’s office is continuing its investigation.
Earlier this year, a new sign for Sapphire Gas Solutions was placed on the six-story office building at FM 2854 and Interstate 45 in Conroe.
Most long-time Conroe residents know the building with reddish brown brick as the old Louisiana Pacific building or the old “LP” building.
Louisiana Pacific vacated the office building in March 2011, since then the tower and the one-story annex have been made up of smaller businesses.
Sapphire Gas Solutions started small at the property but now occupies half of the sixth floor and the entire fifth floor of the tower.
Here’s what to know about the company and its impact locally and across the country:
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Exit of Louisiana Pacific
Louisiana-Pacific Corp. or LP is an American building materials manufacturer. The company incorporated in January 1973 and is known for pioneering the production of the wood product oriented strand board.
For the company’s first 33 years, the headquarters was in Portland, Oregon with administrative offices in Hayden Lake, Idaho; Conroe; Charlotte, North Carolina; Montreal, Quebec; Schaumburg, Illinois and Troy, Michigan.
In 2004, the company moved its headquarters to Nashville and in March 2011 closed the Conroe LP office which had about 30 employees remaining. In addition to Sapphire Gas Solutions, a variety of smaller businesses, such as lawyers, CPA firms, insurance agents, financial advisors and marketing firms now occupy the tower and annex.
A familiar landmark
Sam Thigpen, the founder and CEO of Sapphire Gas Solutions, grew up in the Victoria area and often traveled past the LP building on I-45 while going to visit his family members in New Waverly and his grandparents in Huntsville.
“I remember seeing the LP sign on the side all those years ago,” he said.
Space in the tower now serves as the national headquarters for his business which serves as a natural gas virtual pipeline system that transports liquefied natural gas, compressed natural gas or renewable natural gas across the country via trucks instead of through traditional underground pipelines.
What does Sapphire Gas do?
Thigpen was a part of a gas pipeline service company up to 2005 in the service side. There were two divisions, one was manufacturing and the other was service.
The company dissolved the service aspect of the business to focus on manufacturing. This left a golden opportunity for Thigpen to launch his own pipeline service company in 2005.
From 2005 to roughly 2012, his company did primarily pipeline service including installing remote communications systems to relay information from the field back to the pipeline company’s headquarters in addition to analyzing and measuring gas and instrumentation.
In 2011, his company had the opportunity to bid on the compressed natural gas station in Conroe.
“We take gas off the line, compress it and put it into their trash trucks and that’s what they use for fuel instead of diesel,” he said. There was a missing connection though.
There was the station and the trucks but there were delays in getting the gas to connect the two. Bridging that gap of offering a virtual natural gas pipeline is how they got into their operations today.
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A shift in natural gas business
He began to see there was a market for compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas. In roughly 2013 or 2014, his company was delivering natural gas as a fuel instead of diesel to the oilfields.
“Then we got a call from the Port of Baton Rouge. They had a pipeline that was being shut down. They had this facility at the port where natural gas was needed. When they would offload barges, the vapors from the chemical had to be burned. They couldn’t be without natural gas because they had to use it to burn the vapors off,” he said.
It was a very quick turnaround for Thigpen’s group to get natural gas to the port within a few days.
“That was really the catalyst for what we do today,” he said. “We do that all over the country now.”
Company’s first shop was in Cut and Shoot
He said his first shop was built around 2008 in the Cut and Shoot area and his first few employees were from Conroe.
In 2014, he built a facility on the Hardy Toll Road but moved back to Montgomery County in 2018. Their business offices started in the one-story annex at 100 I-45.
The company began to occupy more and more space in the annex before moving into the tower where the company now occupies half of the sixth floor and all of the fifth floor.
There are 135 to 140 in the company total. Eighty percent of the staff work in Conroe with smaller administrative offices in locations such as Southern California, Phoenix and Tennessee.
His main goal for putting the sign on the building earlier this year was for greater visibility for the business. At times people were traveling to his headquarters and would end up at the adjacent central library.
The sign also solidifies that the company is planning its future in Conroe, he said. Recently the company was named one of Business Fortune’s 30 Best Companies for 2024. In 2021, Thigpen was named the EY Gulf South Entrepreneur of the Year.
Ties to IndyCar season
For the 2023 IndyCar season, the company partnered with a generator company based in California to offer an alternative compressed natural gas fuel to support power operations at IndyCar races with Steinbrenner Racing and Andretti Racing. They were a part of the Dallas race and several others around the country in 2023.
Thigpen wants to come back for the 2025 IndyCar season to supply fuel and sees compressed natural gas being an option for many larger events, such as the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.