Describes how Backwoods Energy Services leveraged safety achieving extraordinary business results and helped create a better society for their stakeholders.

1. Backwoods Energy Services
A Case Study: Leveraging
Safety for Better Business &
Better Society

2. This contractor is:
• 100% Indigenous owned by the Alexis Nakota Souix Nation
• They operate in high-risk operations servicing utilities, forestry and the oil and gas industry and
• For 29 years their revenues never exceeded 3 Million
Poor safety performance was a barrier in penetrating the marketplace.
In 2015 the Nation brought in a new CEO (Paul Poscente) to transform the business. In a mere 4 years he grew
company revenue by 1500%, increasing economic benefits to the Alexis Nation by 614%, and employment of
Nation members by 269%. This resulted in a
• Decrease in social issues, and
• Implementation of an affordable housing program.
Paul succeeded by leveraging safety turning it from a disadvantage to an advantage. He used it to rally and align
the organization using safety as a keystone habit to drive operational excellence.
Backwoods has been recognized twice by hiring clients for their safety culture, leadership and safe operating
capability winning Kinder Morgan 2017 contractor safety award for outstanding safety performance and TC
Energy’s Chief Executive Officer safety leadership award in 2020.
In accepting this latest award Paul stated, that keeping on top of safety culture is sometimes seen as too much
work or taking away from productivity. To me it is simply the most important thing we do.
Backwoods Energy
Services
GAIN NEW INSIGHT | EVIDENTIARY BASED | ACHIEVE EXCELLENCE

3. GAIN NEW INSIGHT | EVIDENTIARY BASED | ACHIEVE EXCELLENCE