In 1979, I was practically alone managing with the help of an assistant and a driver. As the year passed, we gradually increased the number of staff that we had, but three times less than what we have become now. The technology then was not as sophisticated (one would deem it unimaginable to work without computers!) but the operations we were managing were definitely just as challenging. Apart from the demanding operations, this was the time when we were still building our relationships with our clients and in the process of gaining their trust. Quite incidentally, the clients we have back then are still the same clients we have today.

   

They say growth is not real when one does not experience challenges along the way. As a then budding company, SOS built itself amid several political turmoil. There was the Martial Law, the EDSA revolution, and several coup attempts. In retrospect, this unfavorable situation proves discouraging for anyone in the business. However, that did not hinder the company to focus on delivering the services required by our clients.

   

There too were other tough times, such as when a fire gutted our former building that fateful night in 1990. Everything could have been lost, but thankfully, our clients stood by us through the whole ordeal and we were able to restore ourselves from the “ruins” that the fire left behind. We can also count the rough years that the company experienced when business was not so encouraging. Nevertheless, we continue to be committed to our clients’ and did not even risk compensating the quality of our services.

  

The number of operational milestones that SOS has been a part of through the years can attest to this. We have been involved in the first offshore operations (FPSO) in the Philippines and China, the rehabilitation of Kuwait after the Gulf War – extinguishing of oil wells, the Malampaya Deep Water Gas to Power Oil Project and the Joides Resolution (25 years on the same project since 1984), to name a few.

  

That “can-do” attitude that is ingrained in every SOS personnel’s psyche is not only what sets us apart from the rest of the pack, but it is what has kept us afloat even during those trying times. We continue to surpass our own capabilities thereby exceeding our clients’ expectations and consequently, we are reaping the fruits of the trust and respect that our clients have bestowed on us for thirty years.

  

SOS will carry on in being one of the most reliable integrated logistics company serving the energy industry and other related industries in the country today. It gives us great pride, that in our own way, we are able to contribute to the development of the Filipino nation and to the life of the Filipino.

LOUIS PAUL HEUSSAFF

Chairman and CEO