In an effort to maximize local content and technology transfer, Houston-based Paragon Engineering Services, Inc. and newly founded Trinidad-based Trintosyl Engineering Services (a Trintoplan Consultants Ltd. and Sylvester Engineering Ltd. joint venture) have formed a strategic alliance, Paragon announced today.

Representatives from Paragon, Trintosyl and its founding partners, government officials, and the local energy industry launched the strategic alliance in Trinidad November 4, 2003.

Paragon Chief Executive Officer Ken Arnold, Petrotrin Chairman Malcolm Jones, U.S. Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago Dr. Roy Austin, Trinidad and Tobago Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Eric A. Williams, Trinidad and Tobago Minister of Planning and Development Dr. Keith Rowley and Trintosyl’s Director of Technical Services Trevor Sylvester addressed the gathering of around 50 attendees. Two weeks after the event, Williams visited Houston and toured Paragon’s headquarters.

Arnold said that Trinidad’s government and major oil and gas companies are helping to reverse a longstanding trend by supporting locally sustainable development of the oil and gas sector.

“Until now, oil and gas engineering and construction jobs in Trinidad and Tobago have been dominated by international companies,” he said. “Through our strategic alliance with Trintosyl, we at Paragon plan to provide training and professional development of personnel to build a Trinidad-based engineering firm capable of ever-increasing scopes of work for all types of oil and gas projects.

“We envision a company that will provide world-class engineering, procurement and construction management services to clients in Trinidad and Tobago’s energy sector,” Arnold said. “This new organization will maximize local content and technology transfer, building a strong foundation for Trinidad’s economic growth and self-sufficiency. We are proud to be a part of this movement.”

Founded in 1970, Trintoplan is an industry-leading construction engineering company that has led a large proportion of Trinidad and Tobago’s infrastructure projects in such areas as geotechnical engineering; geotechnical and field laboratory operations; civil and infrastructure engineering and supervision; and structural engineering.

Sylvester Engineering Ltd. was founded in 1991 and has collaborated with
Trintoplan on a wide variety of projects. Sylvester specializes in electrical, instrumentation and mechanical engineering for the oil and gas and process industries. The company’s expertise includes such areas as power systems engineering; instrumentation and controls engineering; communications systems engineering; and mechanical engineering.