Specialty Welding and Turnarounds, a leading provider of specialty welding and other turnaround services to refinery, petrochemical and industrial customers, has launched a major expansion to the West Coast with the opening of a new office in Signal Hill, California.

SWAT is a portfolio company of Hastings Equity Partners, LLC, a private equity firm focused on investing in lower, middle-market businesses in the energy sector. According to company officials , SWAT expects to double its business on the West Coast in 2019.

"SWAT has experienced unprecedented growth since our start in 2014," said Chief Executive Officer Johnny Holifield. "When the opportunity to expand to the West Coast where we could better serve our customers presented itself, we jumped on it. SWAT provides our customers the highest quality of service, with the best craftsmen, in the safest way possible. With our consistent track record of outperformance, we knew we were equipped to handle the challenge of geographic expansion.”

According to company officials, SWAT's major geographic expansion would not be possible without the hiring of a senior leader to focus on West Coast operations. With its premier reputation and extensive network, SWAT successfully recruited Spencer Moak to oversee the region. Prior to joining SWAT, Moak was the Turnaround Manager at Ohmstede Industrial Services and the Operations Manager at Plant Performance Services.

"As someone who has worked in the field for years, I'm familiar with the top-notch work SWAT does," said Spencer Moak, who was recently hired to oversee West Coast operations. "When the opportunity presented itself to join SWAT and start their West Coast operations, I couldn't pass it up. Together, we're able to build off of SWAT's excellent reputation around the Gulf Coast and serve a large customer base in California."