TigerSix Corporation

Since 2005, TigerSix has been providing integrated project management services for industrial construction throughout the United States. Kirk Theige established the business more than 10 years ago and currently serves as president and CEO alongside his wife, Linda Theige, vice president of the organization. Together the pair oversees project teams of 10 to 55 people, working from a headquarters in Windsor, Colorado. Alongside TigerSix, but as a separate organization, Kirk and Linda also own and manage Spartan Security International Inc. (SSI), a full-service security platform.

The firm has made a name in construction management for the oil and gas industry, although TigerSix’s target market extends to mining and water works customers. “I started this enterprise with construction management and consulting work and then it grew,” explains Kirk. “I did a lot of networking and outreach to make new connections.” In less than a decade, TigerSix reached more than $14 million in revenue. Before founding TigerSix, Kirk worked built a pipeline company that specialized in high-pressure, noncorrosive systems and performed pipeline rehabilitation projects.

Diverse capabilities

TigerSix offers a range of expertise that delivers project and construction management, construction supervision, on-site design, inspections, scheduling and cost management, estimation, procurement logistics and other aspects vital to critical industrial projects. “We provide construction management teams,” Kirk puts simply. “We can also provide a single professional to support a project — it is all dependent on the needs of our clients. Sometimes we are directing work and sometimes just overseeing. Sometimes we will provide just inspection.”

The company’s diversity has been a significant factor in the success of TigerSix. Kirk and his colleagues are always willing to go the extra mile for clients and ready to take on new challenges in order to fulfill the requirements of a project. “If a client asks me about something we don’t typically handle, we do our best to incorporate that service into a project,” he explains. “For example, we started a GIS mapping group because there was a need for our market.”

The business continues to diversify, which is a major driver of growth. Kirk and his colleagues are putting together a pipeline integrity group to better serve the oil and gas sectors. While the price of oil has been on a steady decline for the last year, TigerSix has maintained margins and is expanding sustainably because of its experienced team and dedication to serving clients.

“We have a strong, core group of hard-working people here,” he explains. “We try to surround ourselves with quality people and we execute at a higher level on the management side than most of our competitors.” Clients are consistently satisfied with results that exceed expectations and repeat business and referrals have been a critical component of the company’s growth. In 2015, TigerSix made the Inc. 5000 list at No. 1059.

At work in the field

TigerSix operates all over the country as well as overseas. The company’s portfolio includes projects in North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Texas, Louisiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania as well as various countries throughout the world.

“We spent 2 ½ years in the Bakken formation in North Dakota working for several newly formed midstream companies,” Kirk elaborates. “For one client, we managed $125 million prior to their taking over the construction manager role, however, we continued as the assistant construction manager, administration and main inspection group to complete the $425 million project. The project consisted of multiple-use pipeline right-of-ways, crude oil and natural gas gathering and sales lines. We built frack water distribution systems, disposal water gathering systems, disposal facilities and a cryogenic plant. We also built crude oil storage tanks and truck bay load-out system. Simultaneously, the team also worked on another Bakken project of similar scope. All in all we managed capital projects in the Bakken totaling approximately $650 million.”

The team also recently performed brownfield work and rebuilt the material components in a large gas plant in Wyoming that was originally built in 1969. “We are currently doing maintenance construction work in various natural gas compressor stations in northern Colorado as well,” Kirk adds. “We’re doing some greenfield work with a major crude oil pipeline transportation company and some instrumentation projects. Several of our projects have involved GIS mapping. I am a big proponent of GIS asset mapping.”

Tiger Six provides full contract management for many of its clients. “All the construction and suppliers contract directly to our clients and we manage the contracts and project,” Kirk says. “Oftentimes we will be part of the contractor and supplier selection process.”

The firm’s backlog continues to grow as TigerSix takes on new challenges throughout the U.S. and abroad. Kirk notes that he does not have a specific revenue or growth percentage goal for the coming years and as is important to him is that the quality of his team’s work remains at the top of the industry. “We have all the experience and technology of any of the über-large engineering/construction management groups, only in a small, boutique package that provides direct involvement with TigerSix’s core group,” he explains. TigerSix will continue to grow steadily through services and geographic diversification while maintaining a focus on quality, safety and efficiency.