Kane Mcintosh told a room full of Southeast Texas professionals that supporting and promoting the next generation of workforce is the key to the region’s continued construction success.
“All of us are here; we’re already in our career,” he said. “We have to keep bringing people in.”
Mcintosh is the senior project manager for Bechtel, which is leading the Port Arthur LNG construction project. There are more than 3,000 craft professionals on site, and that number could grow to 5,500 by the fourth quarter of this year.
“What we’ve done is really embrace the local school systems through Sabine Pass ISD, Port Arthur and Nederland, to mention a few, through donations, supporting their pipefitter program, their millwright program, welding programs,” he said.
“I’ve got some fantastic Nederland crew that are on site right now. They are having a heck of a time either welding or learning welding or pipefitting. It’s great to see young minds, especially in this city, where they can grow up and work here their whole careers. There really is no end to the career opportunities.”
Mcintosh delivered his message as the featured speaker at 2025’s first Golden Triangle Business Roundtable Membership Luncheon.
The message is more than talk for Bechtel, which donated $71,000 in tools late last year to vocational education efforts in Sabine Pass and Port Arthur.
Company leaders stress the donations support critical workforce training programs by providing students with the resources needed to excel in high-demand industries, such as welding, auto mechanics and millwrighting.
Recent Bechtel contribution announcements include:
- Lamar State College Port Arthur for ironworker courses.
- Sabine Pass Independent School District for virtual reality welding equipment and auto mechanic tools.
- Memorial High School for tools for its Millwright program.
- Nederland High School for a weld test stand bench, weld rods, and additional resources for books from the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER).
“This community, I have always found, embraces the opportunities industry affords instead of turning their backs on them,” Mcintosh said. “We have a steady workforce flow in this area, whether it be craft professionals or professional staff. People like to work.”
Bechtel is leading the Sabine Pass effort to build Port Arthur LNG, a natural gas liquefaction and export terminal. Phase 1 calls for two natural gas liquefaction trains and the construction of natural gas pipelines to deliver natural gas to the terminal.
Mcintosh said Bechtel signed a contract for Phase 2, which are trains 3 and 4, including another tank and loading platform.
The property site, which is located along Highway 87, presents a myriad of challenges, including its swampy, weak soil and one-way access in and out.
Bechtel works to bring needed supplies in through water access, limiting trucks and uses buses as much as possible to keep traffic down.
“Two years ago, there were 23 craft professionals on the job site,” Mcintosh shared. “A year later, we were up to 475 craft professionals, and now about 3250 craft are out there. Another 400 or so are working in site offices.
“This is not a temporary thing. We’re a member of the community. We should be expected to act just like a plant owner who is going to be here for 30 years. We hope to be doing work here for the next 30 years.”
