Frank’s, a company that emerged from humble origins in a Lafayette garage to become a major multi-national force in the oil & gas service sector, is this year’s recipient of the International Achievement Award presented by Le Centre International and the International Trade Development Group.

Frank’s Casing Crew and Rental Tools of Lafayette and Frank’s International are privately owned and operated in a strategic alliance by the direct descendants of Frank Mosing. Frank’s International is a separate and independent company. Together, “Frank’s worldwide” has continued to grow by meeting the challenges of an ever-evolving oil and gas industry.

Fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit and uncompromising work ethic, the Lafayette-based patriarch of the Mosing family struck out on his own in 1938 when a paycheck from his oil patch employer bounced. With a few thousand dollars in savings, and no equipment or orders, Frank Mosing boldly started casing-crew operations out of his tiny garage. With wife Jessie as dispatcher and a few hands, Frank believed he could get the hazardous work of drilling for oil and gas done in a safer, more efficient, and honorable way. And he did, to create a true story of the American dream.

For the past seven decades, the companies that carry his name have emerged as industry leaders by anticipating and meeting the challenges of the ever-evolving oil and gas sector. Now among the largest privately held oilfield service companies, Frank’s and Frank’s International hold over 100 patents on products researched and produced at the company’s Lafayette engineering research and manufacturing facility. The inventory of 150 innovative products range from state-of-the-art power tongs to sub-sea completions, all backed with the service reliability that began with the founder and forged by Frank’s reputation for unrivaled customer service. A testament to Frank’s reputation among its customers is its multi-year ranking as the number one service company by Energypoint Research Inc., an independent research company which annually surveys the oil and gas industry on customer satisfaction.

The companies are managed and owned by three generations of the Mosings; the third generation is now heavily involved in all companies with six of Frank’s twelve grandchildren heading up departments ranging from inventory to international sales. The fourth generation is now in training. Frank’s worldwide employs over 3,500 people with offices in over 40 countries. While supporting these regions, the company has become one of the largest employers in Lafayette, Louisiana.

By the time Frank Mosing passed away in 1988, the company he operated for half a century had moved well past the garage stage and onto the international stage. His three sons, Donald, Billy and Larry, all worked within the business from their teen years and were well equipped to carry on. Donald, who earned a mechanical engineering degree, began the wildly successful and highly respected engineering research division. When Mr. Frank, as he was known by all, died, Donald moved from Executive Vice President to President of the Lafayette-based firm, a position he holds to this day. His brother Larry became and remains Secretary-Treasurer. Billy focused on developing industry contacts and sales until his passing in 2001.

The company moved heavily into the deepwater field, developing techniques and tools for sub-sea completions. A new facility at the Port of Iberia supports Frank’s deepwater operations around the world, with 5,500 feet of waterfront property designed to service a fleet of barges and the largest projects. The companies have worked on many high profile projects, such as “Kikeh” Field for Murphy Oil in deepwater Malaysia, “Agbami” Field for Chevron in Nigeria, and Chinook & Cascade projects for manufacturing pipe line end termination for Petrobras, to name a few.

In addition to Frank’s worldwide, the Mosing family has diversified in other industries. The Mosings have developed a successful real estate company with over 300,000 square feet of rental space. The Mosing family also purchased and is developing Western Airways, which operates out of Sugarland Regional Airport and the Lafayette Regional Airport, with weekly charter flights from Lafayette to Mexico. Western Airways hopes to one day extend the reach of the Lafayette Regional Airport to international destinations by bringing in US Customs services to Lafayette.

Keith Mosing, a native of Lafayette and a third generation company owner, moved to Texas in 1974 to start operations in Texas and Oklahoma. In 1981, he formed Frank’s International and has expanded the operations to over 40 countries employing over 3,500 people worldwide. Since its inception, Frank’s International has grown aggressively through the acquisition of over 40 companies.

With such an impressive history and global presence, it is most fitting that the International Achievement Award goes this year to Frank’s worldwide. Accepting this award on behalf of Frank’s was Keith Mosing, Executive Vice President and COO of Frank’s Casing Crew and Rental Tools, and Chairman and CEO of Frank’s International, Antelope Oil Tool, and Western Airways.