MESA

MESA provides products and services to control or prevent corrosion 

and/or to maintain the structural integrity of assets, which are 

primarily steel pipelines, storage, and processing facilities supporting 

the nation’s energy infrastructure. Products and services are mostly 

related to an electrochemical form of corrosion control called 

cathodic protection (CP). MESA is headquartered in Tulsa, OK.

This is the third Baldrige Award for MESA; the company was a 2006 

and 2012 recipient in the small business category.

Leadership with Results

• MESA cultivates a family-like, community culture called ONEMESA.

That approach embodies servant-based leadership principles 

while focusing the organization on profitability and excellence; 

employees can share in the profits, and the workforce is supported 

in being entrepreneurial.

• Since 2017, according to Employee Engagement Survey results, 

more than 85% of the workforce feel that they are part of a team 

and MESA has a culture of integrity.

• Results from the 2020 Employee Engagement Survey show that 

90% of the workforce recognizes safety as part of MESA’s culture. 

The objective of world-class safety is woven into the MESA culture 

and supports the Purpose to deliver safe, innovative solutions 

for the protection of people, property, and the planet. Every work 

process is embedded with a safety focus and a priority to protect 

the public and MESA’s employees, and every meeting starts with 

a safety moment. Safety is an identified workforce, subcontractor, 

and customer requirement. A safety team is responsible for creating

preventive programs and tracking leading indicators.

• As a strategic priority, diversity and inclusion are embedded in 

MESA’s culture, workforce, and leadership processes and actions. 

Cycles of learning led to Principle Moment discussions at meetings, 

and a diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiative led to changes in 

communication styles and awareness. 

• MESA uses its 6D process framework to integrate and deploy its 

Purpose, Path, and Principles across the organization, as well as 

ensure their alignment with the Vital Few Objectives.

• MESA responded quickly to the COVID pandemic by offering a

Pandemic Bonus, Pandemic Pay Program, and generous leave 

options, as well as committing to no layoffs. Senior leaders 

prioritized workforce safety by providing transparent 

communication; implementing temperature checks and mask 

requirements; providing guidance for safe practices; deploying 

personal protective equipment crew kits; and making valuesbased decisions.

2020 Award Recipient

Baldrige Performance Excellence Program • National Institute of Standards and Technology • Department of Commerce 

Highlights

• New market growth has increased from $14 million in 2018 

to $16 million in 2019. MESA’s cumulative growth relative 

to competitors has improved 40% over five years, with 

growth outpacing five separate competitors.

• MESA’s overall revenue per employee has exceeded multiple 

benchmarks since 2016, improving from about $320,000 

in 2014 to $370,000 in 2019, nearly $100,000 more than 

a competitive benchmark. 

• MESA has retained 100% of key customers in its Services 

segment since 2018 and 97% of key customers in its 

Materials segment from 2017 to 2019.

• Matching the Great Places to Work 90th percentile 

benchmark, 95% of MESA’s employees agreed that the 

safety culture was a top organizational priority.

• Average customer satisfaction for services has trended at 

more than 4.5 out of 5 since 2017.

 
Baldrige Performance Excellence Program • National Institute of Standards and Technology • Department of Commerce 

2020 Award Recipient

MESA 

• Relationship building is woven into MESA’s culture. Workforce 

actions are aligned to the needs of key customers. Relationship 

building includes engaging suppliers who are vetted and integrated 

as members of the crew. 

Financial Results

• New market growth has increased from $14 million in 2018 to 

$16 million in 2019. MESA’s cumulative growth relative to competitors

has improved 40% over five years, with growth outpacing five 

separate competitors.

• Identifying and taking intelligent risks in new markets has produced 

over $250 million in revenue from 2009 to 2018.

• MESA’s long-term market growth has increased almost 5,950% 

since 1980, compared to U.S. gross domestic product growth of 850%.

Short-term market growth has improved almost 150% from 2008 to 

2019; in 2017, industry growth was at just about 2%. 

• Overall revenue has continuously grown nearly $30 million since

2015, with base revenue reaching $90 million in 2019. The small

business has achieved a 10% average revenue growth since 

embarking on its Baldrige journey in 2002. 

• Materials revenue has shown consistent growth from under 

$30 million in 2016 to $40 million in 2019. In addition, MESA’s 

return on equity of more than 10% in 2019 has outperformed 

major industry competitors since 2016. 

Customers with Results

• Average customer satisfaction for services has trended at more 

than 4.5 out of 5 since 2017. MESA’s 2019 customer satisfaction 

index rating outperformed the American Customer Satisfaction 

Index benchmark by 15%. 

• An on-time rate for service deliverables has been maintained at 

100% for the years of 2017, 2019, and 2020 (year to date [YTD]), 

with a slight dip to 98% in 2018. 

• MESA has retained 100% of key customers in its Services segment 

since 2018 and 97% of key customers in its Materials segment from 

2017 to 2019.

Workforce with Results

• Hires from referrals—an indicator of workforce engagement—

improved from 16% in 2015 to 41% in 2019, exceeding national, 

competitor, and Baldrige Award recipient benchmarks.

• Matching the Great Places to Work 90th percentile benchmark, 

95% of MESA’s employees agreed that the safety culture was a 

top organizational priority in 2019. In addition, in 2020, 94% of

employees considered themselves highly engaged.

• Since 2014, in overall workforce retention, MESA has exceeded 

industry competitors and benchmarks, including the benchmark 

for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Operations with Results

• MESA’s total recordable incident rate is significantly better than 

the construction industry comparison. MESA outperforms the U.S. 

Bureau of Labor Statistics rate from 2013 to 2017 and in 2019 is 

equal to the top performer in a North American trade industry survey.

• MESA’s overall revenue per employee has exceeded multiple 

benchmarks since 2016, improving from about $320,000 in 2014 

to $370,000 in 2019. This level exceeds the Society for Human 

Resource Management benchmark of just over $300,000 in 2017. 

Citizenship with Results

• MESA supports its key communities through corporate sponsorships;

hosting classes; and leadership at local, regional, and national 

levels, including board service. Senior leaders participate in 

industry associations, while employees support industry endeavors 

by attending conferences and training. MESA matches employees’ 

charitable donations and uses a defined process to vet sponsorship 

of employee passion projects. 

• A premier sponsor for more than 25 years, MESA contributes 

to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation annually. Since 2015, MESA 

has also contributed annually to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Strategic Planning

• MESA uses performance reviews and key comparative data to 

project future performance. Measures along with rolling targets for 

strategic objectives are cascaded to managers as appropriate.

• Multiple sources of data shared on electronic dashboards—

including the capacity viewer for Manufacturing, the business 

bingo dashboard for Support Services, and Salesforce—inform the 

identification of initiatives at the organization and operational

unit levels.

For more information:

MESA

4445 S. 74th E. Ave. 

Tulsa, OK 74145

www.mesaproducts.com

Baldrige Performance Excellence Program

The Baldrige Program educates organizations of all sizes and 

from all sectors in organizational performance management and 

improvement. We also administer the Malcolm Baldrige National

Quality Award. Our key services are to identify and recognize 

role-model organizations, share best management practices, 

and help organizations achieve best-in-class performance levels.

We are the only public-private partnership and Presidential award 

program dedicated to improving U.S. organizations. 

For more information on the Baldrige Program: 

www.nist.gov/baldrige | 301-975-2036 | baldrige@nist.gov