Here we have excerpts from EA and LDARtools' newsletters. We believe this is the best way to tell you a little bit about the type of company that EA is and the type of people who are a part of our merry band.

Dear Rex items are letters sent to Rex Moses, EA's President/CEO from EA employees or their families.

We are an ESOP Company!

Eligible participants join the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) when they reach their one year anniversary. They are then invited to subscribe to weekly CEO reports where they receive information about how EA and LDARtools are doing.

Mullin’s Journey to the Big City

Note: Wes and his wife chose to go to Philadelphia for Wes’s 4 year trip reward to watch their two favorite teams play. Wes is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and his wife is a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles. Wes is the Field Supervisor at DOW16 in South Charleston, WV.

We had a great time on our trip to Philly to watch the NFL preseason game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

We left Friday morning on our nine hour journey to the big city! We checked into our hotel, which was downtown in the historical district of Philadelphia, then went up to check out the rooftop pool and the view.

We decided instead of driving to the stadium we would avoid the traffic and ride the subway, so we each put on our favorite team jerseys and set out on our adventure. The subway ride was fun and a different experience. Once we got to the stadium, we ate, bought some souvenirs then went inside to find our third row seats and watch the players practice. The game was more exciting in person than on TV. The Eagles won which made my wife happy!

On Saturday, we took a tour of the city on an amphibious vehicle that also included a short trip up the Delaware River. We found out lots of interesting facts that neither of us were aware of and also got a great history lesson. We saw the liberty bell and constitution center, Betsy Ross’ house, along with lots of other historical places in the city.

Afterwards, we went to Hard Rock Café for dinner then walked back to our hotel. After a day of lots of walking we decided to relax for the rest of the evening and just enjoy the atmosphere.

Thanks EA for providing us with this memorable trip!

Trip to the Frio!

Editor’s Note: David Hamilton and his family chose to go to the Frio River for David’s seven year Trip Reward. David is EA’s Database Consultant.

For my trip my wife and I really wanted to do something with the whole family. We both love the hill country and the beautiful water of the Frio River so we packed up all 4 kids (Lauren 11, Hailey 5, Joshua 8, and Caleb 6) and just about everything else we could think of and headed out. By the way, my parents (Nana and Papa) met us there for the week and my in-laws (Memaw and Pawpaw) met us for a few days as well. It was a great time for the whole family to be together. . .

Dear Rex

Randy and I would like to thank you and the rest of our EA family for the card and the beautiful flowers that we received for our 12th wedding anniversary. This makes us realize how lucky we are to be apart of such a great company. Thank you very much,

Tinka Felix

I was responding to the congratulations letter you sent me in regards to Marathon. At the bottom of the letter you asked, “Please let me know how I can improve at what I do.” Taking the time to acknowledge each employee’s accomplishments says it all. Thank you for taking the time each day to respond to everyone's accomplishments.

Christmas 2005

Christmas Bonus Information

DOW11 Wins Christmas Challenge

Early in December, Kenneth "Bull" Durham, issued a challenge to all the FSs and RSMs to see who could collect the most toys for Toys for Tots. They were invited to take on "the Bull" and see who came out on top.

The winner is . . . DOW11! Kenneth remains undefeated, DOW11's crew of six: Larry Moreland, James Hux, Ronnie Warren, Kenneth Durham, Betty McDaniel and Danny Lackey were able to collect 74 toys. Kenneth said that the families of the crew were also very instrumental in making this happen.

To celebrate their efforts DOW11 was awarded the plaque pictured below, they will keep it at the site until next year, at which time everyone will again have a chance to take on Bull.

Kenneth had this to say, "I just got the word about DOW11 winning the Toys for Tots Challenge. It is an honor because it helped a lot of children that may not have had anything. I would like to give Maureen [Richardson] special thanks. If it were not for her wanting to do a Christmas Project, none of this would have happened. Because of her a lot of children where able to enjoy Christmas. Again, Thank you and Happy New Year".

The award reads, "EA an ESOP Company, Champion, 2005 Kenneth "Bull" Durham Christmas Project".

2007 Owner Employee of the Year

For several years EA has brought all company employees to the Houston area for an annual Value Convention. During 2007 we transitioned from the business-like setting of a Convention to a more party like atmosphere. For many, it is an important highlight of the year with EA. These gatherings are a mix of fun and learning and a time to recognize the important work that Technicians are doing. There are numerous awards given during the Convention, but one of the most important honors is being named Owner Employee of the Year. This award has special meaning because the Owner Employees choose the recipient in a secret vote.

2007 Owner Employee of the Year

Previous Winners:

Support for Michelle Matthys' LIVESTRONG Award Nomination Overwhelming

Recently, President / CEO, Rex Moses solicited support for nominating Michelle Matthys for the Spirit of Survivorship Award given by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The award is presented annually to the individual who has made a significant impact on the world of cancer survivorship.

The Spirit of Survivorship Award specifically honors a cancer survivor who demonstrates a resilient attitude towards their illness and inspires others to live their lives to the fullest.

The following is an excerpt from the letter Rex Moses distributed to us all, "As we all know, we are honored to have in our midst the wonderful and unique woman that is our very own Michelle Matthys. Most of you have heard of her trials with cancer. Whether you have or not, we can all see the daily evidence of her triumphs. Please take a moment and join me in wondering about Michelle's 'spirit of cancer survivorship.'

Each of us has our own point of view. Each of us has been touched by her unyielding courage and her unfailing cheerfulness. Those of us who have worked most closely with her can attest to all of you who have only known her on the margins that she is as steadfast in generosity and as consistent in her attitude as ANYONE we have ever known.

A level of suffering that would have knocked most, if not all of us, down has only seemed to lift her higher.

Michelle's cancer is in remission. Her last treatment was in December of 2000.

Thank you for being a part of this special effort for Michelle. I hope that you will agree that, after all that she has meant to us, it is the least that we can do."

Baby Announcement

About LDARtools

LDARtools is EA’s subsidiary company and was founded to ensure that LDAR programs across America reap the maximum benefit from the technological breakthroughs that are revolutionizing our industry.

LDAR professionals with more than 200 years of combined expertise working in more than 100 different sites have pooled their experience and insights. In the process they have begun to develop hardware, equipment, proprietary software and innovative business methods that have captured the imagination and enthusiasm of the entire LDAR community.

In the next few years, virtually every LDAR program will undergo dramatic change. The introduction of a new generation of analyzers, wireless communication devices,  and powerful Pocket PCs will either enable each program either to do what they have always done a little faster, with less inconvenience OR it will empower them to re-engineer their entire LDAR work process to increase productivity, enhance safety and ensure higher levels of compliance and reliability.

To learn more about LDARtools visit www.ldartools.com.

ExxonMobil Renews Contract for 5 years

We are proud to announce that ExxonMobil has agreed to a five-year extension of one of the most important contracts that EA has.

The contract renewal is a fitting way to celebrate the fact that EXX1 and EXX5 just completed 10 years at the Baton Rouge site without an OSHA recordable and EXX7 continues to lead the way in quality of work and technical innovation. This truly is a great day for EA.

Employee Spotlight

Jeremy William Bolinger

LDARtools Product Development Specialist and 2007 CEO Award Winner

Word from Rex Moses, President/CEO - One of the best things about being the CEO for EA is that, each year, I get to award my special CEO Award.  It is the only award that I get to nominate the people for and then pick the winner without consulting anyone else. I have fun with it. And it is never easy.

Last year I was proud to present the CEO Award to Jeremy. Jeremy’s contributions to EA, since the very first day that he joined our company, are impossible to calculate. Every Owner Employee of EA will, someday, benefit from the contribution that Jeremy is making to the research and development team for LDARtools. Based on his education, his intelligence, his dedication and his talent, Jeremy could be doing just about anything he wants to do. It is an honor and a source of never ending gratitude that he chooses to pursue his career and personal goals with us. Thank you, Jeremy!

phx21(TM) Coming Soon to LDARtools!

US Patent Application Number 61/057124

Wirelessly Controlled Battery Operated Flame Ionization Detector (BOFID).

On April 2, 2008, at the annual LDAR symposium LDARtools unveiled and demonstrated the phx21(TM). The phx21(TM) is the first analyzer developed specifically for use in Method 21 / LDAR programs. This is the sort of innovative, exciting and cutting edge technology that ONLY LDARtools could develop.

phx21(TM) had been subjected to and passed all of our laboratory and design tests. Results from the latest field test, which compared phx21(TM) data with data collect by a TVA, show that phx21(TM) performs consistently with the TVA except for a small percentage of items in which the phx21(TM) is likely to be a little more sensitive.

phx21(TM) is undergoing the intrinsic safety certification process. For more information visit www.ldartools.com.

Dear Rex and Kim,

How exciting that EA was a corporate sponsor for the ride this year.....the jersey looked super! My thanks to the wonderful EA Team: Rex, Claire, Gabby, David Michael, Kim, Stephen, Rachel, Nick, and Frank -- all heroes to me!! As someone with MS, I do appreciate (more than you know) the effort and energy that each one of you put into preparing for and participating in the ride. And how heartwarming it is to see the children so involved! My thanks to your beautiful families for their support in this tremendous effort. I will always treasure these memories with joyful thanksgiving - it is not just the riders who make the commitment, but their families as well. There is speculation among the scientific community that significant progress will be made during the next 10 years, with the possibility of a cure within our lifetimes. That will be a time for rejoicing!

I also wanted to tell you a little about my journey to begin treatment for MS. I went up to the office one morning and asked Ralph if there was a list of injectibles covered on our plan. He said that he wasn't aware of a list, but right away called John Falcon despite my attempts to tell him that I could do that myself once the girls and I got home. He spoke to John for just a few moments and John asked him to have me call him that afternoon.

John actually called me before I was able to give him a call - it was music day with the children! In his message, he said "this can be done and we'll help you." He was on the phone when I returned his call, but only a few minutes later he called back, and had assembled in his office Richard Moya and Monica Bubb, so that all three of them would know what was going on from the beginning. Monica told me a few days later (after tirelessly working to unfold the procedure for pursuing the injectible drug coverage) that I should call her anytime, with any questions, or even if I just wanted to talk to someone.

The process of beginning treatment is off to a good start due in large part to the responses by the kind people whom I approached with questions, or for help. I wonder how often a person contacting an insurance company hears the words, "How can I serve you today?" I can tell you that I did!

I am very thankful for how smoothly this has gone and for each person I have spoken with at EA or TEAMS. I thought that you would want to know more about the great group you have working for the EA family. I cannot fully express how thankful I am for the response from John Falcon and Monica Bubb. Their primary concern was me, not the cost.

Always, I remember that the God we serve is good. So very, very good.

Joyce Richardson

(Joyce is the wife of Kyle Richardson our Field Coordinator)

EA switches to United HealthCare

We are delighted to announce that due to the growth in our company, we have been able to arrange for a health care plan that is better, better, better!

Our new carrier is United HealthCare. The premiums will be slightly higher, but the benefits are much, much better. Just think about what everyone is saying about our new plan:

CA employees will remain with Kaiser Permanente.

Canadian Employees are not eligible for Health Insurance.