Western Company of North America

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From the 1940's through the 1980's, The Western Company of North America was one of the pioneers of the "acidizing process," a method of improving the flow from gas and oil wells.

In 1939, after working as a Sales Engineer with Reed Roller Bit Company in Houston, Eddie Chiles founded the Western Company of North America. He started the company with two trucks and three employees. Western served the petroleum industry with technical services required in the discovery and production of oil and gas. The company grew to become a major oil services firm, primarily in acidizing, fracturing and cementing. At its peak, the Western Company had over 5,000 employees and annual worldwide revenues of over $500 million. Western also featured an innovative television campaign with commercials telling viewers "If you don't have an oil well, get one—you'll love doing business with Western!" The Western Company also operated an offshore drilling company, run by Mr. Chiles' brother, during the 1970s. The company was sold to BJ Services in 1995.