Category: STL USA Partners

Last week, we shared the first half of ‘Meet the Team’, giving you the opportunity to get to know some of the incredible people that make STL USA so great. We are so very proud of the people who work for us, we truly believe that they are the heart and soul of our business and what makes us such a success.

So, welcome to part 2, where we bring you more of the stories about our people, their backgrounds, passions and what drives them to play such a strong supporting role in pushing the wind sector on to bigger and brighter things.

Cody Ramos – Trainer

“I was born here in Abilene, TX and went to Wylie High School graduating in 2006. In 2014, with no experience, I was offered a job as a glass worker at Binswanger Glass here in Abilene. It was there that I got my first real love for safety. I took my first ever OSHA class with them for General Construction and it opened my eyes to the different hazards and safety aspects of work that I never knew up until that point. After 4 years a friend of mine called me and said that his company Airway Services based out of San Angelo, TX needed people for a project in Colorado. It was a tough decision as me and my wife already had two kids at the time and I would have to move to Colorado for 10 months. I feel like I was called to take a risk and as soon as I said yes it all fell together perfectly and the following Monday I was a Wind Technician. Since then I can truly say I’d found a career as a travelling tech for Airway for 2½ years.

In May 2020 my growing family commitments pushed me to look at options that allowed me not to be on the road anymore. A training position opened up within the company and I applied and in October 2020 I officially became a safety instructor and haven’t looked back. I have been instructing now for 4 years, the last 10 months have been with STL USA here in Abilene. I feel this is a path I’ve been working on towards since I was in college. 

For me, the things that set STL USA apart are that being an independent training provider, we get to influence the entire industry from your big OEM companies to the small start up companies and set them on the right path because all of us are ex techs who’ve lived the life, been 300ft in the air rolling around in the oil in the 120 degree heat of Texas summers or the blistering below 0 temperatures of Minnesota winters. When I train you to follow a procedure or to wear that piece of PPE I can tell you from first-hand experience why that needs to happen.

My biggest influence to becoming a trainer was my first ever instructor in wind. Cory Sowell, whom still works at Airway, probably pushed me harder than anyone. He showed me what it meant to be a true mentor and it’s not to fail someone because they see something differently than you do. It’s to make sure each and every one of your students gets 100% from you so they can give 100% back to their work and ultimately with the knowledge we give them as instructors as they carry it on, we save lives just by planting seeds.

I believe the driving factor behind the success of STL USA as an organization isn’t the badass training, the facilities, or the crude oil coffee that Brandon makes every morning; it’s the people working together to build a culture that we convey into the classes that we teach. We banter, sometimes we gripe and get frustrated, and sometimes we are so busy that we don’t get to speak much. But at any given moment, any one of us could text or call any of the others, whether it be about work or a personal issue, and I guarantee you someone here will be on the other end of that phone because at the end of the day what really matters are the people were around.”

Dave Baucom – Senior Account Manager Business Development

“I graduated High School from a small town in Ohio, Shelby Senior High in 1999, and went on to receive my Associate of Science (AS) from Ohio State University in Columbus Ohio for Business/Corporate Communications.

From there I got into the Automotive industry, starting out in sales and worked my way up to General Manager/Sales Director of a store, Finance Manager, Sales Manager and Sales Director.

I have always had a passion for and wouldn’t be the great salesperson I am today without all the hard work and determination over 24 years of sales and building relationships.

The reason I came to STL USA is because of my wife Kayce Baucom. To be honest I never really thought about doing sales for Wind before. However after I learned all about it and realized the exceptional work STL USA was doing, I applied for a sales role. I believe that with my knowledge of sales and building relationships with clients, I would be the perfect fit for this role. I believe in STL USA’s goal to become the best training center in North America. What I believe sets us above others is our trainers, we have an excellent team of trainers who are super helpful with students, they make learning fun. I have only been with STL USA for a few months, but I have always gotten excellent feedback from our clients about how wonderful the courses were and how knowledgeable the instructors are. I believe that we at STL USA are creating a powerful team that will help us grow in the future.

My wife and I are big outdoors people and things I enjoy outside of work are hiking, fishing, kayaking, biking, hunting and travelling. My bucket list of places to visit re Norway, Sweden, London, Ireland and Greece.”

Keyon Demas – Trainer

“I was born & raised in Alabama. I graduated high school and then attended Trenholm Technical College for diesel mechanic school. I worked in that field briefly before deciding to start my career in the wind industry. In 2007 I made the decision to start this journey and I was contracted for 9 and a half years, working with different manufacturers doing O&M support, Commissioning, TFA, Quality, etc..

Then in 2016, I was hired on by a major manufacturer of new construction where I worked for 5 years on 12 new projects. I finally settled down in Texas on a site for Troubleshooting and Services for 1 and a half years. I have always enjoyed my job in the field and the knowledge I obtained, but knew I wanted to give back to the industry that has given me so much and to further my career in a different direction. I was offered a position with STL USA in 2023 and decided this would be where I could use what I learned from my diverse wind industry experience and put it to use here at STL USA. I enjoy working with the team here, working together to bring all types of field experience from Safety to Technical into the classroom. We strive on the importance of safety, because at the end of the day what matters most is the safety of all technicians.

My wife and I enjoy the outdoors (hunting, fishing, ATVs, dirt bikes, horses, and travelling with my family. We have two boys and I love spending time with them and coaching their little league football and baseball teams.”

Jeremy McKelvain – WindStart Program Lead

The team at STL USA are super excited for this year’s GWO Training Forum. This year’s event takes place at the Renaissance Airport Hotel, Orlando 5445, Forbes Place, Orlando, from the 7th (welcome reception) to the 9th of October.

A lot is going on so here’s a summary of the key elements from STL USA’s perspective and what will be on our agenda this year.

Training Team of the Year

The STL USA team are delighted to have been shortlisted for Training Team of t the Year. This award recognizes outstanding work by GWO training providers, celebrating distinction in all aspects of training. Regardless of the outcome, the STL USA team are proud to be amongst such excellent companies in this year’s shortlist.

You can watch our submission for the awards, click here.

RESQ Solo X, grab a sneak peek at the GWO Forum welcome reception

Personal safety is due for an upgrade, it’s time to stop using outdated tech!

See Solo X at the GWO Training Forum reception on October 7th 5:30 pm> 7:30 pm 

Renaissance Airport Hotel, Orlando

October sees the launch of the RESQ Solo X, a major leap forward in personal evacuation and rescue devices. The RESQ Solo X is the result of a close and collaborative partnership between Cresto Safety and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. 

RESQ Solo X was engineered to reduce both the weight and complexity of existing evacuation solutions, addressing two key challenges faced by wind professionals, key challenges not being fully met by the existing generation of manual devices.

RESQ’s and Siemens Gamesa’s shared focus was on crafting a device that technicians could trust and rely on. Poul Parning, Senior EQS PPE Specialist at SGRE, highlighted this priority: “We wanted a device that was lightweight, simple to use, and capable of meeting the demands of taller turbines. The Solo X does just that — it’s designed for a single person, so it’s as easy as connect and go.”

GWO Training Quality

STL USA takes prominent positions on training and safety committees at both GWO and ACP. STL USA was the first, and to date still the only, US training provider that can deliver instructor qualification training. This is all part of STL USA’s approach to lead on quality and standards. Working closely with GWO, STL USA is currently sponsoring an update to standards to reflect a more defined approach to working at height structures, the use of backups and various fall arrest to better align with best practices and local legislation.

Training quality is and always will be a primary focus for STL USA and we look to push this agenda at every opportunity.

Growing pains in the USA for GWO

GWO adoption has exploded in North America, but this has brought with it some growing pains. High on our agenda for this year’s forum will be to discuss solutions to these issues, namely:

1. Lack of auditor availability
2. Lack of auditor understanding of national, OSHA, regulations
3. ALck of training provider understanding of OSHA regulations, particularly working at height

To conclude we are very excited for this years GWO Training Forum we can’t wait to see you there!

This revolutionary product is the result of a close and collaborative partnership between Cresto Safety and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. As a proud member of the Cresto Alliance, STL USA is delighted to be able to bring this groundbreaking device to the USA market.

The RESQ Solo X represents another great addition to the RESQ line of rescue and evacuation devices which are the benchmark for quality, performance and safety around the world.

Cresto Safety x Siemens Gamesa

This revolutionary product brings a new standard of safety and simplicity to wind professionals working at height.

From the very start of this project, the RESQ team set out with one clear goal: to make wind turbine evacuations safer, simpler, and more reliable. Working alongside the safety experts at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE), RESQ listened, adapted, and designed a solution that meets the complex needs of technicians operating in challenging environments. The outcome? A device that’s lightweight, easy to carry, and offers peace of mind in the most demanding situations.

“Exactly What We Needed”

Jan Østergaard Laugesen, Senior Key Expert Engineering – Team Lead SE EQS OTM at SGRE, expressed his delight with the final product. Reflecting on the process, he shared: “The design, the size, the weight – exactly what we needed.” RESQ Solo X was engineered to reduce both the weight and complexity of existing evacuation solutions, addressing one of the key challenges faced by wind professionals.

Jan further explained the significance of this breakthrough: “RESQ Solo X reduces both the weight and the complexity, making evacuation simpler and safer.” Whether it’s climbing higher turbines or moving between multiple locations, the Solo X delivers unmatched portability. “It is reliable, portable, and easy to carry. The device is designed to go with you, ensuring safety no matter where you are,” he added.

Designed with Wind Techs in Mind

From the outset, RESQ’s and Siemens Gamesa’s shared focus was on crafting a device that technicians could trust and rely on. Poul Parning, Senior EQS PPE Specialist at SGRE, highlighted this priority: “We wanted a device that was lightweight, simple to use, and capable of meeting the demands of taller turbines. The Solo X does just that — it’s designed for a single person, so it’s as easy as connect and go.”

Solo X has a sleek and ergonomic design bringing added benefits. Poul emphasised: “The Solo X checks all those boxes — it’s functional, reliable, and looks great too.” We know that confidence in safety equipment comes not only from its functionality but also from how it feels and looks, making the Solo X a device that technicians will want to carry with them every day.

Celebrating the Journey

This collaboration Cresto/RESQ Siemens Gamesa has been a journey of innovation, problem-solving, and trust. Working hand-in-hand with industry experts like Jan and Poul has allowed Cresto Safety to push the boundaries of what’s possible in height safety solutions. The result is a product that we are incredibly proud of – one that addresses real-world challenges and brings a new level of safety to wind professionals everywhere.

Take a look at the Solo X promo video featuring Jan and Poul, as they share their experiences in developing the RESQ Solo X and the impact they believe it will have on the industry. Join us in celebrating this exciting milestone and discover why the Solo X is setting a new standard for personal evacuation devices.