b'C O N T I N U E D - STRATEGIC MOVES:FOUR COMPANIES LOOK TO THE FUTURE Ascend SCSupply Chain Consultants SC Global Tubular Solutions Starts its Second Act with Name Change and New Goals for the FutureS exist. They recruited people to help themC Global Tubular Solutions was established in 2002 to answer a challenge. The primary business modelfor the SC Tubular Products Division (SCTPD) had been high volume direct sales from Nippon Steel to oiland gas companies through long term supply contracts. SCTPD arranged delivery then all ownership, responsibility and management of the material belonged to the customer. At that time, Mark Kays, who became the founder of SCGTS, was the President of his own company, Premier Pipe, which is now partbuild the company around the customer of a company known as P2E Energy Services. Premier managedrequirements with an emphasis on embed-business for Exxon in the US and came to Mark with the challeng- ding team members with the customerses they were having globally in establishing operational bases inon location to do the jobs and train SCremote locations. Mark recognized the opportunity to establish aemployees to take over the businesses. new business model for the Global Tubular Group and brought it toFor the last 20 years, SCGTS helpedSCTPD Leadership.SCTPD establish and improve inventoryToshikaza Kaz Nambu was on assignment with the Tubular management infrastructure around Mark Kays, Founder of SCGTSdivision in Houston at the time and became the champion of thissupply chain projects all over the world.idea upon bringing this to his peers in Tubular Management. TheyThat model was expanded to include HSSE, Quality Management, agreed that: new global HR strategies, and the development of a custom plat-1. There was an unmet need in the market form, iTIMS, to digitize physical inventory.2. Sumitomo Corporation had the opportunity to be first movers Customer demand for technology solutions kept increasing. In 3. The business could be scaled globally 2018, David Watson took over as President of SCGTS and led the To meet these challenges, leadership knew the model needed acompany on a transformation initiative that solidified the companys dedicated team and a separate company to recruit the new talentability to build and implement digital products at scale. He brought required outside the regional structure of the Tubular group. Markin digital and consulting expertise from a variety of industries and Kays resigned his position with Premier to become President of theimplemented an agile environment to deliver more value more newly formed SC Global Tubular Solutions. He and a small teamquickly.traveled to potential operational sites and did deep dives with theWhile tubular material supply will always be a part of the business customer and in the field where the drilling operations needed tomodel, the concept of Global Tubular Solutions is no longer the Ascend SCLeadership Team4 visions Summer 2023'