What's Going On Over At Exxon?

[jmancuso]

yes, thanx!

[mkultra25]

When we were kids our parents would take us to the top to the observatory. It had a cool machine that would mold a replica of the Humble Building with a slot on the top for a piggy bank. I think it cost 25 cents. My mom saved everything but I have yet to find it in any of her things.

[just a small point of useless trivia]

Wow, glad to see someone else remembers these. I recently poked around the net a bit and discovered that these injection-molding machines were actually called Mold-A-Rama, and quite a few of them were installed around the country in various locations, pumping out all sorts of little plastic replicas (mostly of animals and dinosaurs).

The machines looked like this:

A couple of interesting sites with lots of info and history about Mold-A-Rama are Mark McDermot's Mold-A-Rama page and Moldaramaville; there are others that are easily found by Googling "Mold-A-Rama".

The Humble Building mold was apparently one of the rarest ones, as you won't find it mentioned on many lists of Mold-A-Rama molds. I wish I still had the one I got when I was a little kid, but it was lost long ago. There's a pic of one at a recent eBay auction, but that one is brown; I distinctly remember the one I had as being plain white plastic. Probably just a different batch of plastic that was used in the machine, as I gather that it was easy to vary the color of the molds that way.

Edited August 28, 2006 by mkultra25

[texas911]

Exxon should build a new head quarters downtown. A signature building. Downtown needs a new skyscraper.

[TheNiche]

Exxon should build a new head quarters downtown. A signature building. Downtown needs a new skyscraper.

Profoundly unlikely. Exxon is very slow to make big capital investments in its non-core business.

Incidentally, however, that's about the only way that we're likely to get a new skyscraper. We'd need a big firm to anchor the building.

[nmainguy]

I wish I still had the one I got when I was a little kid, but it was lost long ago. There's a pic of one at a recent eBay auction, but that one is brown; I distinctly remember the one I had as being plain white plastic.

Mine was white as well. After asking my oldest sister what happened to it, she told me my deranged middle sister took it out in the garage, sawed the top off and took MY pennies to the 7-11 and bought herself SlowPokes!!!! I'm seriously considering confronting her at Thanksgiving as long as I'm assured ahead of time that she has been thoughrouhly medicated.

[Houston19514]

Profoundly unlikely. Exxon is very slow to make big capital investments in its non-core business.

Incidentally, however, that's about the only way that we're likely to get a new skyscraper. We'd need a big firm to anchor the building.

Yes, it may be unlikely that Exxon would themselves build and own such a building. That is the case with most (or at least very many) headquarters buildings. But they nevertheless get built. For example, Shell has never owned their HQ building, nor has Marathon, nor did Pennzoil. Anadarko did not own their HQ building in Greenspoint; I'm not sure about their new Woodlands HQ building. Devon Energy does not own their Houston building or their OKC HQ buildings...

[Montrose1100]

Yes, it may be unlikely that Exxon would themselves build and own such a building. That is the case with most (or at least very many) headquarters buildings. But they nevertheless get built. For example, Shell has never owned their HQ building, nor has Marathon, nor did Pennzoil. Anadarko did not own their HQ building in Greenspoint; I'm not sure about their new Woodlands HQ building. Devon Energy does not own their Houston building or their OKC HQ buildings...

It was built by Humble Originally I believe (not owned of corse).

I am not sure if anyone remembers, but the Kellogg Tower was built by (then) Dresser, (now Smith International, or MI/SWACO), and was almost built taller then the current Exxon Building. But Since Exxon was a customer of Dresser, they didn't want to build a taller building, and let them think they were doing better, and perhaps getting too much money from them.

[EspersonBuildings]

Does anyone remember the funky lotus shaped fountain pools on the plaza? I tryed to get one when we redid the plaza and basement, ground and mezzanine levels. Instead of giving them away, they destroyed them. They were tacky in front of the building but one of them would have looked FABULOUS in my back yard!

Yea, they kind of looked like funky upside down bowls. Agree, they were tacky but would rock in someones back yard!

she told me my deranged middle sister took it out in the garage, sawed the top off and took MY pennies to the 7-11 and bought herself SlowPokes!!!! I'm seriously considering confronting her at Thanksgiving as long as I'm assured ahead of time that she has been thoughrouhly medicated.

I hope, FOR YOUR SAKE, your sister does not lurk on this board!

[pshaddock]

I worked there for a few years. What is say is mostly hearsay, but most of the rumors I come across with my MBA pals at ExxonMobil pan out in time. Have a friend working at Exxonobil GREF (Global Real Estate and Facilities) who keeps me in the loop. The project is to keep the building from shedding it's pea gravel panels on traffic below, and to reinforce aging rebar, as mentioned above. Surprisingly, the work is being done at a cost that is higher than if Exxon simply bought the ENRON tower. Exxon mgmt refused to take an expense "hit" if the building were sold or decommissioned. Bonuses could be affected. No one wants to take that to Dallas (HQ). Repairs are in the $80 - 90M range, and are capitalized and expensed over 30 years, so only $3m a year in expense, versus a huge (approx $40M) one time hit if the building were torn down. So they keep adding to it, capitalizing over the years the major improvements, and it will not be sold or torn for many years to come due to accounting standards, not reasonableness or good business judgement.

As an aside, I was one of the loners doing financial close when Mexico's west coast was hit by a 7. something earthquake in 2003 or so. I took the express elevator down from 19 and ran like hell. The old girl was creaking, blinds swinging, sounded like it was coming down. Security gaurds thought I was crazy when I ran by yelling "earthquake!". i called my wife at home...nothing on the news. After I returned, a half hour later, they laughed at me. Checked the paper the next morning, hunch confirmed. Next day they apologized as it turned out there was an earthquake for real and ceiling tiles fell down in a number of offices and conference rooms.

Surprisingly, I heard the surface lots to the north, south, east, and west had "no build" provisions in the deed and city records that prevent anyone from developing as long as the Exxon building still exists. That explains why, although Exxon does not own them, they will remain parking lots for some time to come. One story structures are all that are allowed, supposedly to serve as parking lot offices. Look at the old Enron daycare facility to the West.

Gotta run,

P

[Jax]

Wow, looking back on this thread, it appears the renovations (those ugly tarps over a bunch of floors) started in 2005 and they have still not taken the tarps down. When I first moved here I thought the building was abandoned or something, the way the windows on 4 or 5 floors were all covered with tarps. I figured the windows had been broken out or something. Now I'm kinda used to it, but it still looks ugly. I can see those tarps all the way home from work along Almeda. I wonder when it'll really be done. I don't really care for the building but I think it would look better if they took the tarps down.

Why would they possibly want to disallow construction on any adjacent lot? I know they may have parking concerns, but couldn't somebody just build a garage on one of those lots and then build other towers some day?

[woody_hawkeye]

I looked for any posting on this and did not find it. I have been tracking this for a long time, so I thought I would post an article I wrote this morning based on a news media release from Exxon, past discussions, an employee notice and my experience in the oil industry. It has been a while since I posted here. There is a companion article which was anticipating the announcement. Exxon was aware of the article and several others like it. I asked them for information and they declined, esp since they were about to make it public.

ExxonMobil announces consolidation of upstream and related services to a new campus just south of The Woodlands

[RedScare]

Umm...other than at the top of the page, I don't know where it might be.

[klein]

So the rumors are true!

[wxman]

This has been an on-going discussion for a long time now. See the 'Going Up' thread.

[bachanon]

duplicate thread closed

[kennyc05]

Anyone work for Exxonmobil in operations? I took the test in Beaumont and passed.

[cloud713]

i saw this post over on city-data and thought it was interesting.. is this a sign/confirmation that Exxon is finally moving their HQ to Houston?

 

 

 

 

 Today, 08:55 PM

LoveDontHate 

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 Quitting job because Exxon is moving

Hi there, I am a mother with 3 kids. My husband works at Exxon HQ, which is in Irving, TX. Exxon is planning to move their workers to Houston, including my husband. I have lived in Irving for my whole life and I wouldn't think of moving. My husband really love his job and I don't like living in Houston because of the humidity, hurricane threats, and traffic. My kids are attending the finest school in Irving, and is Houston ISD a good school district to put my child into. I am convincing my husband to quit this job, and find another one.

Should we move to houston. Or my husband quit his job and stay here?

 

[KinkaidAlum]

No.

 

It's a sign that workers are being transferred here from Irving and Northern Virginia.

 

That post also screams of trolling. Someone from Irving bagging on Houston?

[Fortune]

No.

It's a sign that workers are being transferred here from Irving and Northern Virginia.

That post also screams of trolling. Someone from Irving bagging on Houston?

.

Have to agree seems like someone trolling. The grammar is horrible and there are contradictions. They say that they have only lived in Irving then go on to say that they don't like living in Houston. How would you know you don't like living in Houston if you have only lived in Irving. Also HISD isn't the only school district around and private school is a option. Just doesn't seem like a intelligent thought out post from a person that would make their husband quit their job.

[mollusk]

It does, however, fit nicely into some old Irving stereotypes.  

[august948]

Wouldn't it be likely that he'd end up working at the new Exxon campus in The Woodlands and thus the kids would be in whatever ISD is nearby?  At a bare minimum HISD would only be one of many choices depending on where they wanted to live.

 

Is Houston traffic really that much worse than Dallas?

[Montrose1100]

Wouldn't it be likely that he'd end up working at the new Exxon campus in The Woodlands and thus the kids would be in whatever ISD is nearby?  At a bare minimum HISD would only be one of many choices depending on where they wanted to live.

 

Is Houston traffic really that much worse than Dallas?

Yeah it seems like a post from a 15 year old.

 

I don't know what school district would be Springwoods Village (KISD)?, but like most people working at the Exxon Campus they would probably move to the Woodlands (CISD).

 

She did point out a constant fear that stresses me out. Every day I religiously watch the weather reports for fears of a Hurricane striking the far most northern reaches of our metropolitan area. 70 miles from the coast? You are not safe.

 

Seriously what happens in the Spring/Woodlands area during a hurricane that doesn't happen when a big thunderstorm rolls in?

[Sparrow]

I don't know what school district would be Springwoods Village (KISD)?, but like most people working at the Exxon Campus they would probably move to the Woodlands (CISD).

 

She did point out a constant fear that stresses me out. Every day I religiously watch the weather reports for fears of a Hurricane striking the far most northern reaches of our metropolitan area. 70 miles from the coast? You are not safe.

 

Seriously what happens in the Spring/Woodlands area during a hurricane that doesn't happen when a big thunderstorm rolls in?

 

The western third of SWV is Klein ISD. The eastern two thirds--including EM and CityPlace--is Spring ISD. Parts of The Woodlands are Tomball ISD and Magnolia ISD as well.

 

Ike did do quite a bit of damage to the pines up there. Entergy didn't get power back to some folks for over two weeks. That said, I get the humor.

[swtsig]

i think y'all are overestimated stay-at-home mothers.

[cloud713]

lol. ok, so the OP of that thread could very well be a troll. that thought didnt occur to me until someone over there pointed it out later. i just thought it was interesting and might of been an "inside scoop" on whats going on behind the scenes at Exxon HQ. many of us believe its just a matter of time before they relocate.

[ArchFan]

Yeah, I don't want to be mean to the OP.  But, her post doesn't like that of someone married to a higher-up at XOM.

 

If I lived near the new XOM campus, the only reason I would worry about a hurricane would be if I had large pine trees near my house!

[Ross]

lol. ok, so the OP of that thread could very well be a troll. that thought didnt occur to me until someone over there pointed it out later. i just thought it was interesting and might of been an "inside scoop" on whats going on behind the scenes at Exxon HQ. many of us believe its just a matter of time before they relocate.

 

Why would they relocate here? What's the business reason? What benefit would it bring to the company?

[august948]

Yeah, I don't want to be mean to the OP.  But, her post doesn't like that of someone married to a higher-up at XOM.

 

If I lived near the new XOM campus, the only reason I would worry about a hurricane would be if I had large pine trees near my house!

 

That could be a legitimate worry in The Woodlands as I understand they don't allow you to take out trees as a preventative measure to keep them from falling on your house in a storm.

 

[Naviguessor]

If a pine tree falls on your house, you cut it up.  Have it removed.  Fix your house.  Insurance pays and life moves on. 

 

Aren't tornados more of a threat in Dallas then in the Woodlands?  They are much more devastating to homes than a typical hurricane and a falling pine tree or two. 

[Houston19514]

Why would they relocate here? What's the business reason? What benefit would it bring to the company?

 

Consolidating all of their administrative operations.  The same benefit they have touted for building the campus in Spring and consolidating everyone from various sites around Houston, plus Virginia, Dallas, Ohio...

Edited September 17, 2014 by Houston19514