BOH was born in November 2010 at a family gathering when young Joel Young suggested to his Uncle Steve that there was good business in the oil shale play. With little more than Joel’s suggestion, Steve abandoned his early retirement and began the process of building a new company. Steve Young brought a wealth of experience, and the hard knocks of life to BOH. He built an agricultural empire beginning in 1976 with 200 rented acres. By 2004, he had expanded the farming operation to 28,000 acres. This success was followed by Steve’s development of one of the largest privately held fertilizer corporations in the Pacific Northwest, covering seven states. Not one to restrain his entrepreneurial spirit, he also developed a 1-million-bushel grain storage facility on the hub of the Union Pacific spur and, later, a 400-million-pound (annual) fresh-pack potato shed.
Inspired by his conversation with Joel, Steve hit the road, driving more than 2,000 miles from New Mexico to North Dakota in search of the ideal location for the oil field services business that had taken root in his mind. Geography, geology, and gut feeling took him to Williston, North Dakota. So, the adventure began.
Father, son, and nephew understood early on that the development of salt water disposal facilities (SWDs) in combination with water hauling services was called for as the basis for a highly efficient oilfield services business.
We began the process of converting an abandoned oil well into a SWD. We were excited — and nervous — as we cleared the area and started to dig. At merely 15 feet of the 5000-foot goal, our drill bits broke repeatedly, and we could not drill further. Although disheartened, with the encouragement of some key supporters, including Oasis Petroleum, and the never-quit legacy of the Young family, we persisted. Long-time North Dakota native, Mike Ames, introduced Joel Young to a 76-year-old Leo Grossman with a deep knowledge of oil drilling. With a “hell, I’ve drilled through worse than that...” and “I’ll show you boys how to get work done in the oilfield,” he drilled through the cement plugs like a hot knife through butter, and the rest is history.
In 2017, BOH partnered with BPI Midstream, a well-funded midstream investment holding and project development company focused on the shale oil regions of the US. BPI consists of a group of seasoned professionals with diverse backgrounds that bring capital resources as well as deep industry relationships, deal structure, and transaction expertise, and strong operational and back-office capabilities. As an operationally-focused investment firm, BPI is a true partner with its portfolio companies including BOH. BOH, Inc. became BPI-BOH, LLC now doing business as BOH Midstream.
Today, BOH Midstream operates in North Dakota and manages three saltwater disposal facilities, with two permits for future development. The operation that weathered the stresses of starting an ambitious new business has grown to where it is today, with a midstream partner in BPI and significant opportunities for growth ahead. BOH is still the business that holds to its family values, but now has the resources and capabilities to serve more clients with more assets and growth opportunities than could ever have been expected in those early days. We are dedicated to building on the Company's legacy of hard work, continuous innovation, and a mindset of success.
