Distinguished Engineer Citations

Clark Butts

Distinguished Engineer

2018

Degree

B.S. Mechanical Engineering -1973

Citation

At time of nomination in 2018

R. Clark Butts is the founder, president and CEO of BCCK Holding Company, which includes BCCK Engineering, Inc., NG Resources Corporation and NG Field Construction, LLC. The BCCK family of companies provides engineering, design, procurement, fabrication and construction services to the energy industry and is known for developing safe, efficient, economic solutions for complex gas processing challenges. When Butts founded BCCK in 1980, there were five employees. Currently, 775 employees work for the companies - engineers, project managers, designers, technical support staff, financial and operational specialists, and field construction personnel. Butts says that, perhaps, the most rewarding part of starting this business is working side-by-side with talented, well trained, intelligent, creative, "can do" people and sharing the energy and enthusiasm each individual brings to the group. BCCK employs a number of Tech graduates – as well graduates from A&M, UT, BYU, Missouri/Rolla, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Wyoming, and professionals from Poland, the UK, Mexico, France and Trinidad. Butts encourages BCCK's engineers to work toward professional licensing and provides an avenue through the company for all employees to continue their education and career development.
Butts was born in San Angelo in 1951. His parents, Voy Lee and Mary Lee Butts, ranched south of Christoval and raised Butts and his sister, Sara Butts Moldenhauer (also a Tech graduate), on land that has been in the family for over a 100 years. He attended all twelve years of school at Christoval, participated in most of the school's activities, played football, basketball and ran track, and was valedictorian of his eight-person graduating class in 1969. He benefitted from teachers who were involved in the community, dedicated to their students and knew their students – and their parents - well. Barbara and Lewis Barton, excellent math and science teachers, encouraged Butts to enter science fairs. He was successful and won at the local, state and national levels, which increased his interest in engineering.
Faced with the decision about where he would attend college, a long-time family friend and Tech graduate, Bill Pfluger, told him "Go to Tech; you'll never be sorry." Butts enrolled in Tech in the fall of 1969 and proved that Pfluger's advice was some of the best he has ever received. At Tech, he studied mechanical engineering and he learned from the best – Dr. Powers, Dr. Lawrence, Dr. Jordan, Dr. Helmers, Dr. Reynolds and other outstanding engineering professors who made sure that each student had a very firm foundation in the basics, but who also encouraged innovation, critical thinking and problem solving skills and offered students the opportunity to "stretch." They made sure their students were well prepared to hit the ground running after graduation and be productive employees. Coming from a small, rural school to a large university wasn't easy. The curriculum was demanding; the learning curve was steep. Butts spent hours