Building Confidence, Safety, and Careers: How Performance Contractors Uses Simulation Training to Stay Ahead

At Performance Contractors, innovation goes beyond adopting new tools. It’s about rethinking how their workforce is trained for complex, high-stakes jobs. Based in Louisiana, Performance is one of the nation’s largest industrial contractors, with an average workforce of 10,000 employees spread across 23 states. With hundreds of company-owned cranes and projects spanning LNG refineries, chemical plants, and food and beverage manufacturing facilities, the company is no stranger to scale or the demands of precision and safety in the field.

Yet for Billy Joe Arie, who’s spent 21 years with Performance, the company’s true asset has always been its people. His deep-rooted belief in developing talent from within has made him one of the strongest advocates for ITI’s crane simulation training. What might seem like just another piece of modern equipment is, in reality, a key piece of Performance’s training strategy — used to hire smarter, onboard faster, improve safety, and give employees new pathways to grow their careers.

“We’re in the People Business”

When you walk into Performance’s 15,000 square foot hiring center in Baton Rouge, you’re met with the hum of energy: job candidates being evaluated, simulation assessments running, and new hires preparing for job sites nationwide. The lab is central to the company’s hands-on approach to safety and training, and it’s outfitted with some powerful tools, including ITI’s desktop and motion-based VR Crane Simulators.

“When we do large client meetings and people come to visit our campus, we bring them through here,” Billy Joe explains. “It’ll bring a tear to your eye.”

For Billy Joe, it’s more than just a place for training and logistics — it’s personal.

“We are in the people business,” he says. “When someone comes in here, we’re not just evaluating skill. We’re trying to figure out if they’re a good fit for the Performance culture.”

That culture? One rooted in safety, trust, accountability, and opportunity. Performance Contractors has earned a reputation for being a self-performing contractor with world-class standards. It’s not enough for an operator to have certifications. They need to prove they can do the job the “Performance way,” and that’s where simulations come in.

A Modern Filter for New Hires

Performance Contractors uses ITI’s VR crane simulators to assess new hire candidates before they ever touch a real crane. For a company that owns a massive crane fleet, including more than 100 Tadanos and several 200 and 300-ton Kobelco lattice boom crawlers, putting the right people in the seat is essential.

“We don’t just look at your CCO and say, ‘you’re in,’” he explains. “We’ve had people who passed the written tests but couldn’t swing the load right in the simulator. That’s a red flag. If they can’t handle it virtually, they sure aren’t going out in the field.” On the other hand, simulators have also revealed hidden talent.

One memorable hire came in with just six months of seat time — an amount that normally wouldn’t cut it. “I got chills down my spine,” Billy Joe says. “That’s not much experience. I was  hesitant.” However, the candidate passed all written tests and performed well in the simulator. Billy Joe called the crane and rigging manager for a second opinion, and they agreed to give him a chance in a controlled environment at one of our laydown yards. 

“It’s been a few  years, but last I heard, that young man is now a staff operator assigned to one of our 225-ton lattice boom crawlers.”

Without the simulator as a hiring tool, that talent might have slipped through the cracks. The simulation assessment gave Billy Joe the confidence to take a chance, which paid off for everyone.

Onboarding With Confidence

Performance’s onboarding process is rigorous, but the simulation experience helps compress the time between hiring and productive fieldwork. “We used to rely on paper tests and send people straight to the field,” says Billy Joe. “Now, we can verify they’ve passed simulation scenarios, which gives their supervisor confidence from day one.”

He likens it to a trust-building tool. “That crane and rigging foreman knows this person’s been through our process, passed our simulator scenarios, and earned that spot.”

It also builds self-confidence for operators. “They’re smiling when they leave the simulator. It’s fun, challenging, and safe. If you mess up, you learn. Nobody gets hurt.”

Safety Is Not Negotiable

Performance’s safety culture is uncompromising, with four “cardinal rules” that, if broken, result in immediate termination. Proper crane operation, which is inherently high-risk, is central to maintaining that culture.

With millions of dollars and human lives at stake, downtime caused by operator error is unacceptable. “An incident can shut us down for hours or even days,” Billy Joe notes. “Thousands of dollars an hour lost. If someone hits a pipe rack with their boom, that crane is out of commission for a week, minimum.”

The simulators are helping reduce those incidents by training people to think like Performance expects them to. “From day one, they’re learning the Performance way — our workboot policy, lockout/tagout expectations, or how to handle emergencies — the simulator reinforces all of that.”

Training as a Marketing and Recruitment Tool

The simulators have also become a major recruitment and marketing tool. “We’ve taken the portable unit to career fairs and had lines of kids waiting to try it,” Billy Joe laughs. “It’s like a video game to them, but they’re also getting a taste of a real career path.”

Performance also works closely with local high schools and ABC Schools, construction trade schools affiliated with Associated Builders and Contractors that offer hands-on, industry-recognized training. “We start them as a flagger or spotter — someone who walks with the crane — and if they want to level up, we’ll sponsor them into ABC School.”

Thanks to the simulators, that “leveling up” process has a clear on-ramp. Students get real seat time, even if physical cranes are in short supply.

Filling the Skills Gap and Future-Proofing the Workforce

The simulation technology isn’t just for new hires. Performance is also using it during downtime and rainouts to help laborers who want to explore crane operation.

“We’ve got people coming in saying, ‘I’ve got my small hydraulic, I want to work toward my large.’ I’ll put the Tadano handles on and say, ‘There you go.’ That’s how they get more seat time.”

And seasoned operators? Many were initially skeptical, but they now sing its praises after experiencing its similarity to real life.

“If this thing had the smell of hot hydraulic fluid, you’d swear you were in the crane,” one veteran told Billy Joe. 

Today, cranes come with cameras, remote-control capabilities, and integrated tech. Even older models are being retrofitted with digital screens to meet OSHA standards. “There’s no crane out there now without a computer screen,” Billy Joe says. “You either get with the program or get left behind.”

Building a Culture of Growth Through Simulation

Today, three of Performance Contractors’ locations are equipped with simulators, extending the benefits of simulation-based training across the company’s expanding footprint. What began as an innovative training tool has become an integral part of the “Performance way,” reinforcing a company-wide belief that investing in people through the right training changes lives — and builds better businesses.

“If just one person grows from this, it’s worth it,” Billy Joe reflects. “And we’ve already seen that happen.”

By giving employees safe environments to build skills, ITI’s simulations help Performance identify future leaders, prevent costly mistakes before they happen, and strengthen its commitment to safety. This deep investment in workforce development mirrors the standards celebrated by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). In 2023, Performance Contractors was named ABC National Contractor of the Year, an award honoring companies that demonstrate a world-class commitment to safety, training, and advancing the industry.

Advice to Others: Dedicate Someone to It

Billy Joe has one big piece of advice for companies considering simulation training: have someone dedicated to owning it.

“You need someone who can guide people through it. Without that, the tech gets underused. But with it? The sky’s the limit. You can catch problems before they happen. You can unlock potential that paper tests never will.”

Simulation-based training is not about replacing hands-on work. It’s about getting people ready for it. At Performance Contractors, it’s helping build careers, reduce downtime, and keep crane operations safer and smarter than ever before.