Gas, Oil, and LOOP-ricants. Modernizing HR and Payroll
The Story
For decades, W.H. Thomas Oil operated the way many long-standing gas and oil companies do, with grit. In this industry, operational excellence is the priority. Fuel distribution, logistics, safety compliance, and customer service demand constant attention. Like many family-owned or multi-location fuel businesses, W.H. Thomas Oil focused on running trucks, serving customers, and keeping operations moving. Not building a formal HR department.
As the company continued to grow, the limitations of that approach became more apparent. Payroll was managed through a manual process. Policies were informal. Leadership handled employee questions directly. For a time, that approach worked until the regulatory landscape, workforce expectations, and operational complexity began to outpace the system.
Stabilizing Payroll & HR in a 24/7 Industry
In 2025, W.H. Thomas Oil partnered with Loop to take full responsibility for HR and payroll operations. The objective was not simply to "fix" isolated issues, but to transition the organization from a legacy, manual model to a compliant, modern, and scalable HR framework. All without disrupting day-to-day operations.
During our initial assessment, Loop conducted a comprehensive review of payroll practices and immediately identified an issue in overtime calculations. PTO and holiday hours had been included in the calculations of hours worked for overtime purposes. As a result, some employees were receiving overtime pay during standard 40-hour workweeks when paid time off was applied
In this industry, payroll accuracy and compliance are not optional. Overtime regulations, wage and hour laws, and documentation standards carry significant financial and legal risk, especially for companies operating in multiple locations or managing shift-based employees.
Loop corrected the calculation methodology, standardized timekeeping procedures, and implemented internal controls to ensure every pay cycle would be accurate and repeatable. Within the first year, payroll processing reached full accuracy across all pay periods, and unintended overtime expenses were eliminated.
Building The Foundation
At the same time, Loop began building the broader HR foundation that W.H. Thomas Oil had never formally established. A comprehensive employee handbook was developed and implemented, aligning policies with current employment regulations. Onboarding and offboarding processes were standardized to ensure consistency and documentation integrity. Employee records were centralized, disciplinary processes were formalized, and compliant employment agreements were introduced to protect the organization and clarify expectations.
In the gas and oil sector, documentation and structure are especially important. Workforce transitions, regulatory oversight, and operational demands require clear processes and defensible records. By implementing these systems, Loop reduced compliance exposure while creating consistency across the organization.
Ongoing Partnership
Beyond systems and policies, Loop became the company's ongoing HR partner. All employee-related matters from new hire paperwork to terminations, employee relations guidance, and leadership advisement are now managed through a centralized professional HR structure. This has significantly reduced the administrative burden on leadership, allowing management to focus on fuel operations, logistics coordination, customer relationships, and strategic growth.
The impact was both immediate and long-term. Payroll costs were optimized through corrected overtime calculations. Compliance risks related to wage and hour practices were mitigated. Employee processes became consistent and transparent. Leadership regained time previously spent navigating HR questions. Most importantly, W.H. Thomas Oil now operates with an HR infrastructure designed to scale alongside its business.
The Outcome
The transformation demonstrates how even long-established companies in the gas and oil industry can modernize internal operations without losing their culture or disrupting performance. By partnering with Loop Recruiting, W.H. Thomas Oil transitioned from informal legacy practices to a structured, compliant, and professionally managed HR environment, strengthening the foundation of the business while preserving what made it successful in the first place.
