Alex Costa Transforms IT into a Growth Engine at PSC Group

Discover how PSC Group’s Alex Costa revolutionizes technology support across diverse business lines

Alex Costa; VP, Information Technology, PSC Group

BY BILLY YOST, HISPANIC EXECUTIVE

Over seventy years ago, PSC Group was founded as the first ever tankerman company to support the transportation of chemicals through our nation’s waterways. PSC has since grown to offer a variety of marine, in-plant, railcar repair, sustainability, and logistics services across the US and Canada. Vice President of Information Technology Alex Costa and his team have an impact on each of these lines of business.

PSC Group provides in-plant services to over 160 refineries, along with rail and truck loading services and its own locomotive fleet to move those cars. PSC has recently launched its railcar repair line of business, which is rapidly growing. After hearing customers mention a need for sustainability services, PSC responded in force. The company can now help clients path to a more sustainable operation by collecting recyclables and employing an arsenal of collection and cleaning vehicles. The company has created entirely new business lines by creating renewable fuels and plastic testing capabilities.

None of these operations work without technology, and that’s where Costa and his team come in.

“You have to juggle the fact that nothing can stop while you’re also completely reorganizing how you work. And you can’t lose sight of the fact that you need to understand and learn how people work best and that they’re comfortable with the changes you’re making. ”

Alex Costa

Costa came to PSC Group in 2022 with the intention of getting more visibility on IT. PSC was carved out from a larger organization, and that didn’t include bringing along the IT team. PSC leadership soon saw the need for true IT partnership, and Costa has decades of IT leadership in oil and gas organizations.

Costa was the ideal candidate.

“There was a backlog of projects that seemed like they hadn’t been executed as well as they could have been,” Costa explains. “There was a great team here that seemed like they needed some guidance on how to accomplish things in the most functional way. Everybody felt like they were responsible for everything, and not in a good way. Roles just needed to be better defined.”

Photo by Andre L. Santos

Costa wanted to build upon the IT department to enable growth within PSC, not impede it. Just a couple of years later, he’s proud of a team that is now capable of supporting new business growth across all of PSC’s lines, with new ones on the way.

The first task Costa took on was reorganizing his department. The VP says that was tougher than it sounds because his team couldn’t simply pause operations.

“You have to juggle the fact that nothing can stop while you’re also completely reorganizing how you work,” Costa says. “And you can’t lose sight of the fact that you need to understand and learn how people work best and that they’re comfortable with the changes you’re making.”

The success of the IT team, Costa says, lies in the belief his people bought into and understood of what they were all collectively working toward. As they have succeeded, that vision has shifted to new areas.

At present, the IT team is focused on two large initiatives. The company is in the middle of selecting a new human resources management system, which will touch every part of the company and its 4,600-plus employees. It’s a massive undertaking and one that will define Costa’s team for years to come. The selection process is slated to complete in June 2024 and will likely take a year to complete.

PSC is also amassing a larger appetite for inorganic growth. Costa says his role requires him to step in and evaluate prospective acquisitions, their network capabilities, and their integration capacity with PSC’s IT. Costa may not be making the ultimate decision about whether to acquire a company, but he is part of a larger team responsible for making critical decisions for PSC’s future.

Photo by Andre L. Santos

Costa is fine with the pressure. Very little compares to the father he grew up trying to impress in Brazil. When Costa got a job at McDonald’s as a student, his father told him he wouldn’t last a month. When Costa scored second place on an incredibly competitive test to qualify for a navy internship—one that thousands tested for—his father asked him why he hadn’t placed first.

“Dad was harsh, but he pushed me to be the absolute best that I could be,” Costa says. “I saw my family work so hard, and I never expected anything to be given to me. It wasn’t easy growing up, but I know I did my best.”

And while Costa’s head may constantly be in the ones and zeros of the IT world, the weekend finds his mind racing in a far different setting. The VP took up competitive sailing the last few years, but even if there isn’t a race, the executive is happy to take his family out on the water. Every year they sail someplace unique, and Costa hopes he’s making memories for his ten-year-old son that he’ll never forget.

Hispanicexecutive.com