Our Flagship Service
Shutdowns, turnarounds & outages — done right.
When a plant comes down, every hour counts. CLS specializes in staffing planned shutdowns, maintenance turnarounds, and outage call-outs — vetted trades, a dedicated coordinator, and a hands-on overseer who stays accountable to the crew and the schedule. Headquartered in Aiken, SC, we mobilize nationwide — we go where we're needed.
A specialty, not a sideline
The work most staffing firms don't think to offer
Shutdowns, turnarounds, and outages are their own discipline. The window is tight, the trades are specialized, and a single missed crew can ripple across the whole schedule. It's the work CLS is built for — and the niche we're known for nationwide.
Planned outages, maintenance turnarounds, or an urgent call-out — we mobilize the right people, fast, and stay involved until the plant is back up.
The basics
What is a turnaround?
A turnaround is a stretch of planned downtime: a plant deliberately takes a unit — or the whole facility — offline so crews can get into equipment that can't be serviced while it's running. On site you'll hear the same work called a shutdown, an outage, or simply a TAR.
The reason to accept that downtime is reliability. Opening the equipment up lets teams find wear before it becomes a breakdown, replace components on a planned schedule instead of in a crisis, and keep critical assets in service for years longer — spending a few controlled days now to avoid an unplanned one later.
And the clock drives everything. With production stopped, every idle hour carries a cost, so a turnaround is really won in the preparation — a tight schedule, a crew that already knows the work, and safety that never gets traded for speed. That's the part CLS is built to staff.
What a turnaround covers
Planning & scheduling
Sequencing the work into a realistic timeline so crews aren't waiting on each other and the restart date holds.
Safety management
High-risk surroundings demand tight discipline — trained people, clear protocols, and supervision from the first task to the last.
Maintenance & repairs
The hands-on core — servicing, rebuilding, and replacing equipment, plus the larger mechanical and structural fixes.
Equipment & setup
Standing up the temporary infrastructure the job runs on — access scaffolding, lifting and rigging, welding setups, and more.
Logistics & resources
Getting the right materials, parts, and tools staged where the crew needs them, exactly when they need them.
Sectors we serve
Built for high-stakes facilities
Oil Refinery
Refinery turnarounds and unit outages where schedule, certifications, and safety discipline are non-negotiable.
Power & Utilities
Generation and utility-plant outages staffed with crews who understand controlled, high-stakes environments.
Manufacturing & Pulp & Paper
Mill and plant shutdowns mobilized fast — the right trades, the right headcount, ready when the line comes down.
Why CLS is different
You get people who stay accountable
We don't drop off a list of names and disappear. Every shutdown runs on two people who own the outcome with you.
A knowledgeable coordinator
One point of contact who learns your scope, plans the trades and headcount with you, and stages the crew before day one — so nothing is improvised when the clock starts.
A hands-on on-site overseer
A direct CLS overseer is on the ground, involved in worker assignments and project progress — accountable for the crew, not just signed up and gone.
Quality over quantity
A vetted crew — not a pile of bodies
Anyone can send warm bodies. We send the right ones. Every worker on a CLS shutdown is screened for skill, certifications, and safety habits before they ever reach your gate — held to standards of accountability and professionalism that keep your project moving.
High standards aren't a slogan here. They're the reason facilities call us back for the next outage.
Safety first, always
The safety of every worker comes first
Shutdowns are some of the most demanding environments in industry — so safety leads every decision we make. Crews arrive oriented to the hazards, fully covered by workers' comp and liability, and backed by stop-work authority. If it's not safe, we don't do it.
Covered crews
Workers' comp and general liability on every worker we assign.
Hazard-oriented
Briefed on the site, the trade, and the risks before the first task.
Stop-work authority
Every worker is empowered to stop unsafe work — no exceptions.
Decades of relationships
A deep network of trusted contractors
CLS has spent decades building relationships with hundreds of trusted contractors across the trades. That bench is what makes short-notice mobilization possible — when an outage date moves or a call-out lands, we already know who to call.
We understand that in this work, availability and responsiveness are everything. You reach a real person, and crews move when you need them.
Hundreds of trusted contractors
A decades-deep bench across the skilled trades.
Rapid mobilization
Crews staged ahead of start, fast on short notice.
Reach a real person
A coordinator who knows your project answers.
Breadth of trades
From specialized craft to general support, in one call.
How a project runs
From first scope to a clean finish
- 01
Scope & plan
Your coordinator maps the trades, certifications, headcount, and shifts the outage needs.
- 02
Vet & stage the crew
Workers are drawn from a decades-deep network of trusted contractors — vetted for skill and safety, staged ahead of start.
- 03
Mobilize
Crews arrive ready, oriented, and covered — fast, even on short-notice call-outs.
- 04
Oversee on site
A direct overseer manages assignments and progress, with daily communication back to your team.
- 05
Safe demobilization
We scale down cleanly when the work is done — no loose ends, ready for the next one.
Planning a shutdown, turnaround, or outage?
Tell us the scope and dates — your coordinator will stage the crew. Skilled trades looking for outage work can get on our call list, too.
