Our Flagship Service
Shutdowns, Turnarounds, and Outages — Done Right
Craftsman & Labor Solutions specializes in staffing planned shutdowns, maintenance turnarounds, and emergency outage call-outs with vetted skilled tradespeople who are ready to work. Every project is supported by a dedicated site coordinator and hands-on oversight to maintain accountability, strengthen communication, and keep the crew aligned with the schedule. Headquartered in Aiken, South Carolina, CLS mobilizes nationwide — going wherever reliable industrial labor is needed.
A specialty, not a sideline
A Specialty — Not a Sideline
Shutdowns, turnarounds, and outages require more than ordinary staffing. The schedules are tight, the work is demanding, and every person on the crew has a direct impact on safety, productivity, and the restart timeline.
This is not an occasional service for Craftsman & Labor Solutions. It is a specialized area of staffing that we understand and are equipped to support.
Whether you are planning a scheduled outage, preparing for a maintenance turnaround, or responding to an urgent call-out, CLS works to mobilize qualified tradespeople and dependable support staff quickly. We remain involved throughout the assignment — helping address workforce needs, maintain communication, and keep the project moving until the facility is ready to return to operation.
When one missed crew can affect the entire schedule, you need a staffing partner who understands the urgency and stays accountable from the first call through the final shift. Shutdowns, turnarounds, and outages are not simply work we offer — they are part of what CLS is built to do.
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
People Who Stay Accountable
We do not hand you a list of names, send workers to the jobsite, and disappear. Every shutdown is supported by two dedicated points of contact who stay involved, communicate with your team, and take ownership of the outcome alongside you.
From confirming worker arrivals to addressing jobsite concerns, we remain accountable throughout the project — because dependable staffing requires more than supplying labor. It requires partnership, communication, and follow-through.
A knowledgeable coordinator
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 Just a Headcount
Anyone can send workers to fill a roster. At Craftsman & Labor Solutions, we focus on sending the right people for the job.
Before a worker arrives at your facility, we review their experience, skills, required certifications, and approach to workplace safety. We look for people who understand the expectations of shutdown and outage work: show up on time, follow instructions, work safely, communicate clearly, and remain dependable through the final shift.
We hold our crews to a high standard of accountability and professionalism because every person on the jobsite can affect safety, productivity, and the project schedule.
High standards are not simply part of our marketing. They are how we build trust, earn repeat business, and become the staffing partner facilities call for their next shutdown, turnaround, or 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.
Built on real relationships
A Deep Network of Trusted Contractors
Our owner has spent decades working in the trades and building strong relationships with skilled, dependable contractors nationwide. That established network allows Craftsman & Labor Solutions to respond quickly when an outage date changes, a project schedule accelerates, or an urgent call-out comes in.
In shutdown and turnaround work, availability and responsiveness are critical. With CLS, you reach a real person who understands the urgency, communicates clearly, and mobilizes qualified crews when and where they are needed.
Trusted Relationships. Rapid Response. Crews Ready to Move.
A trusted contractor network
Built over the owner's decades 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 trusted network of 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 hands-on overseer stays on site, managing 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.
Where we mobilize
Shutdown Crews for Every Major Industrial Market
Shutdowns, turnarounds, and outages are the work we take nationwide. From our Aiken, SC headquarters we mobilize vetted crews to refineries, chemical plants, power stations, and mills across the country — and the same accountable team runs every project, wherever the plant is. Choose your market:
Don't see your plant's city? We mobilize to industrial sites anywhere in the United States — send us the scope.
Questions
Shutdown & Turnaround Staffing — FAQ
+What is shutdown and turnaround staffing?
Shutdown and turnaround staffing supplies the extra skilled trades and support labor a plant needs when it takes a unit or the whole facility offline for planned maintenance, inspection or repair — then scales the crew back down when the plant restarts.
+Where does Craftsman & Labor Solutions staff shutdowns?
Nationwide. CLS is headquartered in Aiken, SC and mobilizes crews to industrial markets across the country — including the Houston Ship Channel, the Golden Triangle, Louisiana's river corridor, Chicago and Northwest Indiana, the Delaware Valley, the Front Range and West Coast ports and mills.
+What is a refinery turnaround?
A refinery turnaround is a planned stop of one or more process units so equipment can be opened, inspected, repaired and brought back online. For a few intense weeks it needs far more craft and support labor than normal operations. That surge is the part CLS staffs.
+What is the difference between a shutdown, a turnaround and an outage?
The words overlap and usage varies by site. A turnaround is usually a large planned event at a refinery or chemical plant, a shutdown can mean all or part of a plant coming offline, and an outage is the common term at power plants and mills. CLS staffs all three the same way: scope, stage, mobilize and stay involved.
+What industries does CLS support for turnarounds?
Oil refining and petrochemical, power and utilities, and manufacturing — including pulp and paper and steel.
+What trades does CLS supply for outages?
Welders, millwrights, carpenters, plumbers, and general labor and helpers for staging, material handling, housekeeping and demobilization.
+Do you handle emergency outage call-outs?
Yes. Unplanned outages are staffed the same way as planned ones — scope, stage, mobilize and stay involved. Timelines depend on the trades, headcount and location, and we tell you plainly what is realistic.
+Does CLS take smaller, local staffing jobs too?
Yes — in our home region. Everyday skilled trades and general labor staffing is focused on Augusta, Aiken and the rest of the Central Savannah River Area. Shutdowns, turnarounds and outages are the work we take nationwide.
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.