During his 15-year engineering tenure at AE2S, Grant Slick, PE, has traversed the dynamic landscape of the oil and gas industry, eventually heading towards renewable energy projects. As the Energy Services Practice Leader in Grand Forks, his expertise in oil-producing areas of interest to AE2S generated an impressive list of professional engineering licenses across multiple states, including Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming, Kansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
For Grant, the appeal of being an AE2S Employee-Owner lies in the entrepreneurial spirit engrained in the company culture. His journey as an engineer began in high school, driven by the need for a fulfilling job that utilized his skills and the desire for a lifestyle in a rural area. Outside of work, Grant enjoys exploring the woods chasing whitetail deer and grouse; trapping beavers, fishers, and martens; and year-round walleye fishing.
Grant started with AE2S part-time when he was a college senior at the University of North Dakota, eventually graduating with a BS degree and then an MS degree in Civil Engineering. He has since stayed with AE2S throughout his career. His first large project and his most memorable, the Red River Valley Water Supply Project, allowed him to experience hydrology, hydraulics, water treatment and process design, and politics. Grant says, “It’s really fun to see the project now being constructed, and I can’t wait until the first drops of Missouri River water are moved into the Red River Basin.”
AE2S’ work in the oil and gas industry opened opportunities for Grant. The development of the Bakken oil field, encompassing western North Dakota, broadened opportunities in the hydrocarbon market as hydraulic fracturing facilitated more accessible oil drilling activity. AE2S responded by moving freshwater for use in the fracking process. Grant says, “When the Bakken oilfield was getting ramped up, it felt like opportunities were endless. With the combination of a close-knit AE2S team and true entrepreneurial spirit, we expanded our engineering role into multiple business activities. It was an exciting time.”
Currently, Grant focuses more on recent developments in the Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) sector, providing engineering services for two new RNG plants processing waste stillage from facilities in Tennessee and Kentucky. The process involves converting waste byproducts from distilling (used stillage) through anaerobic digesters, producing captured and cleaned natural gas, while the remaining digestate serves as fertilizer on local farm fields, contributing to carbon footprint reduction.
After 15 years at AE2S, Grant is pleased to have worked with so many talented people. “It’s fun to be part of a team that is so creative, delivering projects in different ways. I truly feel like the AE2S culture and entrepreneurialism is appreciated by both Employee-Owners and clients alike.”
Grant resides in Baudette, Minnesota, with his wife Savanna and daughter Kinsley, situated in the Walleye Capital of the World. Living in the northern tip of Minnesota, near the Canadian border, allows him to fulfill his high school dream of residing in a beautiful rural area with cherished activities, complemented by diverse work experiences – a unique opportunity provided by being part of the AE2S team.
Grant Slick fishing with his family.
