Celebrating the Retirement of Jim LoCoco

After more than four decades in geophysics and over 30 years of dedicated service at Mount Sopris Instruments, we are proud—and a bit sentimental—to announce the retirement of Jim LoCoco. His contributions to our company, industry, and community are as deep as the boreholes he’s helped interpret, and as lasting as the professional relationships he’s built along the way.

A Journey That Started in the Field

Jim’s career began in the early 1980s after graduating from the University of New Mexico with a B.S. in Geology and a B.A. in Mathematics. His first job took him to the oil fields of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia (ARAMCO project), and throughout the Arabian Peninsula on a sub-contract with BRGM (French equivalent of USGS). His job as a Field Engineer for EDCON (Exploration Data Consultants) was to log boreholes using Mount Sopris logging tools, including the RLP (resistivity / IP), ALP (gamma, SP, SPR, 16N), CLP (FWS), HLP (Dual Density w/caliper), OLP (neutron-thermal-neutron), wall-lock geophones, and newly introduced CPS III digital tools. While at UNM, Jim participated in the SIS (Stay-In-School) for students in need of financial assistance to get a university education. This program allowed him to get summer internship experience with strip-chart recorders (also used in well logging at the time), and the Mount Sopris model 1000-C and model 2500 loggers on a stratigraphic-test project tagging the Entrada (aeolian) sandstone in Northern New Mexico. Even back then, he was using Mount Sopris tools—a full-circle connection to what would become his professional home. From there, Jim moved to COLOG (Colorado Well Logging) in 1988, serving as a Field Engineer and Operations Manager. He co-authored papers, led projects, and furthered his borehole logging education. In late 1994, a chance afternoon meeting with John Stowell who was logging a hole at the Colorado School of Mines led to a job offer—and in January 1995, Jim officially joined Mount Sopris Instruments as a Sales Engineer. The rest, as they say, is history.

A Career of Milestones and Meaning

**Jim’s list of accomplishments spans continents, conferences, and decades.**While at EDCON, Jim logged boreholes drilled into a fractured sandy limestone at an alfalfa farm in central Saudi Arabia. Center-pivot wells were installed by an Australian contractor to irrigate the alfalfa fields. In this project Jim successfully used geophysical logs to generate isopach maps of the aquifer so that additional wells with higher probability of continued production could be located. As a result, EDCON sent Jim to a Well Logging interpretation class in England delivered by George Asquith (well-known Petrophysicist at the time) which was an important early career milestone in his lifelong career.From creating isopach maps in Saudi Arabia to co-authoring a major paper titled "Advances in Borehole Geophysics" presented at Exploration 2017 in Toronto, Jim’s expertise and curiosity never stopped growing. His time at COLOG was highlighted by the mentorship of Bob Crowder, Rip Tylor, and Neil Smith (who hired Jim because of his experience with strip chart recorders!). Under their mentorship, Jim completed the NGWA Hydrogeology Credential program at the Ohio State University, mastering all aspects of hydrogeology. The combined coursework with practical experience of talking to customers about their borehole logging projects formulated the perfect path to a 30-year career at Mount Sopris from 1995 to 2025. He earned MSI the Colorado Exporter of the Year Award in 1999 and guided the company through a stretch of unprecedented growth in recent years. This is evident by Jim’s involvement on numerous EEGS-SAGEEP committees since 1988 and serving as Technical Chair for SAGEEP 2010 at Keystone, CO. Furthermore, Jim served a 4-year term on the NGWA Executive Board of Directors (and a few subcommittees) 2019-2023 and continues to serve on the Groundwater Foundation and the Water Well Wish program that funds water wells for American families in need of fresh water, and which MSI continues to support. With 35+ years as a Certified Professional Geologist from the AIPG, Jim has commanded a stellar career with a passion to give back. More than numbers or accolades, though, Jim’s leadership was rooted in humility, connection, and a deep love for the work. As he often said, “The best way to do great work is to love what you do.” For Jim, "geophysical logs are, one of the best tools in a Geologist’s toolbox," and that is what he loved about MSI.

A Culture Builder, Colleague, and Friend

Jim’s sense of humor, approachability, and generosity helped define the culture at Mount Sopris. His colleagues describe him as equal parts mentor and prankster, someone who could deliver technical expertise and a well-timed joke in the same conversation. Here are just a few reflections from the team:

"I’ll always remember going down to San Antonio with Jim to give the training for the Edwards Aquifer Authority. We stacked an FTC + GR + ELOG and the final probe length was so long (see picture below)! I just remember Jim encouraging the guys as they put the tool stack in the hole saying, ‘You guys can do it!’"** "Jim and I have had countless PDAC conferences and NGWA meetings together over the years. I’ll miss having him as a great booth and evening-dinner companion. Jim is always the first person to set up the logging tools at the booth. He always would get so excited to show the customers the data and how the equipment worked hands-on." "Jim has always treated me and others at MSI like family. I can’t remember how many times Jim has compared me to his daughter over the years (it was a lot), but less-so now that I’m old! He genuinely cares when someone is hurt, sick, or struggling with things in their personal life. He always asks me about my mom and husband. I know it is the same for many people at MSI." “When I first met Jim, I didn’t! I started with MSI in 2011 and did not actually meet him for at least 2 months. He was like a mythic phantom to me, people spoke of him but he never appeared. Jim Lococo has logged some worldly miles as an ambassador for Mount Sopris, much to our benefit. I wish him all the best logging even more miles on the golf course.” "Jim was always joking with customers that he was just the guy who swept the floors around here." "We had a couple of good customers who used to refer to him as ‘Plug N Play Jim.’ It came from his early days in sales, where he’d enthusiastically promote tools by saying, ‘You just plug them in and play!’ A cross between a used car salesman and a Walmart greeter—classic Jim!" "Jim introduced the Left, Right, Center game to the yearly holiday party and upped the stakes with larger bills to make things interesting. Always a lot of fun with the group! I also really enjoyed having Jim in the company fantasy football league and talking football throughout the season."

“Working with Jim at NGWA and being at PDAC and SAGEEP, it is very evident how important he was to the borehole geophysics community. The connections he made in his decades working at MSI were many as they were varied. Even our competitors would go out of their way to stop by the booth and say kind things about their many years working with Jim.” “Jim was a walking encyclopedia of geophysical knowledge, and I tried to absorb as much as I could in the time we worked together. I feel humbled to be part of Jims transition as part of “taking the torch” and I know I have big shoes to fill here at MSI.” "Jim has so many of the qualities of a great leader that are less common than they would seem, and more difficult to embody than you might imagine. He knows the technical specificities of his work through decades of experience and can relay nuanced information without it being dry or boring. He’s easy to talk to, whether it’s about sports or our instruments or our customers and the type of work they’re doing. His ability to connect with folks feels effortless and genuine. He has been a great manager to work with and has done an exceptional job steering Mount Sopris Instruments towards success during his tenure. "I always laughed when Jim would say things around the office like “I bleed green and yellow” (the MSI colors). But that really just shows his passion for the company. His passion and excitement for all things Mount Sopris is infectious in the best of ways. I’ll miss being around that wonderful, positive energy."

Looking Back—and Ahead

When asked what he’ll remember most, Jim points to the people:

“The teams at MSI and ALT are full of incredibly talented folks. The feedback we’d get from customers—how well they were treated, how helpful our staff were—that’s what I’ll remember most.”

Jim also shared how proud he was of MSI’s evolution—from six employees in 1995 to a thriving and diversified business today. But through all the changes, one thing stayed constant: a spirit of service and teamwork that defines the company’s core.

The Road Ahead

Jim’s retirement plans include golfing, biking, reading, and traveling with his wife, Janet. He hopes to reconnect with family, work on DIY projects, enjoy the outdoors, and give back through volunteer work with the Groundwater Foundation and the Colorado Groundwater Association. And yes, he’s thinking about hiking Mt. Sopris again, he’s already done it three times.

Thank You, Jim

Jim, thank you for your passion, your leadership, and your humor. You’ve shaped Mount Sopris Instruments in ways that will continue to resonate long after your last day in the office. You’ve made us better—technically, culturally, and personally. Enjoy the well-earned adventure ahead. The whole MSI family is cheering you on.