Being reared in Lubbock, Brian Alfaro felt he had two choices for his career: cotton or oil.

After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 22 years ago, he realized that nothing in life was too risky, so he chose oil.

“Having MS really forced me to see things either half empty or half full. I chose half full,” says Alfaro, chief executive officer and president of Pinnacle Partners. “It either breaks you or makes you stronger, and it made me stronger.”

Alfaro, 40, graduated with a degree in communications from Texas Tech University in 1992, which he considers to be “the University of Texas.” He later obtained a master’s degree in communications at the University of the Incarnate Word.

“While I was in school, I realized the passion I had for communication and working with others,” he says. “I heard a great saying, ‘The purest form of a message is selling.’ ”

Selling insurance is what he found to be a great fit. After gaining experience at Combined Insurance for about five years, he went on to work in the oil industry and soon became a top broker at Champion Group, a San Antonio-based company. He rose to become their No. 1 team member, and then decided it was time to branch out on his own.

For the past three years he has been working with a staff that has grown to 25, including brokers, attorneys and some of the best geologists in the country.

Some may wonder how they choose where to drill or what process is involved.

“Just about anyone can drill an oil well if you have the funds to support such a project, but the primary purpose is to locate hydrocarbons,” he says.

Hydrocarbon is an organic compound (hydrogen and carbon) and the majority of them are found naturally in crude oil (or petroleum), which is why Alfaro relies on geologists to pinpoint those locations where there is more likely to be large amounts of oil for drilling.

That’s where the geologists come in. Pinnacle Partners works with expert geologists in order to assure finding the right location. Their geologists use sound geologic and economic fundamentals through the use of an extensive multi-tiered evaluation process, which has increased their rate of success dramatically.

This year they have been involved in six wells and tested two wells ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 million cubic feet of oil, which is significantly higher than average.

“We cherry pick our deals very carefully,” Alfaro explains, adding that the company uses state-of-the art 3-D seismic imaging technology, as well as AVO (amplitude vs. offset), PSTM (pre-stack time migration) and drilling; which reduces costs significantly.

The demand for oil and gas around the world is never at rest. The objective of a company such as Pinnacle Partners is to work with experts and partners to choose the best locations for drilling and ultimately return a profit to its shareholders and investors.

Alfaro is competitive by nature. “It is how I was raised. I want to be the best. I’m proud of my roots and I am very competitive,” he says.

Alfaro believes his company has what it takes to set it apart from the rest. “We provide multiple geologists, turn-key agreements, 100 percent success rate this year on completions and my overall mentality of taking good care of all our clients,” he says.

His dedication and passion for succeeding is evident. He currently has 300 top named investors from around the country who see the drive that has brought him to the top. Their mission statement: “At Pinnacle Partners our goal is to provide our partners with the highest quality oil and gas prospects available. Our commitment to excellence is illustrated through our thorough multi-tiered evaluation of each project’s potential and seismic accuracy.”

Alfaro has high goals for the future of the company. “I believe we are the fastest growing company in South Texas, and I hope to become the No. 1 company in Texas for what we do.”

He says his idol is Tony Sanchez, a native of Laredo, and a top executive in the oil and gas industry.

“I would like to be the Tony Sanchez of San Antonio,” Alfaro says. “I greatly admire his work ethic, determination and what he has accomplished. He is the real deal.”

Outside of the office Alfaro spends time with his wife and four children. He married his junior high sweetheart 17 years ago, started a family and has been working hard ever since.

“My focus is to provide for my family and carry on the Alfaro legacy,” he says.