 In 1974, he returned to the business world as an executive at Florida Gas Transmission and was president of Continental Resources from 1981 to 1982.In 1982, he joined Transco Energy Company, owner of the Transcontinental Pipeline, in Houston and held the positions of president, chief operating officer and director until 1984 when he became chairman and CEO of the Houston Natural Gas Company.By the time energy was deregulated in the 1980s, Lay was already an energy company executive and he took advantage of the new climate when Omaha-based InterNorth bought his company Houston Natural Gas and changed the name to Enron in 1985.