McElroy
McElroy, a leading designer and manufacturer of pipe fusion equipment, commemorated the opening of the McElroy Museum.
Located in the company’s new, 193,000-square-foot Tulsa metro campus, the museum details the 70-plus-year history of the company, from its founding in 1954, to its latest cutting-edge products, through a series of vignettes.
Each vignette showcases a milestone in McElroy’s history. This includes the first products designed by founder Art McElroy, the company’s foray into fintube and butt fusion equipment, and the evolution of its digital and equipment offerings. Other vignettes show different marketing collateral and promotional items from decades past, such as vintage shirts and hats.
“What you see here is a testament to the legacy of McElroy’s commitment to quality and the relationships we’ve cultivated throughout our history,” said Chip McElroy, president and CEO.
A walkway guides visitors through the exhibits, beginning with McElroy’s founding in 1954 and culminating with the advent of the TracStar and machines for the polypropylene market. In the middle of the space, a nook with seating showcases some of the different educational and promotional videos produced by the company over the years.
McElroy’s in-house creative team handled all aspects of the museum’s development and execution, from the layout and flow of exhibits, to choosing which elements to incorporate. The museum’s design allows exhibits to be rotated or updated as needed, giving guests a unique experience each time they visit.
NYC Dept. of Environmental Protection
The NYC Departments of Environmental Protection (DEP), Transportation (DOT) and Design and Construction (DDC) joined community members and local elected officials to complete two infrastructure projects. Totaling $128 million, in Whitestone, N.Y. (Queens), the projects added nearly six miles of new storm sewers in the neighborhood to improve stormwater drainage.
Work took place on more than 120 individual blocks and included the conversion of almost 13,000 feet of combined sewers into separate sanitary and stormwater sewer systems, which prevent 29 million gallons of pollution from being discharged into Flushing Bay each year.
Prior to these projects, the area was serviced solely by a combined sewer that drained wastewater from homes and businesses as well as stormwater from roadways. During heavy rainstorms, if the combined sewer reached capacity it would result in roadway flooding and untreated wastewater being discharged into Flushing Bay.
Because there was sufficient room under the roadways in Whitestone to accommodate an additional sewer line, the installation of a sewer dedicated to draining stormwater was the most effective tool available to engineers to better manage stormwater and reduce flooding and sewer overflows.
The first project, called SE810, was a $72-million project comprising 70 individual blocks in Whitestone. Construction began in September 2018 and concluded in 2023. The adjacent project, SE811, a $56-million project, with 54 individual blocks, began in August 2021 and ended in December 2023, about eight months ahead of schedule.
As part of the work, the catch basins that drain stormwater from the roadways were disconnected from the existing combined sewer and redirected to the newly installed dedicated stormwater sewer. This helps to ensure that the untreated wastewater from homes and businesses that is being carried by the previously combined sewer does not get discharged into the Bay, but rather drains to a wastewater facility where it can be properly treated and cleaned. The additional stormwater capacity helps to reduce the likelihood of any roadway flooding. DDC managed both projects for DEP and DOT.
PSILab
PSILab Inc., a Longmont, Colo.-based advanced product testing and consulting laboratory was acquired by NSF, an independent, global services organization dedicated to improving human and planet health.
An ISO 17025-accredited state-of-the-art laboratory, PSILab, Inc. provides laboratory testing, failure analysis and consulting services, specializing in plastic pipe and pipe materials, as well as other polymeric and composite products.
As a result of the acquisition, existing NSF clients will have added access to new testing services, including material properties and large-diameter pipe testing, finished goods hydrostatic pressure and burst testing, extensive product failure analysis and plastic pipe consulting.
Clients of PSILab, Inc. will be able to take full advantage of NSF’s global offerings to the water industry. Manufacturers of large-diameter pipes seeking NSF certification will now be able to experience a more streamlined testing process, working directly with NSF to test their products.
APWA
The Texas Chapter of the American Public Works Association (Tx-APWA) awarded Houston Public Works, Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc. (LAN) and Harper Brothers Construction the Project of the Year Award, for Environments over $75 million, for the Northeast Transmission Line (NETL) program.
NETL, the City of Houston’s largest water transmission project to-date, will deliver 340 million gallons per day (MGD) of treated surface water from the expanded Northeast Water Purification Plant (NEWPP) through 16.5 miles of 120-inch and 108-inch steel water lines. This monumental project aligns with Houston Public Works' goals to reduce groundwater pumping, enhance water supply reliability and meet the projected 2040 water demand, benefiting over 900,000 homes in Harris County.
LAN served as the program manager for the entire alignment of NETL and designed three segments.
Despite challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Winter Storm Uri in 2021 and resulting supply chain issues, the project was successfully completed on schedule. This success underscores the team's unwavering commitment to resilience and ability to deliver. The city's drinking water system maintains a "Superior" rating, the highest for water quality issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Bird Construction/Jacobs Bros
Bird Construction Inc. entered into a definitive share purchase agreement to acquire Jacob Bros Construction for an estimated aggregate consideration of $135 million. Pending relevant regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, the transaction is expected to be completed early in the third quarter of 2024.
Headquartered in Surrey, BC, Jacob Bros is a privately owned civil infrastructure construction business with self-performance capability, serving public and private clients across the region with a workforce of over 350 salaried, hourly and craft personnel.
Jacob Bros specializes in civil infrastructure construction across a wide array of projects, such as airports, seaports, rail, bridges and structures, earthworks, energy projects, and utilities. Additionally, Jacob Bros delivers expertise in specialized projects that require innovative, purpose-built, custom solutions that leverage their suite of comprehensive services.
Jacob Bros’ two shareholders, Scott Jacob, CEO and Todd Jacob, COO, will join Bird to lead the combination of Bird’s Western Infrastructure business and their existing business. Jacob Bros operates with a strong, people-first culture and has been recognized as a top employer in both BC and Canada.
It will also expand its scale and geographic reach. Together with other recent acquisitions in Ontario, Jacob Bros brings Bird closer to its goal of establishing a national full-service civil infrastructure footprint through the expansion of civil capabilities into the largest market in Western Canada.
Sovereign Pipe Technologies
Sovereign Pipe Technologies, a leading high-density polyethylene pipe manufacturer in Shawnee, Okla., hosted members of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation (CPN) Legislature at its facility during the 2024 CPN Family Reunion Festival.
Cherished by all descendants of the Citizen Potawatomi Tribe, this annual event encourages unity and collaboration by bringing together Tribal Legislatures and leaders from across the nation. During this visit, legislative members including Eva Marie Carney (District 2), Bob Whistler (District 3), Mark Johnson (District 7), Dave Carney (District 8), and Paul Wesselhoft (District 9) received an exclusive tour of the pipe manufacturing facility.
The tour, led by Sovereign Pipe Technologies’ CEO and Director, Ronnie Wear; Vice President of Sales, Jeremy Hohn; and Vice President of Quality, Barb Donaldson, marked the first time the plant has been showcased producing pipe at full capacity to Tribal leadership.
With 50 years of experience within the HDPE arena of executive leadership, the company’s experts propelled the company to its position as a leading manufacturer of high-density polyethylene pipe. They offer a wide range of HDPE pipe, from ¾- to 48-inch diameters, to cater to various project requirements. The company’s product line includes energy service line pipe, water pipe, and sewer pipe.
Bowman
Bowman Consulting Group Ltd. acquired Element Engineering LLC, a civil, water and wastewater engineering services firm based in Lakewood, Colo.
Element serves rural communities and specialty districts throughout the Rocky Mountain West and Midwest. The firm
Founded by Nicholaus Marcotte, P.E., in 2014, Element delivers a comprehensive suite of professional, innovative, and cost-effective engineering solutions to its clients, primarily in civil, water and wastewater. The firm has grown over the past 10 years to become a trusted service provider to many rural water authorities and municipalities throughout the Rocky Mountain West and Midwest.
Specializing in water and wastewater treatment design, permitting, planning, funding, and design; enforcement orders assistance; GIS, mapping and asset management; and distribution and collection system modeling, analysis, and design the firm has licensed specialists providing designs to meet all related customers specifications.
Felling Trailers
Felling Trailers Inc. is hosting its 12th annual online auction of an FT-3 drop deck utility trailer. The 2024 beneficiary is Backing the Blue Line, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting our law enforcement community.
The goal is to raise awareness about the valuable work that Backing the Blue Line does for officers and their families through their various programs and support services. This organization is entirely run by volunteers.
Felling Trailers has manufactured and painted a custom grey trailer with a blue line and the Backing the Blue Line emblem. Various suppliers of Felling Trailers have joined in to support Backing the Blue Line by sponsoring the construction of the trailer, from lighting to tires to decking. The 2024 Trailer for a Cause sponsors are Trans-Texas, PPG, Dexter, Sealco, Peterson, Industrial Wood (Blackwood), Demco, and Pacific Rim. The full winning bid amount will go directly to Backing the Blue Line.
Backing the Blue Line (BtBL) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the law enforcement community in Minnesota. BtBL unites the power of members and the generosity of donors to honor and support Minnesota law enforcement officers and families; they mobilize to provide services, labor, and assistance during times of illness, injury, or tragedy, as well as join in celebrating life milestones.
The Trailer for a Cause auction will start on Monday, Sept. 2, at noon and run for nine days, ending Wednesday, Sept.11, at 6 p.m. The online auction can be viewed at https://www.felling.com/our-company/trailer-for-a-cause/. Arrangements must be made for pick up at Felling Trailers' manufacturing facility or delivery (freight extra).
United Rentals
United Rentals Inc.’s training group, United Academy, marked its 10th anniversary. The industry’s largest training program, the Academy offers training courses and OSHA certifications to help customers develop a stronger, safer workforce.
United Academy has more than 100 full-time certified trainers and has trained over 730,000 people over the past decade. Classroom and blended learning training can be completed onsite at customer locations or at one of the 486 participating United Rentals locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Courses are also available online (eLearning and virtual setting), providing students with convenient 24/7 access to training. Many courses are available in Spanish and French, in addition to English.
Courses in the training library include equipment operator certification, fall protection, worksite safety, OSHA-required training, confined space entry, and competent person trenching and excavation. All courses are OSHA-compliant, and aerial training complies with the 2020 ANSI update for operators. United Academy is an International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) affiliated training provider.
Companies can save time and money by storing and maintaining student training records and certifications through United Academy and making them easily accessible to students through personalized digital wallet cards and the United Rentals Mobile App. UI