Movers and Shakers: ConocoPhillips’ largest divestment, ASTM International’s Dudley Medal

NEL’s current laboratory in East Kilbride, Scotland. Image courtesy of NEL

Scotland establishes $20M Centre of Excellence for subsea development

Scotland will establish a world class $20 million Centre of Excellence (CoE) for subsea development in East Kilbride. Led by TÜV SÜD Limited (NEL), a provider of research and development, consultancy and testing to the international oil and gas industry, this investment will provide Scotland with a unique global capability, build on its position as a leader in subsea engineering and oil and gas innovation, and make a significant contribution to growth ambitions of companies operating in the oil and gas sector.

MMEX Resources Corp. and KPE announce partnership

MMEX Resources Corp. and KP Engineering announced a partnership for KPE to engineer, design and construct the planned Pecos County refinery announced by MMEX earlier this month. MMEX Resources Corp. is a development stage company that focuses on the acquisition, development and financing of oil, gas, refining and infrastructure projects in Texas and South America. KPE is an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) solutions provider for the energy industry.

Genuine Parts Company and Inenco Group enter strategic agreement

Genuine Parts Company (GPC) entered into a strategic agreement in the Australasian market with Inenco Group, an industrial distributor in Australia and New Zealand, according to industrial parts distributor Motion Industries. As a result, GPC will own 35 percent of Inenco Group, with the option to purchase the remaining shares at a later date.

The agreement puts Motion Industries and Inenco Group under the same parent company where they can leverage synergies to better serve common customers and expand relationships with strategic suppliers throughout North America, Australia and New Zealand.

IDEC Corporation acquired APEM. Image courtesy of IDEC Corporation

IDEC acquisition creates human machine interface leader

IDEC Corporation acquired APEM, a move that makes the combined entity one of the world’s largest manufacturers of human machine interface (HMI) components, panels and systems. Together the companies have more than $500 million in total sales, a broad portfolio of industrial automation and HMI products, and access to markets across Europe, North America and Asia.

Dover partners with SparkCognition 

Dover Energy Automation (DEA) and SparkCognition announced a collaboration to bring predictive capabilities to DEA’s clients to improve the safety, efficiency and reliability of their operations.

DEA has worked to stay ahead of the rapidly evolving tide of technical advancements in the application of artificial intelligence to the industrial Internet of Things in the oil and gas industry. SparkCognition provides artificial intelligence technology with event prediction for business-critical solutions in place for customers in the utility, oil and gas, manufacturing, telecommunications and finance markets.

Metalcraft and Technologies ROI partner on RFID metal nameplates

Metalcraft announced an agreement with Technologies ROI Inc. to serve the industrial market for radio frequency identification (RFID). The licensing agreement combines each company’s expertise and technologies to strengthen RFID metal nameplates.

Hexagon assets transfer bolsters metrology services

Hexagon AB completed the transfer of assets from the metrology calibration services business of FEINMESS GmbH & Co. KG to Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence. FEINMESS provides independent and comprehensive services in the field of geometric measurement technology with has a small team of experts dedicated to calibration activities. Bringing FEINMESS into Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence is a demonstration of Hexagon’s commitment to improving services in its core competency of dimensional metrology.

TriMet Group opens office to serve manufacturing community

The TriMet Group announced the grand opening of its new 5,300-square-foot office in Wichita, Kansas. The St. Louis, Missouro-based contract manufacturing and metrology company expanded in the Wichita area to serve manufacturers who require expert-level services from product design to quality control. TriMet’s end-to-end portfolio includes 3D scanning, CAD design, reverse engineering, 3D printing, tight tolerance machining and state-of-the-art inspection and measurement solutions. The company plans to add an additional 60,000 square feet to its industrial facility in two phases in the next three years.

Elite Control Systems continues support for Chirag Platform

A major oil and gas operator renewed its contract with Elite Control Systems to provide a comprehensive process control software system and ongoing support in Azerbaijan. For nearly two decades Elite Control Systems has provided a fully operational, customized process control software system and ongoing technical support for Chirag offshore production platform on the Azeri Chirag Guneshli oilfield in the Caspian Sea.

Appointments

Gannett Fleming names 2017 stockholders

Theodore P. Bandy, PE; James T. Gibbons; Jon H. Kessler; Matthew B. Morris, PG; and Paul A. Young, PE, were named stockholders of Gannett Fleming.

Bandy currently serves as manager of traction power. He is based in the firm’s Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, office and participates extensively in the electrical design, design-build, construction support and construction management of rail transit-related projects for a variety of clients.

As manager of construction services, Gibbons directs operations throughout Gannett Fleming’s Northeast Region. Based in the firm’s Marlton, New Jersey, office, he provides overall project management services, serves as a liaison with various public and private clients, and provides overall strategic leadership to the group.

Kessler is based in the firm’s corporate headquarters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and currently serves as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Kessler is a member of the Gannett Fleming Affiliates Board of Directors.

Morris currently serves as the geotechnical practice leader. Based in the firm’s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, office, he has experience in the various phases of project life cycles, from business development to geotechnical design delivery and construction services.

As vice president and director of power services for Gannett Fleming, Young is based in the St. Louis, Missouri, office. His responsibilities include the design, development and management of projects to build electrical transmissions and substations with voltages from 34.5 to 345 kilovolts.

Gannett Fleming names senior associates

Gannett Fleming named eight new senior associates to the firm based on excellent work efforts, commitment to client service, and leadership.

• Luis Casado, PE, is a senior vice president and serves as Southeast Region director and deputy director of the Water Business Line.
• Andrew Gillespie, PE, currently serves as vice president of the Transit & Rail Systems Practice and systems project director.
• Michael S. May specializes in contract administration, program and project management, business development, strategic planning, and growth.
• Michael J. Mehaffey, PE, serves as senior project manager and senior project engineer in Gannett Fleming’s water practice.
• Eric E. Rensel has served Gannett Fleming for more than 17 years and was recently named a vice president specializing in innovative ways for transportation agencies to mitigate congestion by improving roadway operational efficiency.
• Bryan Shober, PE, currently serves as manager of Transit & Rail Systems’ MidAtlantic Overhead Catenary System (OCS) group, consisting of 21 dedicated OCS engineers, designers, and technicians that service projects across North America.
• Jasmine R. Sodemann serves as vice president, as well as the office principal and area manager of Gannett Fleming’s Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, operations, representing the environmental management and remediation and water/wastewater practices.
• Anthony Zamberlan, PE, is vice president of power services where he designs and specifies power systems for the industrial, commercial, and utility markets, as well as small- and large-scale renewable energy systems.

Metso announces new CIO 

Vesa Erolainen was appointed Metso’s chief information officer (CIO), reporting to CFO Eeva Sipilä. He has had a long career in information technology, most recently serving as the CIO of Pöyry and before that in CIO and other IT leadership positions in Myllykoski and UPM. 

Awards, milestones and achievements

ASTM International presents Dudley Medal

Ted A. Steinberg, Ph.D., professor in the school of engineering systems at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, received the 2016 Charles B. Dudley Medal Award from leading standard’s organization ASTM International.

Steinberg was honored for his contributions as editor and co-editor of, and contributor to, several volumes of the series, Flammability and Sensitivity of Materials in Oxygen-Enriched Atmospheres. The work forms a cornerstone of past and current work of the globally recognized ASTM International committee on compatibility and sensitivity of materials in oxygen enriched atmosphere.

Samoco Oil Tools to accept meritorious award for engineering innovation 

Samoco Oil Tools will receive a 2017 E&P Special Meritorious Award for Engineering Innovation for its OneTrip BOP Universal Test Tool. Representatives from the company will accept the award during the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston May 1-4. Samoco is one of 22 oilfield solutions to be recognized. The company was chosen based on evaluation of criteria such as innovation in concept, suitability as a practical solution to a real oilfield problem, potential for improving efficiency and safety, and potential for improving profitability.

TechnipFMC receives award for subsea technology

Sulzer’s longstanding engineering partner TechnipFMC received the Hydraulic Institute Award for Innovation and Technology for its innovative products and solutions during a ceremony at the Institute’s Centennial Celebration Gala in Florida.

TechnipFMC was recognized as an innovator in subsea technology, including streamlining subsea operations via combining processes; the introduction of improved research and development strategies such as rapid prototyping and the utilization of condition performance monitoring. The Institute also commended the business’ commitment to reducing subsea topside dependencies.

Gilbert Richards. Images courtesy of Richards Industries

Richards honors late founder Gilbert Richards

Industrial manufacturing company Richards Industries founder and former president Gilbert Richards passed away peacefully in his home April 1^st surrounded by family. He was 89 years old.

"Gil was a great inspiration and mentor to me along with many others at Richards Industries. He had his hand on the shoulder of a lot of us over the years and we owe him much. We all lost today," said Bruce Broxterman, president of Richards Industries.

After graduating from Harvard University, Richards took helm of Jordan Valve, a company with only one small mixing valve. Five years later, he turned Jordan Valve into a profitable company and was given the opportunity to purchase it, renaming the company Richards Industries. He spent the next 50-plus years in the valve industry before retiring and selling the company in a management buyout. During this time, he built-up a distribution organization, expanded the Jordan Valve product line, acquired related companies and successfully entered the global market. By the time he retired in 2007, there were almost 200 employees, six different product lines, hundreds of representatives throughout the world and several offices with the headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.