Mergers, acquisitions, expansions and partnerships
Merger creates Flow Measurement Special Interest Group
The Flow Measurement Institute (FMI) merged into the Institute of Measurement and Control (InstMC) to create the new Flow Measurement Special Interest Group (SIG). NEL and Coventry University founded FMI in 2014. Its more than 550 members from around the globe include oil and gas operators, manufacturers, academia, service companies and laboratories. It strives to drive flow measurement developments that deliver against future challenges to help companies compete in the global marketplace. The merger is expected to create more opportunities to contribute to standards bodies, education, technology development and government policy.
AVEVA completes merger with Schneider Electric
Announced on Sept. 5, 2017, AVEVA combined with Schneider Electric’s industrial software business. AVEVA expects the merger will drive digital transformation across the asset and operational life cycle for capital-intensive industries. Headquartered in Cambridge, U.K., AVEVA employs more than 4,400 people in 80 locations across 40 countries.
SignalFire moves to larger corporate headquarters
SignalFire Telemetry has more than 15,000 square feet of space in its new corporate headquarters in Marlborough, Massachusetts. The space allows the company to expand its design and manufacturing footprint. Also included in the facility is a high-tech system integration training center for customers and sales representatives to receive hands-on instruction. As SignalFire adds jobs, the facility also includes space for new employees at all levels of the organization.
Gardner Denver announces Dubai facility
Gardner Denver Petroleum & Industrial Pumps will operate its Pressure Pumping, Drilling and Well Service segments from its new Jebel Ali, Dubai, facility. The company broke ground on the location in late 2017 and it expects construction to be completed by June 2018. The facility will serve all Eastern Hemisphere markets, including the Middle East, China, Asia, Europe and Russia.
CMR opens Chinese manufacturing plant
Local dignitaries, customers and employees were on hand to open CMR’s new facility in Suzhou, China. The 5,000-square-meter space is designed to allow the company to produce advanced electrical wiring systems, sensors and control technology globally for the high-horsepower engine, energy and marine markets. Headquartered in Marseilles, France, CMR Group has two other main production sites in Tunisia and India.
Appointments
Turbo Lab names director
Dr. Eric Peterson will serve as the new director of the Turbomachinery Laboratory, part of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES). A 10-year Turbo Lab veteran, Peterson is the Nelson-Jackson Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He has authored more than 400 journal and conference papers in his research areas of gas dynamics, combustion, shock waves, chemical kinetics, optical diagnostics and spectroscopy, laminar and turbulent flames, and rocket combustion. Peterson is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, The Combustion Institute and the American Society for Engineering Education.
Alfa Laval names president and CEO
Jo Vanhoren is the new president and CEO of Alfa Laval Inc. He is also president of the company’s North American sales and service organizations. Vanhoren is responsible for driving profitable growth and leveraging the company’s main technologies of heat transfer, separation and fluid handling to expand market share. He has been with Alfa Laval since 1991, when he joined the company as a heat exchanger sales engineer for Alfa Laval Benelux. Vanhoren has degrees in electromechanical engineering and business management.
Dow announces Materials Science Division leadership
The DowDuPont Board of Directors Materials Advisory Committee appointed Jim Fitterling as CEO of Dow and Howard Ungerleider as president and chief financial officer (CFO). Announced Feb. 26, DowDuPont will split into three independent companies, with the Materials Science Company to be called Dow.
Fitterling currently serves as chief operating officer for the Materials Science Division and present and chief operating officer of The Dow Chemical Company. Ungerleider is CFO of DowDuPont and vice chairman and chief CFO for The Dow Chemical Company. Fitterling and Ungerleider will remain in their current roles until the division completes its separation in 2019.
BJM pump industry veteran president retires
BJM Pumps president Ron Woodward announced he will retire from the company after 45 years in the industry, effective March 30. In an announcement, Woodward said he looks forward to spending more time with his family after having delayed his retirement to support the smooth acquisition of BJM by May River Capitol. The BJM management team will report to Brian Comiskey, who joined the company in December 2017.
"Throughout my career I have had the fortune to build true friendships with many of you and I know we will stay in touch," said Woodward. "I want to personally thank you for your support of BJM Pumps as we’ve nearly tripled the business since I joined in 2005. I’m glad that our growth success has also helped you grow and build your businesses as well."
Trident hires CEO and VP
Trident Motion Technologies appointed David Nussear as its new president/CEO and Gary Marcy and vice president of business development for Motors.
Nussear has more than 25 years of industry experience, including nine years as president and CEO of Bluffton Motor Works. He is a Sigma Six Black Belt and has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from West Virginia University.
Marcy has more than 30 years of experience in the industry. He obtained a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from State University of New York.
Graphic courtesy of Technical Toolboxes
Chief technology officer joins Technical Toolboxes
Technical Toolboxes named Drew Lafleur as its new chief technology officer. As he manages the company’s team of technical experts, Lafleur will focus on strategy for identifying and prioritizing development initiatives, selecting technologies and methodologies and setting timetables for the company’s technology applications and technical training courses.
Lafleur has worked with ConocoPhillips and TeQnovation in his more than 10 years in the industry. He has bachelor of science degrees in petroleum engineering and biological science, gained at Louisiana State University and is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and the Professional Petroleum Data Management (PPDM) Association.
INTERPHEX appoints event director
Kate Scott will serve as event director for the International Pharmaceutical Expo (INTERPHEX). She will foster and strengthen relationships with biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical industry leaders and associations to support industry initiatives and optimize event outcomes as she manages all levels of event management and the technical conference. Before INTERPHEX, Scott worked as senior manager, marketing and communication for IPS-Integrated Project Services.
New members join Hydraulic Institute board
At its annual conference in March, the Hydraulic Institute (HI) announced three new members to its board of directors. They are:
- Scott King – Vice-President, Gorman-Rupp, Mansfield Division
- Brian Sweeney – President, Crane Pumps & Systems, Inc.
- Christopher Wiseman – President, Commercial and Industrial Motors and Drives, Nidec Motor Corporation
In addition, member Paul Behnke was appointed to vice-president, Certification & Technical Programs.
SFC KOENIG welcomes president and general manager
Deniz Bütüner is the new president and general manager of SFC KOENIG’s North and South American branch. She has more than 20 years of experience at industrial companies, serving most recently at SFC KOENIG’s general manager of distribution businesses and strategic marketing. Bütüner holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a global executive MBA from TRIUM.
Awards, milestones and achievements
Thermo Fisher Scientific recognized as Company of the Year
SelectScience readers chose Thermo Fisher Scientific as the Reviewers’ Choice Company of the Year. The award goes to the company with the highest review rating based on number of reviews and average product rating on SelectScience. Thermo Fisher Scientific also won the award in 2015.
Thermo Fisher Scientific President, Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry, Jakob Gudbrand accepted the award at Pittcon Conference and Expo.
Endress+Hauser recognized as electromagnetic flowmeter leader
At its recent awards gala, Frost & Sullivan awarded Endress+Hauser the Global Market Leadership Award for electromagnet flowmeters. Frost & Sullivan considered Endress+Hauser’s installed base of more than two million instruments, its heavy investment in research and product development and its close collaboration with customers. Endress+Hauser had more than 2.2 billion euros in sales in 2017.
ASTM International selects proposals for new Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence
Proposals from EWI and Auburn University-NASA were co-selected to create the Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence. ASTM International selected the organizations from dozens of proposals "to create a global innovation hub that advances technical standards, related R&D, education and training, and more."
EWI will develop, test and implement advanced manufacturing technologies to build industry consortia, while Auburn will conduct research activities and develop education and training resources and tools.
HI recognizes pump industry excellence
At its annual conference gala and awards dinner in March, HI presented awards to honor organizations committed to advancing their business and the world around them. Awards included:
- Pump Industry Excellence Award for Energy Efficiency — Carl T. Hayden Veterans Affairs Medical Center
- Pump Industry Excellence Award for Innovation & Technology — Chevron Energy Technology Company
- Pump Industry Excellence Award for Innovation & Technology — Palo Verde Generating Station
HI also recognized several members with four awards. They were:
- Lifetime Achievement — Rich Heppe, retired president, Industrial Motors & Systems, Nidec Motor Corporation
- Member of the Year — Julian Atchia, Director of Research and Development, SJE-Rhombus
- Pump Systems Matter Leadership — Jim Swetye, Technical Training Manager, Grundfos USA
- Standards Partner of the Year — Ernest Sturtz, Pump Systems Specialist, CDM Smith — Water Services
ASCO Engineering Scholarship Program accepting applications
Emerson’s deadline to submit applications for its annual ASCO Engineering Scholarship Program is April 10. Emerson will award two $5,000 scholarships to U.S. engineering students in addition to providing $1,000 grants to their college’s engineering departments and hosting the winners at "The Amazing Packaging Race" at PACK EXPO International, to be held Oct. 14–17.
The merit-based scholarship is awarded based on a candidate’s experience and leadership potential, especially for the application of fluid control and fluid power technologies.
Endress+Hauser earns award for fifth year in a row
Endress+Hauser Conducta received the European Business Award for the fifth consecutive year, earning the "National Winner" award in the "Business of the Year" category. It also received the TOP JOB seal of quality, recognizing the company as one of Germany’s best medium-sized employers. The European Business Award has recognized companies in 11 different categories since 2007.
Handover of the European Business Award in Berlin (from left): Gregor Schmidt, Chief Officer Strategy RSM GmbH, Dr Manfred Jagiella, CEO of Endress+Hauser Conducta, Stephan-Christian Köhler, Director Human Resources Endress+Hauser Conducta and Adrian Tripp, CEO of the European Business Award. Graphic courtesy of Endress+Hauser
GE gas turbine drives world record
Powered by GE Power’s 7HA gas turbine, the Chubu Electric Nishi-Nagoya gas plant Block-1 was named the world’s most efficiency combined-cycle power plant by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS as it achieved 63.08 percent gross efficiency. The distinction marks the second time the turbine has been recognized for powering the world’s most efficiency power plants in the 50hz and 60hz energy segments.
The plant also uses Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation’s steam turbine and generator technology.
Frost & Sullivan honors Unity Scientific with leadership award
Unity Scientific received a Frost & Sullivan Manufacturing Leadership Award in the Engineering and Production Technology Leadership category. The award was bestowed for applying 3D printing and electronic alignment technologies in manufacturing. The Unity team will be recognized at the 14th Annual Manufacturing Leadership Awards Gala at the Manufacturing Leadership Summit in June.
Mooring connector technology receives Rushlight Award
Nylacast, TTI, Brunel University and the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) received the Rushlight Responsible Product or Service Award for the development of mooring connectors designed under the Specialised Thimbles for Offshore Renewable Marine (STORM) project. The awards celebrate new technology, innovation and best practices across the whole environment spectrum.
Graphic courtesy of Nylacast
Implico wins ‘Best Terminal Supplier’ tank storage award
Tank Storage magazine gave the Tank Storage Award in the ‘Best Terminal Supplier’ category to Implico Technology at a ceremony in March. The company was also nominated in two other categories: "Most Innovative Technology" for its handheld solution and "Excellence in Terminal Optimisation" for its terminal management system.
Implico team with Tank Storage Award "Best Terminal Supplier" at its StocExpo stand. Graphic courtesy of Implico
