Acquisitions, expansions and partnerships
MilliporeSigma opens production facility for Meglumine
MilliporeSigma opened a facility in Mollet des Vallès, Spain, to manufacture meglumine, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration– (FDA) approved excipient for pharmaceuticals and a component of medical imaging contrast media. The FDA-validated facility is the only location in Europe that manufactures meglumine, an amino sugar derived from glucose. The product increases the solubility of active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Rockwell partners with Claroty
Industrial security software provider Claroty and Rockwell Automation are combining their security products and services for future packaged security offerings. Rockwell Automation selected Claroty for its anomaly-detection software. The software has the capability to explore the deepest level of industrial network protocols without adversely impacting the system.
NewAge Industries building renovations. From left to right: Glenn VandeGrift of AES Clean Technologies, Bob Volk of NewAge Industries, Rob Satterfield of AES Clean Technologies and Ken Baker of NewAge Industries
NewAge Industries begins plant expansion
NewAge Industries is expanding and renovating 40,000 square feet of space at its Philadelphia headquarters and manufacturing facility to add more clean room suites, inspection areas and warehousing. The $9.5 million project is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2017.
Eaton to modernize supervisory control systems for NAVFAC
The U.S Army Engineering and Support Center in Huntsville, Alabama, awarded power management company Eaton with a contract to assist the Utilities System Division of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest.
As part of the contract, Eaton will help with modernizing supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems at Navy and Marine Corps facilities in the San Diego metro area. Eaton will also provide all necessary equipment, turnkey project management and engineering services to help NAVFAC complete SCADA system retrofits and enhancements for safe, reliable and efficient power systems automation.
Siemens, Bentley Systems strike strategic alliance
Siemens’ Energy Management Division and Bentley Systems agreed to jointly develop solutions to accelerate digitalization of planning, design, and operations for power utilities and industrial power customers as part of a new strategic alliance between the two companies. The first of the new offerings will integrate Bentley’s utility design and geographic information systems capabilities with Siemens’ Power System Simulation Suite, with specific solutions for power transmission, power distribution and industrial facilities.
May River Capital and Hunt Valve Company acquire Precision Technology
May River Capital and Hunt Valve Company purchased the assets of Precision Technology, broadening their engineered products portfolios. Precision Technology will be rebranded Hunt Valve Company — Actuator Division. This first add-on for the company complements Hunt Valve’s severe duty, fluid power engineering solutions for military and industrial customers.
Chemical regulatory services for TSCA reform offered by Intertek
Intertek provides local regulatory and assurance services integral to supporting global chemical notification strategies including those under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Recent amendments to the act require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate chemical substances on the TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory as either "active" or "inactive" in U.S. Commerce.
In January, the EPA published a proposed rule open to comment that outlines the requirements for the electronic notification of chemical substances on the TSCA inventory that were manufactured or imported for non-exempt commercial purposes. The "active" and "inactive" designations will be included on this inventory. When this rule is finalized, companies will be required to collect and organize any substances any substances that have been manufactured or imported within the last decade. If substances are designated as "inactive" by the EPA, they will become unusable. Companies need to be prepared to respond to avoid delays in their supply chains.
KP Engineering to provide EPC services to Targa
KP Engineering (KPE) signed a contract for the design, procurement and installation of a 200 MMSCFD Cryogenic Gas Processing Unit with Compression for Targa Pipeline Mid-Continent WestTex LLC, a subsidiary of Targa Resources Corp. KPE will provide complete engineering, procurement and construction services for the project such as the main processing unit, and balance of plant items and associated infrastructure. The project is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2018.
UCI teams up for new clean manufacturing institute
The University of California, Irvine, and the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Golisano Institute for Sustainability launched the Reducing Embodied-Energy & Decreasing Emissions (REMADE) Institute to improve efficiency and competitiveness in U.S. manufacturing.
The REMADE Institute will receive up to $70 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Manufacturing USA Initiative, along with a matching gift by a consortium of 85 private industry partners. The program’s goal is to forge new clean energy efforts deemed critical in keeping the country on the cutting edge of manufacturing. The institute will focus on driving down the cost of technologies essential to reuse, recycle and remanufacture materials such as metals, fibers, polymers and electronic waste.
Global Partners completes sale to Sprague Resources
Global Partners LP completed the sale of its natural gas marketing and electricity brokerage businesses to affiliates of Sprague Resources LP for approximately $17.3 million in cash, subject to customary closing adjustments. The completion of this transaction is part of the company’s program to monetize nonstrategic assets and focus resources on areas that are fundamental to its long-term growth.
ICP Group integrates MinusNine into ICP Industrial
Innovative Chemical Products (ICP Group) announced the acquisition of MinusNine Technologies, a leading formulator and manufacturer of UV/EB coatings, adhesives, primers and specialty products for graphic arts and industrial applications. MinusNine, headquartered in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, will be integrated into ICP Industrial Inc., one of the three divisions of the ICP Group.
Fluor selected for major Guinea mining project
Guinea Alumina Corporation S.A. (GAC) awarded Fluor Corporation an engineering and program management consultancy contract for a major bauxite mine in the Boké region of Guinea, Africa. Fluor booked the nearly $700 million contract value into backlog in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Fluor will manage the development of a 12 million-tonne-per-annum bauxite mine, a dedicated export terminal in Port Kamsar and rail and other infrastructure upgrades alongside GAC. The mine, which is scheduled to begin production in 2018, will supply high-quality raw materials for alumina production facilities globally. Fluor successfully completed the feasibility study for GAC in the second quarter of 2016.
FCX Performance acquires new company
Specialty flow control distributor FCX Performance, based in Columbus, Ohio, acquired Renew Valve and its Cleveland Valve & Gauge based in Monroe, Michigan, one of the foremost safety relief valve and line valve service companies in the U.S. The acquisition adds Renew’s breadth of valve, pump, specialty piping, instrumentation products and services.
This is FCX’s fourth acquisition in the past six months. The previous three acquisitions were located in the Midwest, Northeast and Southeast U.S. FCX now has 41 offices nationwide staffed by more than 800 employees.
Huffman Engineering expands to Denver
Huffman Engineering Inc. opened its second office in Denver, Colorado. The expansion will allow the the company to accommodate a growing client base in the western part of Nebraska as well as Colorado and Wyoming. The new office location builds on the company’s partnership with Rockwell Automation, http://www.rockwellautomation.com expanding the relationship to include Rockwell’s Denver-based staff.
EIS to support Werum customers with PAS-X MES
Werum IT Solutions signed a partnership contract with Enhanced Information Solutions (EIS). As a PAS-X Endorsed Service Partner, EIS will support Werum customers in Europe and the U.S. in the on-site implementation of Werum’s PAS-X manufacturing execution systems (MES). EIS, headquartered in the U.S., is a system integrator and provider of software for the optimization of production in the life science industry.
Orbital Gas Systems awarded BioMethane contract in UK
A major European industrial company awarded Orbital Gas Systems a contract valued at more than $750,000 to operate biomethane-to-grid plants throughout Europe. The agreement calls for Orbital to provision two BioMethane units, the company’s biomethane-to-grid system, for delivery to the client later this year.
ProSep awarded contract For Statoil’s Troll B Zmp Project
ProSep will supply one ProDry unit to Statoil for the five-month Troll B ZMP Project, which began in January. The project was awarded by Aker Solutions. ProDry technology is designed to dehydrate natural gas with nearly 100 approach to equilibrium and allow for significant cost savings through the replacement of standard countercurrent towers.
Obren Lekic. Image courtesy of Borets US
Appointments
Obren Lekic named CEO of Borets US
Electric submersible pump systems manufacturer Borets named Obren Lekic as CEO of Borets U.S., located in Houston, Texas. Lekic brings more than two decades of experience in the oil and gas industry. He will lead the executive team by spearheading strategic market growth through new product development, implementing strategic sales and marketing tactics and leading regular assessments of existing and potential sales channels and products.
Lekic joined Borets as a privately held company in 2005, where he served as the deputy general director for business development and marketing. He went on to serve as the vice president of the eastern hemisphere, Borets International FZE, where he continued to assist senior executives with securing major business contracts throughout the international expansion. Prior to his newest leadership position, Lekic served as vice president of business development, focusing on U.S. growth opportunities.
Eric A. Spiegel joins Dover’s board
Dover appointed of Eric A. Spiegel, former president and chief executive officer of Siemens USA, to its board of directors. He will serve on the board’s audit committee. Spiegel has management and global consulting experience in the energy, power, water, manufacturing, mobility, automotive, and health care fields.
Bernie Hurda. Image courtesy of Brother Gearmotors
Brother Gearmotors hires veteran executive
Brother Gearmotors, a division of Brother International Corporation, hired Bernie Hurda as its new director of sales. In this role, Hurda will steer overall sales strategy, including managing a sales team, overseeing a broad sales structure and developing additional business channels. Hurda brings more than 16 years of experience in the power transmission industry.
Andreas Schmidt. Image courtesy of NETZSCH
NETZSCH Pumps North America hires sales managers
NETZSCH Pumps North America LLC hired Andreas Schmidt as its regional sales manager for the Western region. In this role, he will support industrial and municipal distributors in California, Arizona, Hawaii, New Mexico and southern Nevada. Schmidt has worked in the pump industry for the past 16 years.
NETZSCH hired Michael DeDora as the regional sales manager for the southeastern region. In this role, DeDora is responsible for supporting industrial and municipal distributors in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Puerto Rico. He is a 20-year pump systems veteran.
Awards, milestones and achievements
Mike DeDora. Image courtesy of NETZSCH
Oilfield Helping Hands named OTC achievement awardee
Oilfield Helping Hands (OHH), a nonprofit charitable organization assisting oilfield workers in financial crisis, was named the 2017 beneficiary of the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) Distinguished Achievement Awards Luncheon. The event recognizes industry achievements, raises funds, and provides an opportunity for industry leaders to network with colleagues from around the world. OTC will host the luncheon on May 2 at NRG Center in Houston, Texas.
