Movers and Shakers: New FSA VP, company collaborations

Jan. 11, 2017

Proco Products’ Rob Coffee will serve as new vice president of the Fluid Sealing Association.

Acquisitions, expansions and partnerships

Dover to collaborate with Honeywell on Inspire program

Dover Energy Automation, an operating company within the Dover Energy Segment of Dover Corporation, and Honeywell will collaborate as part of the Honeywell INspire program on an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) ecosystem to help energy industrial customers improve the safety, efficiency and reliability of their operations.

Dover and Honeywell will offer an IIoT ecosystem designed to help customers solve previously unsolvable problems. The larger, consolidated data set formed as a result of this collaboration will allow manufacturers to apply higher analytics and achieve more detailed insights, scale the data as needed to meet the varied needs of single-site or enterprise-wide operations and leverage a wider pool of data experts for monitoring and analysis. 

Schaeffler expands expertise in electric mobility

Automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler concluded a purchase contract with SEMIKRON International GmbH for the acquisition of 51 percent of the shares of Compact Dynamics GmbH, a manufacturer of high-performance electric motors. At the same time, Schaeffler and SEMIKRON have agreed to a cooperation for the development of power electronics systems and the integration of power electronics components. This acquisition and cooperation will allow Schaeffler to expand its expertise in electric motors and power electronics for the development and production of electric drives.

There actions allow the Schaeffler Group to obtain expertise for the development and production of its own electric motors for automobile applications. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2017.

BG Group taps KBR as Global Upstream Alliance Partner

BG Group selected KBR as its Global Upstream Alliance Partner. The six-year contract includes an option for two two-year extensions, and will provide capability support, services (Pre-FEED and FEED) and project management services across all BG Group’s Global Upstream Portfolio. The single-partner alliance will focus on BG Group’s global portfolio of projects to enhance BG Group’s capacity to deliver major upstream oil and gas projects around the world.

Lucid Energy Group expands in Delaware Basin

Midstream provider Lucid Energy Group expanded its gathering and processing capacity in the Delaware Basin of southeastern New Mexico. The announcement follows the company’s Aug. 30, 2016, acquisition of Agave Energy Company and the implementation of an aggressive plan to expand the Agave assets.

Phase I of the growth plan has focused on the South Carlsbad Gathering and Processing System in Lea and Eddy counties in New Mexico. In 90 days, Lucid has expanded processing capacity at the Red Hills Natural Gas Processing complex by 83.3 percent, increasing capacity from 60 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) to 110 MMcf/d. Lucid also begun construction of a new cryogenic processing train and amine treating facilities at the Red Hills Plant with an expected commission date of mid-2017, bringing processing capacity to 310 MMcf/d.

Atar Capital completes acquisition

Atar Capital, a Los Angeles-based global private equity firm, completed its acquisition of Furmanite’s Midstream Quality Assurance Business from a wholly owned subsidiary of Team Inc. Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the business serves as an independent, outsourced provider of inspection and integrity services for all disciplines of midstream pipeline, pipeline stations, terminals, power plants, tank storage farms and other energy-related fields. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Effective immediately, the business will be rebranded as Frontier Integrity Solutions.

Hoover Ferguson acquires Uniteam’s offshore rental business

Hoover Ferguson Group, a manufacturer of container, workspace and packaging solutions for the energy and petrochemical industries and general industrial enterprises, acquired the rights and obligations of Uniteam Holding AS’ offshore container rental business.

The transaction, which includes a specified fleet of standard and customized offshore containers in Norway and Malaysia, increases Hoover Ferguson’s established portfolio within the Norwegian oil and gas market and strengthens the Group’s footprint in Asia. Hoover Ferguson’s Norwegian management team will continue to lead Uniteam’s operations, supporting its customer base through the transitional period.

JWC and FRC finalize acquisition plans

JWC Environmental and FRC Systems International announced the finalization of the transaction for the acquisition of FRC Systems by JWC Environmental. The acquisition of FRC expands JWC’s offering of high-quality solutions for its industrial and municipal wastewater customers. As part of the acquisition, Adriaan van der Beek, president of FRC, will join the JWC executive team and continue to lead the ongoing business.

REXA establishes Canadian subsidiary

REXA established REXA Canada as a subsidiary to improve customer service, technical support and parts availability for Canadian customers in the oil and gas, refining, power generation, metals and mining industries.

REXA Canada customers will benefit from streamlined importation of the company’s linear and rotary actuators as well as an extensive parts inventory ready for rapid shipment. In 2017, REXA Canada will add in-house repair capabilities, training and a local service technician.

Appointments

FSA appoints vice president

The Fluid Sealing Association (FSA) appointed Robert (Rob) S. Coffee as vice president. He is currently the vice president of sales and marketing for Proco Products Inc., in Stockton, California, and serves the FSA as a member of the Marketing Committee and as chair of the Membership Committee.

Coffee has been in the expansion joint industry since 1980, working part time after high school at Pathway Bellows. During his tenure at Pathway, he performed customer service duties for fabric expansion joints and industrial dampers. In 1990, he transitioned to field salesman with responsibility for Northern California, Oregon and Washington. In 1994, he joined Proco Products as marketing manager.

ITT names Luca Savi to new chief operating officer role

ITT Inc. named Luca Savi as chief operating officer. In this new role, Savi will focus on driving business performance by expanding and strengthening ITT’s comprehensive management system and processes, while continuing to grow world-class operational capabilities across the company. In addition, unrelated to the structural change, Industrial Process President Aris Chicles announced he will leave the company.

MCAA announces new board members, officers

The Measurement, Control & Automation Association (MCAA) president Teresa Sebring certified the election of officers and directors for the association for 2017. The new leadership includes Peter Martin, vice president strategic ventures for Schneider Electric Systems USA Inc., and Bharat Naik, president of Reotemp Instruments, as vice chairman.

The remainder of the board is comprised of immediate past chairman Joe Incontri, director of marketing for KROHNE Inc.; at-large members Mike DeLacluyse, president of Lesman Instrument Company; Mike Gallagher, president and CEO of Centro Inc.; Gary Johnson, president of Azbil North America Inc.; Don Maness, senior director of North America channels for Honeywell Process Solutions; Stan Ronna, president of Automation Products Group Inc.; Scott Saunders, president and CEO at Moore Industries International Inc.; Mike Waters, president and CEO at SOR Controls Group Ltd.; and Jim Winter, director of global process business for Rockwell Automation.

ASTM International begins year with new board chairman

Thomas Marsh, president and CEO of Centrotrade Minerals and Metals Inc., began his term as 2017 chairman of the ASTM International board of directors.

ASTM International’s board is made up of 25 leaders from a broad variety of companies, associations and government bodies worldwide, including organizations such as the Copper Development Association Inc., Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp., BP America Inc. and many others.

An ASTM International member since 1990, Marsh serves as chairman of the Committee on Rubber and Rubber-like Materials and is a member of committees on Sports Equipment, Playing Surfaces and Facilities, and Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment. He served a term on the ASTM International Committee on Technical Committee Operations from 2007 to 2009.

Industry associations expand boards

Two technology solutions experts at Landmark, a Halliburton business, were elected to serve as board members for industry associations.

Shashank Panchangam, senior industry solutions advisor, was elected to the board of the Professional Petroleum Data Management (PPDM) Association at its 2016 Calgary Data Management Symposium. His term of service will allow him to provide leadership and guidance to the association for the next two years.

Duane Moonsammy, region services manager, was elected to the board of Petroleum Network Education Conferences. As a board member, he serves as an advisor to better prepare data management professionals and drive collaborative efforts to enhance the professional association.

Cybersecurity expert joins Gannett Fleming

Immanuel Triea, CISA, CISM, CRISC, CISSP-ISSAP, SSCP, GICSP, GREM, joined Gannett Fleming as senior director of information security. Based out of Atlanta, Georgia, Triea will provide cybersecurity and compliance consulting services for the firm’s hydropower, transit and utility clients. As the leader of Gannett Fleming’s cybersecurity and compliance group, he also will focus on growing this practice.

Triea brings more than 24 years of information technology and compliance experience, including network design, administration and implementation, regulatory advisement, risk assessment, project management and strategic planning. He also possesses extensive knowledge in policy development, business unit consulting, technology evaluation, security infrastructure design, security controls and deployment methodologies as well as the design and implementation of information systems.

Image courtesy of Textron Inc.

Textron Elects Ralph D. Heath to board of directors

Textron Inc. elected Ralph D. Heath to the company’s board of directors, effective Jan. 1, 2017. Heath served as Executive Vice President—aeronautics of Lockheed Martin Corporation, until his retirement in 2012 following a 37-year career with the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics business area and its heritage companies. During his tenure, Heath led the revitalization of the C-130 program, international expansion of the F-16 program and the development and delivery of the F-22 and F-35 fighter aircrafts.

Heath served on the board of directors of Hawker Beechcraft from 2013-2014 prior to Textron’s acquisition of the Beechcraft business. Heath is a U.S. Army veteran and qualified Airborne Ranger. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and an MBA from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Awards, milestones and achievements

Taco Inc. Test Lab Facility approved by HI

The Hydraulic Institute (HI) Pump Test Lab Approval Program approved Taco Inc.’s Cranston, Rhode Island, pump test laboratory. The program assists pump original equipment manufacturers and other pump test laboratories in improving their current laboratory procedures and policies by working with an experienced third-party auditor to develop and maintain accurate, uniform and repeatable pump testing protocols. The program also helps participating organizations adhere to the requirements of the international test laboratory accreditation standard (ISO 17025) concerning test measurement equipment.

NRG achieves fleet optimization strategy across fleet 

NRG Energy Inc. achieved its fleet optimization strategy, completing coal-to-gas projects at four power plants across its fleet. The successful introduction of natural gas to replace coal as the primary fuel allows these units to continue meeting customer needs while complying with current environmental standards and supporting NRG’s wider decarbonization efforts. The four plants are located in New Roads, Louisiana; Joliet, Illinois; Shawville, Pennsylvania; and New Castle, Pennsylvania. 

MilliporeSigma announces winner of Life Science Award in Bioseparations

Ying Li of Pennsylvania State University won the MilliporeSigma Life Science Award in Bioseparations, an award open to students from U.S. or Canadian universities working on cutting-edge bioseparations research who show potential to be future leaders in the field.

Li was recognized for her research on novel strategies to control membrane fouling and enhance performance during ultrafiltration of plasmid DNA. She received the top prize of $10,000.

Entries were judged on level of innovation, impact to industry and scientific rigor and communication.

Three finalists were also recognized and each received $1,500. They are:

  • Daniel Greene, University of Delaware, for characterization of precipitate microstructures formed during protein purification
  • Rudra Mukherjee, University of Arkansas, for recombinant platform for production and purification of a novel anti-Candida peptide
  • Rahul Sadavarte, McMaster University, for analytical laterally fed membrane chromatography for rapid detection of monoclonal antibody oxidation

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