Business

ISCO Industries expands HDPE offering with Infinity Plastics acquisition

(UI) — ISCO Industries has announced the acquisition of Infinity Plastics, a leading manufacturer of HDPE piping products, marking a strategic move to broaden its footprint and manufacturing capacity.

Reline America, East Coast Infrastructure partner to expand UV-GRP Alphaliner network

(UI) — This partnership will bring UV-GRP lining to the Tidewater region, making East Coast Infrastructure a one-stop shop for infrastructure assessment and rehabilitation.

CGA publishes telecom white paper on preventing utility damage trends

(UI) — Based on research among telecommunications stakeholders, CGA’s new research points to the sector’s impact on the U.S. damage prevention system as a whole and recommends key actions telecom organizations can take to drive damages down.

Fiber Broadband Association brings fiber broadband education to rural North Carolina communities

Partnering with broadband internet provider Fybe, the two organizations will leverage the OpTIC Path course to produce a pipeline of expertly-trained fiber broadband technicians that will connect rural communities to high-quality fiber broadband networks.

CASE Construction Equipment dealer expands along Gulf Coast

Lee Tractor will sell and service the full lineup of CASE heavy, compact and subcompact equipment and attachments.

New Jersey American Water agrees to purchase Salem, N.J., water and sewer system

(UI) — New Jersey American Water signed an agreement on Nov. 30 to acquire the water and sewer system of Salem, N.J., for $18 million. This municipally owned system serves more than 2,300 customers.

Plastics Pipe Institute selects 20-year curriculum veteran to lead education committee

The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. appointed Jason McKinnon, Director of Engineering Services, Viega, LLC (Broomfield, CO), as the chair of its education committee.

Fort Point Capital invests in sewer rehabilitation company Visu-Sewer

Headquartered in Pewaukee, WI, Visu-Sewer has served municipalities and commercial customers for 50 years with a comprehensive range of rehabilitation and maintenance services.

Aegion, Trenchless Technology Center to hold CIPP seminar in Washington

Titled “Environmental Updates Around CIPP,” the seminar will subjects such as UV vs. Standard CIPP, a presentation on styrene, and a roundtable discussion, where attendees are encouraged to bring a CIPP-related topic to discuss.

Kinetic to lay over 440 miles of fiber optic cables in Colquitt County

Kinetic will use about $21.4 million in state grant money from the federal government. The company will invest $11.1 million and cover any cost overruns.

MDU Resources to expand electric, natural gas utilities, pipeline businesses with $2.8 billion investment

MDU Resources intends to become a pure-play regulated energy delivery business consisting of electric and natural gas utilities and a natural gas pipeline business.

NV5 Global to support New Jersey utility projects with $17 million contracts

NV5 will deliver engineering services for a variety of critical areas, including metering and regulation (M&R) station upgrades, gas transmission main replacements involving trenchless technologies, gas facility structural support solutions, and feasibility route studies.

United Rentals recognized for achievements in veteran career development

United Rentals, Inc. is the recipient of the following three awards: 2023 HIRE Vets Medallion Award, 2024 Military Friendly Employer, Gold and 2023 Military Times Best for Vets.

Northeast fiber contractor Waveguide rebrands as Centerline

(UI) — Waveguide Solutions LLC, a turnkey fiber optic communications company based in Nashua, New Hampshire, announced that it will begin doing business as Centerline.

PPI releases technical document comparing polyethylene pipe grades: PE 100-RC vs. PE4710

(UI) — The Plastics Pipe Institute Inc. (PPI) has announced the publication of a new document that provides the technical basis for comparing PE 100-RC to PE4710 pressure pipe.

PUC approves Pennsylvania American Water's $230 million acquisition of Butler Area Sewer Authority

(UI) — Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, received approval from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to purchase the Butler Area Sewer Authority wastewater system for $230 million.

GF Central Plastics breaks ground on a new manufacturing plant in Shawnee, Okla.

(UI) — Georg Fischer Central Plastics has broken ground on a new 150,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Shawnee, Okla. The $30 million investment will accommodate the company’s growing business needs, potentially creating up to 300 full-time jobs upon opening.

American Rental Association: US equipment rental industry growth will soften but still grow

Earlier in the year, the forecast predicted a recession that did not materialize. While the first two quarters of the year proved slow, third quarter revenues are very strong, and the quarter four projections appear that way as well.

Pennsylvania American Water purchases Butler Area Sewer Authority for $230 million

Upon taking ownership, Pennsylvania American Water will make necessary collection system upgrades to improve the wastewater system, which are expected to total more than $75 million.

Salem and Manville voters approve selling water, sewer systems to New Jersey American Water

(UI) — Voters in Salem City and the Borough of Manville have decisively approved ballot referendums to transfer water and sewer operations ownership to New Jersey American Water.

Business News

Vacuworx celebrates 25th anniversary; Grundfos celebrates the 50th anniversary of its U.S. operations; 120Water selected to manage the data and submittal of Georgia’s lead service line (LSL) inventories; and more!

Russ Ford named 2024 MVP of underground infrastructure industry

(UI) — Russ Ford, a noted infrastructure expert, has been selected as the Most Valuable Professional of the underground infrastructure industry for 2024. Ford, a senior associate at Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc., will be honored at a special luncheon on March 19 at the annual Underground Infrastructure Conference (UIC).

Fiber Broadband Association, NTCA release complete Broadband Infrastructure Playbook 3.0

Playbook 3.0 combines four deep-dive modules that aim to help state broadband offices as they make decisions on key aspects of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program and complete their initial proposals for NTIA review before a December 27 deadline.

Underground Infrastructure Awards ’24 finalists announced

The annual Underground Infrastructure Awards (UIA), the most comprehensive and prestigious program to recognize outstanding performance and technology for the entire underground infrastructure industry, has announced the finalists for the 2024 awards.

CASE Construction Equipment welcomes new addition to North American dealer network

CASE Power & Equipment of Pennsylvania will initially service the Pittsburgh, Pa., area through two strategically planned locations in Cranberry Township and Delmont, with plans to expand to Central Pennsylvania.

Wyo-Ben acquires M-I Swaco's bentonite operations

(UI) — Wyo-Ben Inc. recently announced its acquisition of the bentonite operation of M-I Swaco, a division of Schlumberger and renowned global leader in drilling fluid systems and services. This strategic move further solidifies Wyo-Ben's position as a leader in the industry and opens up new avenues for growth and innovation.

InfoWest acquires assets of SunRiver Fiber Network

(UI) — InfoWest Inc., a majority-owned subsidiary of Boston Omaha Corp., has completed the acquisition of all of SunRiver Fiber Network's assets from Cable Systems of Nevada.

Indiana American Water to gain 8,000 water customers with Silver Creek Water acquisition

As one of the fastest growing utilities in the U.S., American Water expects to invest $30 to $34 billion in infrastructure repairs and replacement, system resiliency and regulated acquisitions over the next 10 years.

Utility clerk appointed to West Virginia Legislature as GOP House member

Erica J. Moore, a city administrative clerk from central West Virginia, has been appointed to the state Legislature. Moore said she’s looking forward to serving in the Legislature and contributing to policy with her knowledge of water and sewer issues from her work with the city.

Baton Rouge company set to acquire Entergy gas distribution business

Utility giant Entergy’s plans to sell its gas distribution business are moving forward under a $484 million cash deal with Bernhard Capital Partners, a Baton Rouge-based private equity management firm.