June 2019 Vol.74 No. 6

The 21st version of our exclusive HDD survey profiles a healthy industry rife with opportunities for growth. Cynical observers may point out that the bubble must burst sometime, but short of a major economic crunch, our data reflects the belief that most HDD markets will remain strong for several more years.

Abstracts for papers to be presented at Plastic Pipes XX may be submitted until Oct. 22, 2019. The conference and exhibition, sponsored by the Plastic Pipes Conference Association—comprising the Plastics Pipe Institute Inc. (PPI), PE 100+ Association, and the European Plastic Pipes and Fittings Association (TEPPFA)—takes place Sept. 21–23, 2020, in Amsterdam at Hotel Okura.

Toledo, Ohio’s Public Service and Public Utilities departments together employ more than 75 heavy equipment operators to run the municipality’s equipment fleet. From motor graders and backhoes, to utility trucks and cranes, the fleet is used to dig, trench, lift and move materials all over the city.

MTA Fiber Holdings LLC is building AlCan ONE (Alaska Canada Overland Network), a fiber network connecting Alaska to the contiguous United States and beyond, with the goal of completion by the middle of 2020.

Vermeer Southeast celebrated the Grand Opening of its new Marietta, Ga., parts, service and sales facility. A crowd of more than 300 attended the grand opening event on May 3, which featured facility tours, equipment demos, vendor displays, live music and barbeque.

The new five-year forecast from the American Rental Association (ARA) calls for equipment and event rental revenues in North America to surpass $61.3 billion in 2019, including $55.8 billion in the United States and $5.3 billion in Canada—up 5.0 percent compared to 2018.

The Distribution Contractors Association (DCA), headquartered in Richardson, Texas, has partnered with SkillsUSA, a national nonprofit focused on workforce development.

New funding will assist states in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 with improving drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.

OSHA issued a final rule that revises 14 provisions in the recordkeeping, general industry, maritime and construction standards that may be confusing, outdated or unnecessary.

Felling Trailers believes in fostering creativity and innovation, which in manufacturing is intertwined with technology and, specifically, robotics. To that end, Sauk Centre, Minn., Felling Trailers is a proud supporter of area schools’ Robotics Teams.

CASE Construction Equipment awarded the 2019 Dire States Equipment Grant to Chapin, S.C. for its East Chapin Sewer Force Main Project. As the winner, Chapin will receive $25,000 in free equipment rental for the project, through local CASE dealer Hills Machinery.

Natural gas will remain a significant contributor to the energy portfolio and to economic growth in the United States over the next two decades, playing a key role in meeting low-carbon goals, a new study commissioned by the INGAA Foundation finds.

The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) and the Power and Communication Contractors Association (PCCA) are working together to expand training initiatives that will establish a stronger wireless workforce with the skills needed to deploy 5G networks.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun an effort to develop a new program to support water reuse.

Attendees took advantage of topical education sessions, a variety of networking opportunities, fascinating tours and the 2nd Annual Associates Exhibit & Breakfast. They also honored outgoing APCA President William Schettine of Meridien Energy and enjoyed a lively keynote speech from football legend and American hero Rocky Bleier.

Hard Rock Directional Drilling has completed three 3,100-foot directionally drilled crossings of the deep-water navigable ship channel in Corpus Christi, Texas. The channel extends from the Gulf of Mexico, through the jetties in Port Aransas and across the Corpus Christi Bay.

The North American HDD market is booming, and opportunities for growth appear limited only by the size of the industry’s workforce. At a roundtable sponsored by Underground Construction magazine, industry leaders discussed common workforce challenges faced by contractors today and successful approaches to address them.

HDD Prosperity is Tempered with Challenges Robert Carpenter | Editor-in-Chief In 2019, horizontal directional drilling (HDD) is again riding high, based upon a series of strong markets. However, the question asked by many is how long will the robust HDD market last? The better question, perhaps,..

About 200 participants from all areas of the pipeline industry gathered for the 15th annual Pipeline Opportunities Conference to hear a wide range of experts offer their perceptions about the challenges and opportunities ahead for the industry, as well as share insights on how to move forward.

Basking in beautiful weather and world-class hospitality, nearly 300 American Pipeline Contractors Association members, family and friends convened at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Fla., for the 2019 APCA Convention. Attendees took advantage of topical education sessions, a variety of networking opportunities, fascinating tours and the 2nd Annual Associates Exhibit & Breakfast. They also honored outgoing APCA President William Schettine of Meridien Energy and enjoyed a lively keynote speech from football legend and American hero Rocky Bleier.

NASSCO, now in its 45th year, continues to set standards for the assessment and rehabilitation of underground infrastructure. A vast array of individuals have contributed to the success of the association, both in the past and present, that has driven NASSCO’s industry mission. This series of articles recognizes those who have not only been critical to the success of NASSCO, but the industry as well.

For the rehabilitation of a drinking water pipeline in the district of Aalen, 124 miles northeast of Munich, Germany, the DENSO Group Germany protects weld seams from corrosion quickly and efficiently using a new laying method that floats in water.

Specialty Products Inc. (SPI), a Lakewood, Wash., premier manufacturer of spray-applied polyurea elastomers, polyurethane foams and custom plural component equipment, is now part of the VersaFlex family of companies.

Doosan Infracore has formed a strategic partnership with U.S. big-data unicorn Palantir Technologies for the first time in Korea, as part of the effort to accelerate digital transformation.

Southeastern Equipment Co. sold the 1,000th excavator manufactured by Kobelco Construction Machinery USA’s South Carolina plant to North Canton, Ohio, A Crano Excavating Inc., a long-time Southeastern Equipment partner. It marked the Ohio company’s 25th Kobelco excavator purchase.

McKim & Creed Inc. has opened an office in Charleston, S.C. that will provide surveying and mapping services, including land surveying; unmanned aerial system; hydrographic surveying; subsurface utility engineering; and mobile, airborne and terrestrial LiDAR.

Brown and Caldwell, a leading environmental engineering and construction firm, was selected by King County, Wash., Wastewater Treatment Division as prime consultant on development of the county’s Clean Water Plan. This four-year effort will chart a path for future water-quality investments and initiatives in the central Puget Sound region.

Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas has expanded its North American authorized dealer network with the addition of Correlli Inc., in the Baltimore, Md., area.

Neil Smith joined CCI & Associates Inc., as managing director based in the Houston office, with responsibility for further developing the firm’s engineering and engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) capabilities for specialized projects.

McElroy, a 65-year-old company with small beginnings as a contract job shop, announces its 50th year as a leading manufacturer of thermoplastic pipe fusion machines used worldwide.

Don Tyler was appointed director of engineering at BCCK Holding Company, developing a full-capabilities office in The Woodlands for the Midland, Texas-based leader in engineering, procurement, fabrication and field construction services

Jon Torpy has joined Epiroc, a leading productivity partner for the mining and infrastructure industries, as general manager and president for Epiroc USA LLC.

William Abbott, P.E., joined Houston-based planning, engineering and program management firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc. (LAN), as director of operations.

The GTI Board of Directors elected Quinton Ford as vice president, general counsel and secretary, leading all aspects of GTI’s legal resources and interests.

Thomas Schmidt joined Barbco Inc, East Canton, Ohio, manufacturer of horizontal earth boring machines, and was soon promoted to the newly created position of operations manager, overseeing Quality Control, Safety, Compliance, Shipping/Receiving, Maintenance, Janitorial, and Marketing departments.

Heather Denny, strategy and process leader for Wells Global, a company that designs and builds critical power supply systems, joined the board of directors of McKim & Creed Inc., one of the largest engineering and geomatics firms in the U.S. In addition to her career as an executive at corporations, Denny is a tireless volunteer within her Raleigh, N.C., community, serving on numerous boards and holding various leadership positions.

Gregg Hayes joined Thompson, Conn., drilling technology provider Numa as product manager.

Scott Shipe joined Cretex Specialty Products, the leading provider of mechanical, internal and external manhole frame-chimney Seals and related manhole rehabilitation products.

REMU, the Finnish company that makes earthmoving products, now offers the third model in its E-Series amphibious excavators, Big Float E15, for 10-15-ton excavators.

Doosan Infracore North America LLC, is bolstering its mini excavator lineup with the addition of three new models in the 3.5-, 4- and 5-ton classes: DX35-5, DX42-5 and DX50-5.

johndeere.com Enabled through the JDLink telematics connection, John Deere’s new Connected Support leverages a suite of dealer and factory tools to deliver increased productivity, uptime and lower daily operating costs. A ke..

Komatsu hydraulic excavators with Diesel Particulate Filters do not require exhaust fluid or selective catalyst reduction systems.