Business
CIPP, tunneling pioneer Robert “Bob” Affholder passes
A pioneer in trenchless rehabilitation and boring/tunneling, Robert "Bob" Affholder passed away Friday, July 26.
McElroy receives OSHA SHARP recognition for workplace safety
McElroy has been recognized for its commitment to workplace safety with a new designation from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP).
Plastics Pipe Institute releases free instructional video library for underground piping materials
Called Training Shorts, the teaching modules focus on piping materials such as CPVC, HDPE, PEX, PE-RT, PP. Topics include joining, installation, fusion, trenching, design, testing, sustainability plus other subjects important to those involved in drainage, natural gas, heating, plumbing, water, and sewer systems plus conduit projects.
Felting Trailers hosts annual FT-3 utility trailer auction to support Backing the Blue Line nonprofit
Felling Trailers, Inc. is hosting its twelfth annual online auction of an FT-3 drop deck utility trailer to support a nonprofit organization. The 2024 beneficiary is Backing the Blue Line, an organization dedicated to supporting the law enforcement community.
Energy Transfer, Suncor combine to operate 5,000 miles of oil, produced water pipelines in Permian basin
Energy Transfer will serve as the operator of the joint venture and contribute its Permian crude oil and produced water gathering assets and operations. Sunoco will contribute all its Permian crude oil gathering assets and operations to the joint venture.
Diversified expands with 500 miles of natural gas pipelines in East Texas acquisition
Diversified Energy Company has agreed to buy natural gas assets, including over 500 miles of pipelines and compression facilities, in eastern Texas from Crescent Pass Energy for $106 million.
Gulf Energy Information appoints Catherine Watkins as chief commercial officer to drive market expansion
Gulf Energy Information, a premier B2B media company in the global energy sector, proudly announces the transition of Catherine Watkins from chief financial officer to chief commercial officer, effective immediately.
GTI Energy appoints internationally recognized utility leaders to Board of Directors
GTI Energy elected Kelcey Brown, President and CEO of MidAmerican Energy, and William (Bill) Yardley, as directors. Additionally, Nickolas Stavropoulos, an internationally recognized utility safety culture leader, and John Somerhalder II, an energy industry executive experienced in governance and strategy execution, will serve as Chair and Vice Chair of GTI Energy’s Board of Directors.
Bird to acquire B.C. construction firm Jacob Bros for $135 million
(UI) — Bird Construction Inc. is set to acquire Jacob Bros Construction, a B.C.-based civil infrastructure contractor, for $135 million. The deal is expected to close early in the third quarter of 2024, pending regulatory approvals and other conditions.
Inside Infrastructure: 8th DCA/AGA workshop bolsters communication, cooperation
The 8th annual DCA & AGA Workshop, held in Kansas City, brought together 140 industry representatives and featured discussions on pipeline safety, workforce development, cybersecurity, and legislative challenges, highlighting the critical importance of collaboration in the gas distribution industry.
20-year underground construction veteran named VP of Prime Resins
Jeremey Sukola, who will continue in his role as Water and Wastewater Market Manager for Carboline, brings to this new leadership role extensive experience spanning over 20 years in the underground construction and corrosion control industry.
New Jersey American Water to invest $50 million over 10 years to improve Salem’s water, wastewater infrastructure
These investments include a robust capital improvement plan, including critical system upgrades, implementation of PFNA treatment and repairing the City’s aging water and wastewater infrastructure.
EarthGrid successfully field tests tunnel boring robot, launches two-torch plasma excavation system
With a more powerful and efficient tunneling system on the horizon for the EarthGrid team, this technology will create underground pathways to connect transmission and fiber cabling from providers to homes, data centers and businesses, delivering reliable and resilient energy and internet access nationwide.
McElroy celebrates seven decades of business with new company museum
The museum is made up of a series of vignettes, each one showcasing a milestone in McElroy’s history. This includes the first products designed by founder Art McElroy, the company’s foray into fintube and butt fusion equipment, and the evolution of its digital and equipment offerings.
Atwell expands Gulf Coast presence with Hydro Consultants acquisition
Founded in 1984, Hydro Consultants services include land surveys, hydrographic surveys, pipeline route surveys, industrial site surveys, GIS, and more.
Phillips 66 sells interest in 1,700-mile Rockies Express Pipeline for $1.28 billion
REX, a 1,714-mile pipeline system, is one of the largest natural gas pipelines in the United States and provides over 5 billion cubic feet per day of bi-directional natural gas transportation service between the Rockies, Appalachia and the northeastern United States.
Avanti names new directors in sales teams reorganization
The new appointments inlcude: Chris Hamilton, Director, Municipal Division; Jacob Swanson, Director, Geotechnical Division; Keith Sisson, Director, Industrial & Dealer Channel Divisions; and Chris M. Hamilton, Director, National Accounts.
NW Natural Water acquires Puttman Infrastructure and ICH, expands into California market
This acquisition will add approximately 4,200 water, wastewater, and recycled water customers across Oregon, Idaho, and California, with an expected growth to 19,000 connections at full buildout.
Enbridge adds over 21,000 miles of natural gas distribution, transmission pipelines with Questar Gas Company acquisition
Questar Gas's asset portfolio includes over 21,000 miles (over 33,500 km) of natural gas distribution and transmission pipelines, a liquefied natural gas storage facility that enhances system reliability, and interconnections to multiple interstate natural gas pipelines.
GridHawk to expand critical utility damage prevention services with MidOcean investment
GridHawk offers utility locating, watch & protect, advanced locating, leak detection, infrastructure mapping, and other damage prevention services for high consequence subsurface infrastructure including natural gas, electric, telecom, water, and sewer utilities nationwide.
Energy Transfer adds 6,000-mile pipeline network to Permian portfolio with $3.25 billion WGT Midstream acquisition
6,000-mile pipeline network serves significant operators in some of the most active areas of the Midland Basin including Martin, Howard, Upton, Reagan and Irion counties.
Subsurface infrastructure services provider Pro-Vac acquiers hydro-excavation company Kinetic
Pro-Vac, a provider of essential subsurface infrastructure services, has acquired Kinetic, a provider of hydro excavation services in the Rocky Mountain region and DMV-area. The combination significantly enhances and expands Pro-Vac’s scale and geographic reach.
Business People
Meet the latest business leaders making waves in their industries. Tsurumi Pump appoints John Hartz as sales engineer, Woolpert welcomes Kristi Norman as market director, Yanmar honors three service professionals with the Yanmar Service Awards, and SGH adds Payman K. Tehrani and Ikpoto Udoh, Ph.D., to its senior leadership team. Stay informed with the latest updates in the business world!
Business News
Discover the latest innovations and industry collaborations in underground construction. Avanti and US Grout formalize their partnership, PipeSense opens new testing facilities, Martin Equipment expands its territory, and PPI releases a groundbreaking report on seismic-resistant HDPE water mains. Stay informed with UI's May issue of Business News!
LAN promotes 20-year industry veteran as Director of North Texas infrastructure business group
With an engineering background that spans more than two decades, Justin Reeves has served in technical and management roles for water and wastewater treatment planning; pipeline modeling, planning, design, construction and management; and rehabilitation and design of roadway and drainage systems.
ONEOK to expand NGL pipeline network on Gulf Coast with $280 million acquisition
The system comprises of approximately 450 miles of NGL pipelines located around the Houston Ship Channel, expanding a network already in place for ONEOK.
OSHA restructures regional operations to improve efficiency, resiliency
The changes include the creation of a new OSHA regional office in Birmingham, Alabama, overseeing agency operations in the state, and those in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee as well as the Florida Panhandle.
Hope Gas expands West Virginia reach with Consumers Gas Utility purchase
Hope Gas has finalized an agreement to acquire Consumers Gas Utility Company in West Virginia, pending approval from the state's Public Service Commission.
Core & Main to acquire EGW Utilities, enhancing underground utility offerings
Core & Main Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire EGW Utilities Inc., a distributor of quality products and services to underground utility contractors and municipalities, based in Texas.
Pro-Vac strengthens Texas presence with Hydromax acquisition
(UI) — Pro-Vac, a leading provider of essential underground infrastructure services, announced that it has acquired Hydromax, a leading provider of hydro excavation services in South Texas.
- Deadline to submit abstracts for Underground Infrastructure Conference's 30th anniversary education program extended to July 19
- Drilling under the LSU campus
- OSHA investigation launched after worker found unconscious in Kansas City, Mo., sewer pipe
- 26th annual directional drilling survey: More fuel on the fire
- Restoring power to Minnesota’s northwest angle
- Vermeer Debuts New Horizontal Directional Drill
- Sewer maintenance: Myth-busting, best-practice training
- Berkeley pushes PG&E to bury power lines to mitigate wildfire risk
- Houston faces hurdles in transitioning to underground power lines amid severe weather concerns
- Calgary declares state of emergency over water pipeline repairs