Business
Dycom acquires telecom contractor Bigham Cable Construction in southeast US
(UI) — Dycom Industries Inc. has announced that it acquired Bigham Cable Construction Inc. on Aug. 23. Bigham provides telecommunications construction services in the southeastern United States and generated approximately $140 million of revenue over the last twelve months.
NUCA upgrades utility job-site recording solution
NUCA-WINS is a software application allows authorized users to quickly report a variety of job-site events, such as injuries, utility strikes, employee illnesses, near misses, property damage, and safety observations in real-time, utilizing both iOS and Android devices.
Fiber Broadband Association honors industry leaders at Fiber Connect 2023
This year, Brendan O’Boyle from Preformed Line Products (PLP) won the 2023 Photon Award, and Northern Colorado Community Fiber won the 2023 Star Award. S&N Communications won the Gene Scott Education Award, and Stephen Hardy won the Fiber Lifetime Achievement Award.
Illinois American Water to upgrade Village of Broadlands water system with new acquisition
Illinois American Water plans to invest in the first year on critical infrastructure, including installation of water meters and other projects to enhance water quality and system reliability.
Oatey acquires underground pipe and disc plug distributor Lansas BV
(UI) — Oatey Co. has acquired Lansas B.V., a manufacturer and distributor of underground pipe and disc plugs based in Eijsden, Netherlands.
Fiber Broadband Association President wins 2023 Chairman’s Award for advancing fiber deployments across U.S.
Among many FBA successes to date, Gary Bolton’s leadership has expanded fiber broadband’s public policy influence, workforce development initiatives, FBA’s research library, and FBA membership—more than doubling it in less than three years.
Common Ground Alliance opens Call for Proposals for underground utilities conference
The 2024 CGA Conference & Expo, set to take place April 14-18, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colo., is the damage prevention industry’s premier event, bringing together distinguished experts and decision-makers for a week of focused collaboration and innovation designed to address the industry’s most pressing challenges.
Duke’s Root Control and UIS join forces to enhance underground service offerings
(UI) — Duke’s Root Control Inc. acquires Underground Infrastructure Services (UIS) of Livonia, Mich., significantly expanding its wastewater and gas inspection and remediation services, including inspection and replacement for water, gas, cable, and electrical utilities.
AGA Chair sees future shaped by education, innovation
(UI) — Sitherwood, who plans to retire from Spire this December, sat down with Underground Infrastructure to discuss her career, her outlook for the natural gas industry and her work as the 2023 chair of the American Gas Association (AGA).
SUE Association to hold national subsurface utility engineering conference in September
Formed in 2018, the SUE Association has worked to educate and inform the user community about subsurface utility engineering, grow the SUE market, and promote best practices in the delivery of professional SUE services through ASCE 38-22.
Nominate now for the UI Awards
(UI) — Nominations for the second-annual Underground Infrastructure Awards (UIAs) are open. The Awards are a fantastic way to celebrate innovations and individuals that made a significant contribution to the market within the past year.
Registration open for 19th ASCE UESI/BAMI-I Utility Investigation School
(UI) — The Buried Asset Management Institute – International (BAMI-I) & the ASCE’S Utility Engineering and Surveying Institute (UESI) have teamed to conduct the 19th ASCE UESI / BAMI-I UIS School in 2023.
CommScope expands fiber optic operations, brings 250 jobs to Catawba County, North Carolina
(UI) — Telecommunications infrastructure provider CommScope plans to add 250 new jobs with a $60.3 million investment to expand its fiber-optic cable manufacturing operations in North Carolina’s Catawba County, Governor Roy Cooper said on July 25.
Oatey acquires Dutch underground pipe, disc plug manufacturer
Manufactured through a highly efficient and automated production process, Lansas plugs are high-quality, innovative and designed to meet the requirements of customers.
Aegion acquires trenchless pipe rehabilitation company to expand services
Founded in 1991, PUCC found its niche in the trenchless pipe rehabilitation industry by pioneering and promoting the “pipe bursting” method of pipe replacement in Tennessee and its seven border states.
Essential Utilities to upgrade Shenandoah water infrastructure with $12 million acquisition
Parts of the Shenandoah system’s water infrastructure date back to the 1800s. MABS currently has $5.5 million in debt, and the system deals with frequent outages and main leaks. Water loss is estimated at some 60%.
Broadband Forum, Fiber Broadband Association partner to advance fiber broadband capabilities
With a common focus on developing and educating the broadband industry on best practices, the agreement will combine the Fiber Broadband Association’s strong background and expertise in fiber advocacy, research, education, and member and community resources with Broadband Forum’s technical strengths in best practices, interoperability, certification, and standards.
BOND Civil & Utility announces new division BOND Trenchless
(UI) — BOND Civil & Utility, a wholly owned subsidiary of BOND Brothers Inc., has announced the creation of a newly formed division, BOND Trenchless. This new unit will allow BOND to expand its offerings with additional self-perform capabilities, providing a more vertically integrated value proposition to clients, such as investor-owned utilities (IOUs), gas transmission companies, power, and energy developers.
Essential Utilities acquires Union Rome Sewer system for $25.5 million
Essential plans to invest more than $12.7 million in the sewer system within the next five years to meet regulatory and environmental demands.
Plastics Pipe Institute presents industry veteran with Lifetime Achievement Award
During her 20-year affiliation with PPI, Donna Stoughton served and chaired numerous technical and other committees, and was featured in PLASTICS NEWS as one of the “Women Breaking the Mold.”
United Rentals outlines how hybrid power solutions create efficient, sustainable worksites
United Rentals released a white paper, “Hybrid Power Solutions: The Future of Portable Power,” that explores strategies for pairing a BESS with a power generator.
Nominations for Underground Infrastructure Awards are open
(UI) — Underground Infrastructure will present the second-annual Underground Infrastructure Awards (formerly Underground Construction Awards), an event celebrating innovations and individuals that have made significant impacts on the diverse underground markets.
Business News
Vermeer opened its new, 312,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Global Parts Distribution Center, on the grounds of its Pella, Iowa, corporate headquarters, to support the important work customers and dealers are performing around the world.
Aries Industries’ announces sale of Water Well assets
(UI) — Aries Industries, an industry leader in state-of-the-art equipment for inspection and rehabilitation of underground infrastructure, is accelerating investment in its core business of wastewater/sewer inspection and rehabilitation product lines.
James Q. Crowe, fiber optic, telecommunications pioneer dies at 74
Crowe Company announced that James Q. Crowe, a technology and telecommunications visionary who spearheaded the fiber optic telecommunications revolution, died July 2nd in Paradise Valley, Arizona, after a battle with pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Ground/Water Treatment & Technology expands water management solutions with Ember Infrastructure investment
GWTT has 25+ years of experience partnering with clients to solve complex water challenges, including the cleanup of Superfund and former manufactured gas plant sites, civil and infrastructure dewatering, and treating for emerging contaminants of concern that include PFAS compounds.
Utility Broadband Alliance reaches 100-member milestone
CenterPoint Energy, Duke Energy and Lower Colorado River Authority are the newest utility members to join the utility-led Alliance, which incorporated in 2021 and seeks to help accelerate utilities’ journey toward a more secure, resilient and future-proof grid.
BAMI-I to present first-ever Global Buried Asset Management Congress for underground infrastructure industry
This congress aims to advance the science and practice of asset management in the underground infrastructure industry, with a main focus on the water and wastewater sector and other utilities that have buried assets.
NAXSA, industry groups form OSHA alliance to enhance worker safety
The Alliance, called Partners for Safe Trenching and Excavation Operations, includes a formal Agreement among the organizations to “provide their members/associations and the public with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect workers by reducing and preventing exposure to trenching, excavation, shoring, and other ‘Focus Four’ hazards and addressing equipment related issues, as well as understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act).”
Illinois American Water acquires Village of Tolono water systems for $9.4 million
Illinois American Water is planning to invest approximately $17 million in the first five years of ownership to upgrade the Village of Tolono water and wastewater systems.
- Trench collapse kills one construction worker in Houston, Texas
- Intrepid Fiber breaks ground on fiber optic network in Superior, Colo.
- Excavator collides with I-95 overpass in Henrico, Va., causing multi-vehicle crash
- Shrewsbury, Mass., expands sewer inspections and cleaning efforts
- Construction worker killed in trench collapse near Prosperity, S.C.
- Final construction phase kicks off for Indianapolis deep rock tunnel
- Texas contractor penalized by OSHA for repeated trench safety violations
- Trench collapse kills one construction worker in Houston, Texas
- WES tunnel boring machine retrieved from Oregon river after seven-month project
- Illinois overhauls Peoples Gas pipeline program, mandates focus on high-risk pipes