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New Year and New Opportunities

Talk about coming in like a lion! 2025 is already posing great challenges and opportunities.

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Talk about coming in like a lion! 2025 is already posing great challenges and opportunities. From the wildfires raging in California (still not fully contained at the time of this writing) and the billions of dollars in losses, to record-breaking snowfall in the southern U.S. that crippled cities with infrastructures unable to handle the snow and ice due to lack of plows and chemicals to treat the roads, our infrastructure is being challenged. With the new administration at the helm in Washington, funds that were allocated under the previous administration for major infrastructure projects may now be scaled back or even cancelled due to funding being reallocated and projects reprioritized. That said, the new administration also brings potential opportunity as restrictions on drilling and exploration are relaxed, and other regulatory changes are expected that will impact other sectors of our economy and the flow control industry. 

The year ahead features several VMA industry events I’m excited to attend, especially the Hydrogen + Energy Valve Summit, Valve Forum and Valve Repair Council’s Repair Seminar coming back after taking a few years off. I’m looking forward to meeting more industry professionals and continuing to expand my knowledge as I learn from all of you. If you’ll be there, let’s connect!

In addition to attending these events, I’m also looking for more story ideas about your companies and the end markets you serve. Specifically, we’re hoping to talk more about valve and actuator manufacturing this year and will promote this content not just in Valve but potentially in other Gardner Business Media publications.  I’m hoping to visit a few more of your facilities this year, so if you’re interested in being featured or hosting a visit, please contact me directly. If I can’t get there, chances are a colleague of mine can so we’ll tag team as appropriate. 

This month’s cover story was a fun one for me to write as I’m a big fan of nuclear energy from my days working for a valve and fittings manufacturer when I learned the complexities of the technology and the value. Like so many, I think the potential far outweighs the risks with nuclear, and that’s largely due to the extreme care I know manufacturers take and that governments and standards organizations require when designing, manufacturing and approving products for nuclear plants across the globe. The potential of small modular reactors being installed for private enterprises is intriguing and one we’ll continue to cover in the magazine and online. 

Here's to a year of health and prosperity for all!
Cheers!


 

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