Industry Capsules

ACQUISITIONS

Baker Hughes Acquires Quest Integrity

Baker Hughes announces an agreement to acquire Quest Integrity, a subsidiary of Team Inc. Quests Integrity is a manufacturer and provider in the development and delivery of technology-enabled asset inspection and reliability management solutions across the pipeline, refining, petrochemical and power generation sectors. This complements Baker Hughes’ existing asset integrity offerings and additionally supports customers with the delivery of actionable solutions on a broader range of industrial infrastructure.

Emerson Expands Portfolio With Acquisition of Fluxa

Emerson has acquired Fluxa, a leader in the life sciences industry that uses software and modern technology architectures to accelerate the speed to market for new therapies, drugs and vaccines. The acquisition builds on Emerson’s leading software and solutions portfolio and life sciences expertise. Fluxa accelerates the speed to market for new therapies by helping drug development and manufacturing organizations harness the power of collaboration and data across sites, functions and processes. Fluxa’s PKM software will be integrated with Emerson’s industry leading DeltaV control system and life sciences automation software, creating the potential to accelerate the development of new drug therapies into production.

Clearlake Capital-Backed FloWorks Acquires Flotech

FloWorks International LLC, a specialty flow control distribution platform backed by Clearlake Capital Group L.P., acquires Flotech, Inc., a value-added distributor and servicer of industrial valves.

Founded in 1961, Flotech is a distributor and servicer of industrial valves and automation solutions across the southeast. Located in Florida, South Carolina and Alabama, the company’s family of products includes industrial and isolation valves, gate valves, globe valves, check valves, actuation and controls, and safety and relief valves among others. Flotech also provides a full range of service offerings, including valve maintenance, automation and actuation, heat exchanger maintenance, and testing and certification. The Flotech management team, including CEO Caleb Goelz and President John Allen, are staying with the company.

Eastern Controls Acquires Pittsburgh-based Andrews Industrial Controls

Eastern Controls, Inc. has announced the acquisition of Andrews Industrial Controls, expanding its products, solutions and services throughout Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. This comes shortly after Eastern Controls expanded into Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia with partners Baker Hughes Masoneilan and REXA, Inc.

For 45 years, Andrews Industrial Controls has provided instrumentation, gas and flame detection, valves, actuators and services to a broad range of industries from oil and gas, power generation, chemical and petrochemical, water and wastewater, food and beverage, and pulp and paper.

PVI Holdings, Inc. Acquired by MiddleGround Capital

MiddleGround Capital has acquired PVI Holdings, Inc. MiddleGround is an operationally focused private equity firm that makes control investments in the North American middle market primarily focused on B2B industrial and specialty distribution companies. Included in this transaction are Setpoint Integrated Solutions Inc., W&O Supply and A-T Controls, Inc.

AWARDS AND HONORS

Don Bowers Receives Distinguished Service Award from ASME [photo]

During the ASME Code meetings held at the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors (NBBI) campus Aug. 8-9, 2022, Don Bowers received the ASME Section IX Distinguished Service Award. This award is presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to ASME Standards Committee IX and the overall joining (welding, brazing and plastic fusing) arts community.

Bowers has overseen significant developments to ASME Section IX, including the management of committee activities during COVID. He has been involved in Section IX activities since the mid-1980s and has held various leadership positions on the ASME BPV IX committees for over 25 years.

Bowers currently serves as the vice president of sales and marketing at Conval, Inc. He has been a member of VMA's Valve Magazine Advisory Board for nearly a decade.

Curtiss-Wright Receives Multiple Awards from Suppliers

Curtiss-Wright's FAMOS (Fleet Asset Management and Optimization Solutions) software received the Premier Vendor Award from Entergy Corp. after the successful implementation throughout Entergy’s nuclear power fleet. Entergy Nuclear’s Monitoring & Diagnostics (M&D) Center collects and analyzes data from the fleet’s five nuclear units to enhance performance, efficiency and reliability. It selected Curtiss-Wright’s FAMOS condition monitoring software to eliminate inefficiencies, improve worker utilization and streamline plant operations.

In addition, Curtiss-Wright’s Nuclear Division has received two Supplier of the Year awards from the Utilities Service Alliance in the Materials and Technology award categories. This achievement marks the second consecutive year Curtiss-Wright received awards in both categories.

VMA Members Listed as Top Distributors

VMA members Ferguson plc (#4), MRC Global (#15) and NOW Inc. (#20) are included in the 2022 MDM Top Distributors list. All three also appear in the top five HVACR and Industrial Distribution lists.

MDM’s Top Distributors is an annual listing and ranking of North America’s largest distributors across industrial, construction and commercial products sectors, based on their 2021 revenues. This year’s feature breaks out listings across 17 different product verticals, showing the top distributors in each based on their revenue within those respective categories. The entire listing is accessible via mdm.com.

CONTRACTS AND COLLABORATIONS

MRC Global Selected as PVF Products Provider for Renewable Diesel Project

MRC Global Inc. announced that Chalmette Refining (CR) has selected MRC Global (U.S.) Inc. as the primary pipe, valves and fittings (PVF) products provider for CR’s Renewable Diesel Project in St. Bernard Parish, LA. Chalmette Refining is a subsidiary of PBF Energy Inc. (PBF), one of the largest independent refiners in North America.

The renewable diesel plant will include a pretreatment unit at the manufacturing site that will enable Chalmette Refining to process renewable materials such as soybean and corn oil, as well as other bio-based fats and oils, into feedstocks for the primary unit. When completed, the production unit will have a nameplate capacity of 20,000 barrels per day of renewable fuel, with start-up expected in the first half of 2023.

MRC Global is also the primary agreement provider of PVF products and services to PBF’s six U.S. refineries, which includes all project and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) needs.

Emerson Helping Albioma Become a Fully Renewable Energy Provider

Global technology and software company Emerson has been selected by Albioma, a French independent energy provider, to help transition its coal-fired Bois Rouge plant to 100% renewable energy. As part of Albioma’s wider mission to transition all its existing fossil fuel plants to renewable energy, Emerson’s automation systems and software will enable the coal-fired power station to convert to biomass feedstock.

Work on the transition project was scheduled to begin during a planned outage in June 2022 and is expected to be completed within five months.

Siemens Has New R&D Collaboration With Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Siemens announced it has engaged in early-stage research and development projects with multiple partners including National Laboratories. The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a pioneering institution focusing on manufacturing analysis and simulation, materials development, large-scale metal systems, robotics and automation. The collaboration between Siemens and ORNL on multiple DOE-funded projects has enabled the cooperative investigation of multiple methods of advanced manufacturing and materials solutions.

Curtiss-Wright Awarded Contracts to Support Critical U.S. Naval Defense Platforms

Curtiss-Wright Corporation was awarded contracts valued at more than $220 million to provide propulsion valves, pumps and advanced instrumentation and control systems for the U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class nuclear powered attack submarine, Columbia-class submarine and Ford-class aircraft carrier programs. The awards were received from Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. (BPMI) and General Dynamics Electric Boat to support ship construction, spare parts and submarine back-fit procurements.

Curtiss-Wright is performing this work at its facilities in New York and Pennsylvania within the Company’s Defense Electronics and Naval & Power Segments. Engineering and manufacturing have commenced and will continue through 2026.

French Fleet Awards Trillium France with Contract

Trillium France signed a significant contract with a French power company to supply equipment required for additional qualification tests on the SEBIM equipment installed on the French fleet. This order includes all equipment requested to be qualified, spare parts and dedicated test tools.

The objective of the project is to test the functional performance of the company’s SEBIM valves with respect to the modifications made since their initial qualification in 1989 by the French Nuclear Safety Authority. The qualification process includes testing in borated water, which will take place at Trillium France’s Saint Victoret plant steam loop, among other laboratories.

Flowserve Expands Educational Service Capabilities in Partnership with Lamar University

Flowserve Corporation recently announced the opening of a new Learning Resource Center (LRC) on the Lamar University campus in Beaumont, TX. The new LRC will provide Flowserve customers and Lamar University students with the opportunity to engage with Flowserve’s products and technology through hands-on, lab-based learning experiences.

Flowserve’s team of certified trainers will facilitate product demonstrations and simulations, as well as leverage other training tools, to deepen participants’ understanding of Flowserve’s flow control systems. Based on the level of training, participants may be eligible to receive professional development or educational credits following completion.

DISTRIBUTORS AND CHANNEL PARTNERS

Total Valve Systems Joins ValvTechnologies Channel Partner Network

ValvTechnologies recently announced that Total Valve Systems (TVS) is now part of the company’s valued channel partner network. TVS is celebrating 30 years of strong history and growth in servicing customers around the globe. Since 1983, its corporate headquarters has been in Broken Arrow, OK, with a 70,000 square-foot-plant facility on a 10-acre site. In addition to distribution, TVS is a certified authorized repair center in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wyoming and the Texas Panhandle.

AUMA Selects Vandevanter as New Rep

Vandevanter Engineering is AUMA’s new representative in the Eastern, MO and Southern, IL territory with offices in Fenton, MO and Decatur, IL. Vandevanter has provided high-quality products and services in the water and wastewater treatment industry since 1944. Their commitment to meeting customer’s needs, reliability and efficiency make Vandevanter a great choice in municipal service.

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

Continental Disc Corporation (CDC) has named Trey Rothenberger as vice president of global sales. He has more than 25 years of experience managing global businesses and has served in a variety of roles that have prepared him to successfully lead CDC's Global Sales team. [head shot]

MRC Global has appointed Emily Shields as senior vice president – sustainability and assistant general counsel. Shields began her career with MRC Global in 2013. Prior to taking responsibility for the company’s ESG program, she led the company’s litigation and compliance efforts as well as other corporate matters including labor and employment, and health, safety and environment as the assistant general counsel and compliance officer since 2020. [head shot]

Allied Valve has a new president: Jim Storing. He has worked at Allied Valve for the past 8 years, starting as general manager and then progressing to the role of vice president of operations.

Richards Industries’ has appointed Matt Thomas as vice president of operations. [head shot, more info requested]