NASTT Announces Abbott Innovative Product Award Finalists

Register for the 2022 No-Dig Show here!

The North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT) is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2022 Abbott Innovative Product & Services Award competition.  The Abbott Innovative Product & Services Award celebrates companies with a state-of-the-art product or service developed or re-launched in the last 2 years making a significant impact in advancing the trenchless industry in the areas of rehabilitation or new installation. Finalists will be judged on innovation (concept, method, development); value (need, advantages, cost); and, impact (sustainability, social/environmental responsibility and potential).

VISIT FINALISTS AT THE INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS FORUM AND IN THE EXHIBIT HALL

Competitors must be in attendance at the NASTT No-Dig Show as an exhibitor or sponsor and present a product overview at the Innovative Products Forum on Monday, April 11 from 9:55-11:35am. Attendees can visit exhibiting finalists in the Exhibit Hall. The winners will be announced that evening at the NASTT Annual Educational Fund Auction in the Exhibit Hall. Presentations from all the finalists will be posted online following the No-Dig Show.

NEW INSTALLATIONS

Boyd Tech, Inc. | Silver Student Sponsor

B-Tech Connections

Submitted by Sam Boyd, President

Ditch Witch | Booth 600

AT32 All-Terrain Direction Drill

     Submitted by Sean Hubbard, Marketing Communications Manager

Herrenknecht AG | Booth 700

AVN 800 HR – MTBM

     Submitted by Michael Gross, Product Manager 

LaValley Industries | Booth 406

PITPUMP™ powered by the EMPOWER™ electric generator

     Submitted by Jorge Prince, Chief Financial Officer

 Primus Line | Booth 201

Primus Line® Overland Piping

     Submitted by Ian Lancaster, Senior Vice President

 Subsite Electronics | Booth 600

Marksman™ HDD Guidance System

     Submitted by Sean Hubbard, Marketing Communications Manager

REHABILITATION

Aegion LLC | Booth 200

CIPP Carbon Filter System

     Submitted by Dennis Pivin, VP Environmental Health, Safety & Security

AppliedFelts | Booth 427

Envirocure

     Submitted by Mark Chandler, Technical Manager

Aries Industries | Booth 233

Wolverine 2.0

     Submitted by Jim Kraschinsky, Vice President – Sales

 Electro Scan Inc. | Booth 135

Electro Scan KINGFISHER

     Submitted by Chuck Hansen, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

HammerHead Trenchless | Booth 506

Next Generation Bluelight LED CIPP System

     Submitted by Lauren Carroll, Marketing Coordinator

HK Solutions Group | Booth 339

Monoform PLUS

Submitted by Mike Ingham, Chief Sales Officer

Nukote Coating Systems International LLC | Booth 645

360 Ringtech Robotics

     Submitted by Sanaz Ghalambor, VP of Specifications & Testing

 PipeFusion CIPP | Booth 341

PipeFusion XtremeTM

     Submitted by Richard Nawracaj, Vice President

 Waterline Renewal Technologies – LMK Technologies | Booth 522

Shorty and Stubby

     Submitted by Aaron Kaplan, Director of Product Development

“The Abbott Innovative Product Awards represent a fantastic opportunity to showcase ambitious developments from the trenchless industry and celebrate the companies making a difference in the profession,” praised NASTT Executive Director, Matthew Izzard.  “NASTT applauds these new opportunities and the teams furthering product innovation.” To learn more about NASTT awards, visit. nasstt.org/awards.

 

Sunbelt Rentals Named One of Nation’s Top Military Friendly® Employers

Designation based on the company’s active Veterans Program

FORT MILL, S.C.  – Sunbelt Rentals, North America’s premier equipment rental company, has been named a top 2022 Military Friendly® Employer in the nation. This is the second time in recent years they have received the distinction. Sunbelt Rentals received a Silver Designation, indicating the company meets the requirements and scored within 20% of the 10th ranking employer in this category — an achievement attained by only select companies.

Methodology, criteria and weightings were determined by VIQTORY with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining an organization’s survey score with an assessment of the organization’s ability to meet thresholds for Applicant, New Hire Retention, Employee Turnover and Promotion and Advancement of veterans and military employees.

“Sunbelt Rentals is very proud to receive this recognition,” says Brad Lull, Executive VP of Central Operations, Sunbelt Rentals. “We value the work ethic and dedication of our military employees and are committed to growing our Veterans Program to support them. We operate our program on four foundational pillars: resources, recruitment, recognition and retention.”

Sunbelt Rentals has built a robust program aimed at recruiting and retaining veteran employees. The company focuses on aligning the skills that veterans gain during military service with a suitable position where they can thrive. Sunbelt Rentals values safety, action, teamwork and innovation — ideals shared by veterans. They help enrich the company’s culture and contribute to the “Power of Sunbelt” — the promise to offer a rental experience that’s defined by availability, reliability and ease.

Veteran ambassadors support military employees from onboarding and throughout their career at Sunbelt Rentals, serving as liaisons to the Veterans Program and its offerings. The program includes resources such as a hotline, administrative support, accommodation support and interagency coordination. Along with these resources, Sunbelt Rentals launched a uniform program, allowing military employees to show their service branch with a patch on company apparel.

“We are very intentional in our approach to recruiting and retaining those transitioning to life after service, at Sunbelt Rentals,” says Shane McKenzie, director, Veterans Program. “Every aspect of our program focuses on ways we can coach, mentor and develop veterans so they can have a thriving career in the civilian sector. We are proud of the successes we see our military employees achieve.”

“When I left the U.S. Marine Corps, I was looking for a company that had a work-life balance and would encompass my skill set from the military and my previous career. I immediately felt at home when I interviewed with Sunbelt Rentals,” says Daphne Manning, director, Customer Service Strategy and Planning.

Veterans interested in becoming Sunbelt Rentals team members can text “Sunbelt” to 51893 to see current job postings and receive alerts about opportunities in different markets.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1: Providing veterans with the resources needed to succeed in their careers is a top priority at Sunbelt Rentals and at the heart of the Veterans Program.

Photo 2: By operating on four foundational pillars — resources, recruitment, recognition and retention — Sunbelt Rentals is able to support its military employees in the civilian sector.

About Sunbelt Rentals: We MAKE IT HAPPEN!  With a passionate team of 15,000 rental experts, a growing network of over 1,000 locations and an extensive equipment fleet that exceeds $11 billion, Sunbelt Rentals helps professionals and do-it-yourselfers get things done.  With a highly diversified offering of equipment, solutions, and services available, we assist customers throughout North America extend their capabilities, complete projects on-time and handle times of crisis. No matter if you are in commercial, industrial, residential, or municipal industries, we are constantly advancing the idea of what an equipment company can do for its customers. Visit sunbeltrentals.com to find out what we can do for you.
About Military Friendly® Employers: Military Friendly® is the standard that measures an organization’s commitment, effort and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefits for the military community. Over 1,500 organizations compete annually for Military Friendly® designation. Military Friendly® ratings are owned by VIQTORY, Inc., a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business. VIQTORY is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense or the federal government. Results are produced via a rules-based algorithm. The data-driven Military Friendly® lists and methodology can be found at https://www.militaryfriendly.com/mfcguide/.
About VIQTORY: Founded in 2001, VIQTORY is a service disabled, veteran owned small business (SDVOSB) that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities through its owned assets such as Military Spouse Magazine®, G.I. Jobs ® and Military Friendly ® brands. VIQTORY and its brands are not a part of or endorsed by the U.S. Dept of Defense or any federal government entity. Learn more about VIQTORY at www.Viqtory.com.

Michael Byrne Mfg. Names Dave Kauffman as Manufacturing Engineer

Michael Byrne Mfg. names Dave Kauffman as Manufacturing Engineer. Dave has a B.S. in Business Administration/Management and brings over 25 years of experience in the Trenchless Industry. He received extensive training in fluid power at The Ohio State University’s – ATI. Dave began his career at American Augers; working his way up from saw operator, fabricator, assembler, Lead man, CIP manager, and manufacturing manager. He was then employed at Underground Professionals Inc., specializing in HDD repair, refurbishing, and parts sales. Prior to joining the Michael Byrne Mfg., Dave & a partner started D&L Underground Solutions, which specialized in parts sales, service, HDD repair, modernization & refurbishments.

Dave supplies a wealth of knowledge with hydraulic and can bus systems relating to the Mobile Construction industry. Dave brings a hands-on approach to implementing incremental improvements and problem solving for HDD and Auger boring equipment. Michael Byrne Mfg President Jim Weist adds, “Dave’s addition to the Michael Byrne Team brings another perspective from a respected industry leader with experiences hard to find today”.

For more information on Michael Bryne Manufacturing, visit their website at byrnegroup.com.

Lithos Engineering Proudly Announces Addition of Three New Team Members

The Lithos Team Continues to Grow!

James Halverson joined the Lithos Denver Team in March as a Geological Engineer, having previously served in multiple industries including Seismic Exploration, Geotechnical Engineering, Electrical Construction, and Mining Geology. His diverse experience, attention to detail, project and cost management, analysis and management of complex data systems, teamwork, communication, and subsurface analyses are but a few of the assets that James brings to the Lithos team. In his free time, James enjoys spending time with family; road, mountain, and gravel biking; bike packing; weight training; and volunteer work. You can reach James at jhalverson@lithoseng.com.

 

Keely Stevenson  joined the Lithos Fort Collins team in July as a Geological Engineer, having recently received a B.S. Degree in Geological Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. During her time at Mines, she worked as an undergraduate research assistant on a project modeling flat roofed mine excavations and optimizing rock bolt placement for maximum stability and minimum cost, primarily programming in UDEC.  Another project she worked on focused on recycling minerals in mine tailings. In her free time, Keely enjoys hiking, machining, reading, painting, and can be found trying out new things and learning new skills. You can reach Keely at keely@lithoseng.com.

 

 

 

Adisa Husejnovic joined the Lithos Denver team in August as an Administrative Assistant.  Prior to joining Lithos, Adisa worked at a commercial General Contractor where she managed the bidding process and supported multiple project management teams, in addition to assuring the whole office ran smoothly.  In her free time, Adisa enjoys film photography, biking, thrifting, and hiking with her dog Axel and partner Austin. You can reach Adisa at adisa@lithoseng.com.

In keeping with their core values, the Lithos team has grown substantially over the last few years, and remains committed to developing a diverse team of experts that bring recognizable value to their clients and their projects.

The Lithos team is excited to welcome James, Keely and Adisa!

NASTT Announces 2021 Outstanding Trenchless Paper Awards

November 10, 2021 – The North American Society for Trenchless Technology is pleased to announce the winners of the 2021 NASTT Outstanding Trenchless Paper Awards for Rehabilitation and New Installations. These awards recognize excellence by commending authors of the best NASTT No-Dig Show papers each year. The winning papers were presented at the 2021 NASTT No-Dig Show in Orlando, Florida.

2021 Outstanding Paper: Rehabilitation

Columbia Canal Brick Arch Tunnel Geopolymer Lining in South Carolina
Joe Royer, Ph.D., Vice President R&D, GeoTree Solutions, LLC, Spartanburg, SC 
Bill Sharpe, Business Development Manager, Inland Pipe Rehabilitation, LLC, Columbia, SC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five years prior to the main project, the owner did an early technology evaluation and pilot project. “This gave us the opportunity to show the current larger effort as well as the success of the earlier projects,” explained Joe Royer. “The support of the asset owner on the difficult access issues on the project also helped shape the narrative.”

The paper brings attention to the use of geopolymers and spray-applications as an important part of the trenchless industry. “The work we at GeoTree Solutions and our contracting partner on this project IPR have done to develop the technology showcase viable solutions for large diameter projects.”

Columbia Canal Brick Arch Tunnel Geopolymer Lining in South Carolina is featured in the fall issue of Trenchless North America.

2021 Outstanding Paper: New Installations

HDD Lessons You Can Only Learn in the Field

Kimberlie Staheli, Ph.D., P.E., Staheli Trenchless Consultants, Seattle, WA

Jake Andresen, P.E., Staheli Trenchless Consultants, Seattle, WA

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I have thought about putting this together for years,” says Kimberlie Staheli who was introduced to trenchless technology on her first job after college with a microtunneling contractor. “The industry was so new that it really excited me. The more I learned, the more I realized that I had a shot of making a difference.” Staheli has seen the industry in an ongoing state of rapid transformation for more than 20 years and believes it is an industry where an engineer can continuously learn and grow.

“I see engineers specifying things that are not constructable. Then when we get there to perform Risk Management InspectionTM, we have to work through the issues in the field.  I wanted engineers to be aware of how the designs need to be changed in the field to avoid claims.”

HDD Lessons You Can Only Learn in the Field will be featured in the winter issue of Trenchless North America.

The winning papers (and all the NASTT No-Dig Show papers) are available in the NASTT Knowledge Hub .

Authors of both papers will give encore presentations at the 2022 NASTT No-Dig Show in Minneapolis, Minnesota.