WaterBriefs: ABB's Automation World sees 45 percent bump in attendance
In other news below:
-- Aqua-Aerobic celebrates its expansion, renovation with open house
-- PCSF Control System Security Event Monitoring Interest Group transitions to Working Group
-- Salt Creek Urban Runoff Treatment Facility wins APWA award
-- Parkson wins ISO 9001:2000 certification
-- Three new cities join CarteGraph
-- CONTECH Bridge Solutions becomes new division of CONTECH
-- Teledyne MGD merges with Teledyne Isco
-- World Bank's Development Marketplace awards $5M to water, sanitation and energy projects
-- Johnson Controls helps Middletown, OH, upgrade water meter systems, increase efficiency
ABB's Automation World sees 45 percent bump in attendance
• Event far exceeds attendance projections; date and venue for ABB Automation World 2007 announced.
NORWALK, CT, May 17, 2006 -- The ABB Automation World 2006 Users Conference and Exhibition, held May 9-11 in Houston, exceeded prior event attendance by more than 45%, totaling over 2,500 attendees. The three-day event was substantially bigger than ABB Automation World 2005 and featured 400 workshops and a 40,000 square foot exhibition hall with hands-on demonstrations and displays of ABB automation products and systems. The number of workshops - many hosted by customers -- tripled for the 2006 event; they demonstrated how ABB products, systems and solutions achieve measurable process and bottom-line improvements.
ABB also announced the 2007 event date and venue last week; ABB Automation World 2007 will be held at the Caribe Royale resort in Orlando, Florida, March 20-22.
After the success of this year's event, which attracted over 2,500 attendees, the 2007 event will bring a broad cross-section of ABB customers, channel partners and employees together under the same roof.
"ABB Automation World has grown into the premier customer event of its kind in our industry," said Dinesh Paliwal, president of ABB Global Markets & Technology and head of group operations in North America. "We are honored to provide this meaningful forum for learning and information exchange for our customers. In addition to our ongoing collaboration, we look forward to having the opportunity to all meet again at ABB Automation World 2007 in Orlando."
ABB's largest customer event is designed for automation users in engineering, mill, plant and general management, in a number of industries such as Chemical, Oil & Gas, Consumer & Pharmaceutical, Metals, Mining and Minerals, Pulp & Paper, Utilities and others. Attendees participate in informative technical sessions presented by their peers and ABB technical experts, share problem-solving approaches, and visit the event's hands-on exhibit, which will showcase the full scope of ABB's automation offerings. Further information will be available at www.abb.com/automationworld
ABB Inc., Automation Products, Low Voltage Drives (www.abb.us/drives), is the world's largest manufacturer of electric motors and drives. In the USA, an integrated channel of sales representatives, distributors, and system integrators allow ABB, New Berlin, Wisconsin, to supply a complete line of energy-efficient electric drives, motors and engineered drive systems to a wide range of industrial and commercial customers. Products manufactured include AC and DC variable speed drives for electric motors from 1/8th through 135,000 HP, and application-specific drive system solutions to meet diverse customer needs.
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 105,000 people.
Among other recent headlines:
• Aqua-Aerobic celebrates expansion with open house -- ROCKFORD, IL, May 17, 2006 -- Aqua-Aerobic Systems Inc. celebrated its $4 million dollar expansion and renovation with an Open House on April 27. Over 500 people attended including employees and their families, vendors, and local dignitaries. Doug Scott, former Rockford Mayor and current Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director, was a guest along with Loves Park Mayor Darryl Lindberg. The expansion was needed to accommodate growth due to demand for the company's innovative application of water and wastewater treatment technologies. The company invests 25% back into research and development every year to remain a leader in the industry. The expansion added 25,000 square feet for engineering, seminar facilities, meeting areas, employee lunchroom, and executive offices...
• PCSF Control System Security Event Monitoring Interest Group transitions to Working Group -- FALLS CHURCH, VA, May 17, 2006 -- The Process Control Systems Forum (PCSF) Interim Governing Board (IGB) has voted to transition the Control System Security Event Monitoring (SEM) Interest Group to Working Group status. The new designation signifies that the SEM Working Group has defined specific output from forthcoming projects that will be valuable to the control systems community as a whole and will support the PCSF's underlying mission to accelerate the design, development, and deployment of more secure control and legacy systems. The SEM Working Group will hold a workshop at the upcoming PCSF 2006 Spring Meeting on June 6-7 in La Jolla, California. For more information on the Control System Security Event Monitoring Working Group, including how to participate, please visit https://www.pcsforum.org/groups/wglist.php...
• Salt Creek Urban Runoff Treatment Facility wins APWA award -- ENCINITAS, CA, May 17, 2006 -- Visitors to local beaches in the Dana Point area may not know what they're missing, but the American Public Works Association (APWA) does. That may be the reason why APWA has recognized the City of Dana Point's Salt Creek Urban Runoff Treatment Facility as one of its Public Works Projects of the Year for 2006. The award will be presented to the city and PBS&J, the city's primary consultant for the project, during APWA's 2006 International Public Works Congress and Exposition in Kansas City, MO. The ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 11...
• Parkson wins ISO 9001:2000 certification -- FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, May 17, 2006 -- Parkson Corp., a privately-held company in the environmental sector, today announced that it has received ISO 9001:2000 certification. The ISO 9001:2000 standard, released in December 2000 as the successor to ISO 9000:1994, is an internationally recognized quality management system developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). This certification demonstrates Parkson's commitment to effective management of internal processes to meet international quality requirements and better serve the needs of its customers. Parkson president Bill Acton noted the company made two major acquisitions and entered into three significant license agreements since 2000...
• Three new cities join CarteGraph -- DUBUQUE, IA, May 17, 2006 -- The cities of Lyndhurst, OH, New Ulm, MN, and Stillwater, MN, join the CarteGraph Systems family. They join the hundreds of other entities utilizing CarteGraph Software to achieve better efficiencies in their organizations...
• CONTECH Bridge Solutions becomes new division of CONTECH -- WEST CHESTER, OH, May 17, 2006 -- CONTECH Bridge Solutions Inc. is a new major division created as part of CONTECH Construction Products Inc.'s business realignment strategy. The new company offers a full range of plate, precast and truss bridge options and an extensive, technically-trained marketing and engineering support team. CONTECH Construction Products has recently announced four new operating divisions, including CONTECH Stormwater Solutions, and one national sales force to better serve its customers...
• Teledyne Isco announces the merger of Teledyne MGD -- Isco builds further on philosophy to obtain environmental data of the highest possible quality for every application and budget -- LINCOLN, NE, May 17, 2006 -- Teledyne Isco Inc., a developer and manufacturer of environmental monitoring equipment and laboratory products, announced May 11 that its subsidiary, Teledyne MGD Inc., has been merged into Teledyne Isco, Inc. The merger was effective May 5. Teledyne Isco develops and manufactures automatic water samplers, and flow meters using continuous wave Doppler velocity measurement technology for water environment industries such as wastewater utilities, stormwater agencies, and industrial waste dischargers. The products developed and commercialized by MGD comprise a complimentary line of flow meters employing pulse Doppler velocity measurement technology for those same "dirty" water flow monitoring applications. This equipment provides critical data for the management of the world's infrastructure that collects, conveys, treats and discharges non-drinking water resources...
• World Bank's Development Marketplace awards US$5 Million to innovative water, sanitation and energy projects -- 30 small-scale, innovative projects from 22 countries to benefit -- WASHINGTON, DC, May 17, 2006 -- World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz announced May 9 the winners of the 2006 Development Marketplace (DM) Global Competition. These 30 winners come from 22 countries, and will share US$5 million for initiatives to provide clean water, hygienic sanitation, and access to energy. Whether using native freshwater mussels to clean up China's lakes or to establish a decentralized supply of renewable energy throughout Rwanda, funding from the Marketplace will help to turn the winners' ideas into concrete benefits for their communities by meeting their basic needs. Africa was the biggest winner with 14 of the 30 winning projects coming from the region. The largest number of winners from a single country was India, with five winners, followed by Benin, Cambodia, Kenya, and Senegal with two each. Titled "Innovations in Water, Sanitation, and Energy Services for Poor People," this year's 118 finalists were selected from more than 2,500 applications, for their new approaches to the delivery of water supply, sanitation, and energy...
Also see: "New World Bank Study: Vietnam's infrastructure strategy must adapt to emerging challenges"
• Johnson Controls helps Middletown, OH, upgrade water meter systems, increase efficiency -- MILWAUKEE, WI, May 17, 2006 -- The city of Middletown, OH, recently awarded Johnson Controls Inc. an $8 million performance contract that pays for the program through increased billable water usage and increased operational savings over the next 10 years, the company announced April 5. The contract will allow the city to bill water users more accurately for actual water usage by installing more precise water meters. The city and Johnson Controls agree that the upgrades to the system will increase billable usage from water usage that was previously unbilled. To help the city recover these lost revenues in the future, Johnson Controls is replacing over 20,000 water meters with more precise equipment. A new Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) system will provide operational savings for the city by decreasing the number of reading errors and re-reading meters for accuracy...
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In earlier newsbriefs, see: "WaterBriefs: Aqua America spends $51 million for N.Y. water utility" -- Also in this report (May 16, 2006): Global Water Technologies unit completes coal bed natural gas produced water testing; Tetra Tech teams win honors for USACE environmental, DoD mentor-protege programs; WorldWater & Power awarded $4.9M contract to build Hightstown, NJ , solar systems; Membrana launches website for Liqui-Flux filtration modules; Exxon Valdez oil found in tidal feeding grounds of ducks, sea otters; Graham Corp. awarded $2.7 million Saudi Arabian order; Grundfos to unite sales forces of three German units under industrial division; Amiantit wins nearly $20M in South American contracts; Analyst: China, India drive water industry growth, overall infrastructure spending; Equipment & Systems Engineering sells 18 Aquachlor units for Haitian health centers; Black & Veatch leader appointed to board of Water For People; Honeywell, Crossbow collaborate to introduce new, innovative wireless sensing products; Systems & Software's enQuesta earns UtiliPoint's top ranking in municipal utility market; Pennsylvania's infrastructure nearly flunks first ASCE assessment; U.S. Supreme Court upholds states' rights in Clean Water Act case; Chemtura completes sale of industrial water additives business; Connecticut Water, South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority sign supply deal; Greater Cincinnati Water Works licenses complete Indus SDM Suite; Sanyo's electrolyzed water technology proven effective in suppressing bird flu viruses...
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