SCARBOROUGH, ME, and PORTLAND, OR, April 20, 2005 -- Vortechnics Inc. and Stormwater Management Inc., two leading providers of stormwater treatment systems, are integrating their operations. The announcement was made following last week's acquisition of Stormwater Management by the parent company of Vortechnics, Contech Construction Products Inc., which acquired Vortechnics in March 2004.
Effective immediately, Vortechnics and Stormwater Management have merged and now operate under the direction of one management team, which has more than 60 years of combined experience in the stormwater industry. David R. Miley was named the chief executive officer of the newly combined company, and David Pollock was appointed chief operating officer. Both were leaders of their respective companies -- Miley was with Vortechnics and Pollock was with Stormwater Management -- prior to the acquisition. Additional members of the newly formed management team include: Eric Roach, chief financial officer; Jim Lenhart, chief technology officer; Lanz Fritz, vice president of operations; Fran Tighe, vice president of development; and Tom Gorrivan as national sales manager. Several remaining management positions will be announced in the coming weeks.
"This merger is a solid strategic fit considering the complementary nature of our two product lines and core competencies. Our customers will see an immediate impact -- with more technology choices, expanded technical expertise, and more convenient sales support and service," Miley said. "But the similarities between Vortechnics and Stormwater Management extend far beyond our markets, products and customers. We share a common commitment to cleaning up the nation's waters and an unrelenting passion for developing cutting-edge, engineered solutions that make both environmental and economic sense."
Like Vortechnics, Stormwater Management has been providing solutions to engineers, contractors, developers and site owners for more than a decade. Together, the two companies have combined revenues approaching $60 million and have installed thousands of systems throughout the United States and Canada. The merger also brings together the industry's two leaders in stormwater research and product development, with two state-of-the-art stormwater testing and development labs and a combined staff of almost 160 employees serving customers from coast to coast.
"The stormwater treatment market has been rapidly evolving, and our two companies -- Stormwater Management and Vortechnics -- have been at the forefront of innovation. By joining together we will be able to provide the civil engineering community with the most advanced and comprehensive line of stormwater treatment options available," Pollock said.
The new company will be headquartered in Scarborough, Maine, but sales offices and facilities for both companies will remain as they are. Together, the companies now have an unparalleled portfolio of powerful brands, including the Vortechs System, StormFilter, VortSentry and StormScreen. A company name representing the shared vision, values and technologies of both companies is in development and will be announced in the coming weeks.
"We are absolutely committed to the communities in which we live and work. So whether it's Portland, Maine or Portland, Oregon, we will continue to be a vital contributor and strong corporate citizen in the places our employees call home," Miley said.
With products serving the municipal, industrial, residential and commercial construction markets, both Stormwater Management and Vortechnics have been pioneers in the treatment of stormwater pollution, developing technological innovations that are used to clean stormwater that runs off parking lots, roads and other impervious surfaces. If not removed from this runoff, the contaminants can accumulate in surface waters damaging ecosystems and polluting watersheds.
As the leading provider of engineered stormwater management solutions, Vortechnics (www.vortechnics.com) has set the industry standard with its emphasis on technical customer service, research and development, and ease of installation and maintenance. The company's comprehensive suite of stormwater treatment products capture pollutants from runoff and protect waterways from damaging, contaminated stormwater flows. Founded in 1988 and part of the Contech family of companies, Vortechnics has installed thousands of systems throughout the United States and Canada.
As the pioneer of stormwater filtration technology, Stormwater Management Inc. (www.stormwaterinc.com) provides environmentally sound stormwater treatment products that are backed by the experience gained during a decade of providing clean water. The company offers a patented, cost-effective and proven line of stormwater treatment products to meet national and local regulatory requirements. Celebrating a decade of clean water, it helps customers across the United States achieve their water quality goals by removing pollutants to keep our waterways clean.
Contech (www.contech-cpi.com) is a leading civil engineering site solutions products and services company. Privately-owned and headquartered in Middletown, Ohio, it's the only nationwide provider of corrugated metal and plastic pipe, detention/retention systems, geogrid and geotextile materials, erosion control products, concrete arch systems, retaining wall systems and bridge structures. Its product portfolio is based on more than a century of research and practical field experience serving the highway, drainage, sewage and site-improvement markets.
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