news
business & market
26
Tube Products International July 2011
Pipe maker recognised for energy efficiency
JM Eagle, a manufacturer of plastic
pipe, has been honoured by the US
Environmental Protection Agency for
achieving ambitious energy efficiency
goals at four of its facilities.
The news comes as the EPA released
the results of the ‘Energy Star Challenge
for Industry’, an initiative it began last
year to encourage US manufacturers
to improve energy efficiency. JM
Eagle submitted three facilities to the
challenge, but was credited for meeting
reduction goals at four of its facilities.
“At JM Eagle, we are deeply committed
to a cleaner, greener environment,”
commented Neal Gordon, vice
president for marketing. “Today’s
news underscores how devoted we
are to improving energy efficiency and
reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
We are delighted that four of our facilities
are among the very few manufacturing
sites in the nation that were able to
meet the extremely rigorous Energy Star
Challenge.”
According to the EPA, the Energy Star
Challenge is “a national call-to-action
to improve the energy efficiency of
America’s commercial and industrial
buildings by 10 per cent or more.”
The EPA’s goal is for manufacturers
to make these energy efficiency
improvements over the next five years.
“The principles we have learned through
the Energy Star Challenge over the last
year are extraordinary,” said Mr Gordon.
“We are working to incorporate those
practices in all of our facilities across
the nation.”
Around 240 manufacturing sites have
signed up for the challenge so far, but
just 34 facilities – including JM Eagle’s
four – met the emission reduction
goals, according to the EPA. JM Eagle’s
facilities achieving the recognition are
based in Hastings, Nebraska; Wharton,
Texas; Butner, North Carolina; and
Stockton, California.
With 22manufacturing plants throughout
North America, JM Eagle manufactures
a wide array of high-grade, high-
performance polyvinyl chloride and
high-density polyethylene pipe across
a variety of industries and applications,
including utility, solvent weld, electrical
conduit, natural gas, irrigation, potable
water and sewage.
JM Eagle
– USA
Barrett Steel expands into Houston, Texas
Barrett Steel is expanding its global
reach by establishing a presence in
Houston, Texas, to serve the oil and gas
industry in the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil.
From its purpose-built 33,000ft
2
facility, Barrett Steel Energy Products
will specialise in raw materials for the
downhole tool and equipment used in
the oil and gas industry, including solid
bar, hollows and tubing that meet the
requirements of all oil patch grades.
The move is a demonstration of the
Barrett Steel Group’s commitment to
new markets and to cementing stronger
relationships with overseas customers.
The new management team, headed
by Tim Ryan, president, and Scott
Schwandt, vice-president, brings
together oilfield specialists with a wide
range of complementary skills. Mr Ryan
commented, “The new team in Houston
is proud to be the first representation
of Barrett Steel in North America. Our
position here allows us to serve the
oil and gas equipment manufacturing
community with the backing of an
historically strong and proven company
in a strategically important location.”
Dave Godfrey, managing director of
Barrett Engineering Steels Division, is
enthusiastic about the prospects the
new Houston facility offers the group:
“The downturn in the UK construction
market demonstrated to us all too
clearly that we needed to refocus our
strategy and move into new markets.
We had already identified the oil and
gas sectors as a new international
marketplace for us, and this has been
the impetus behind our expansion into
Houston. We are confident that with
our strong team of people, along with
our new facility, this initiative will be a
great success.”
Barrett Steel
– UK
Automated warehouse system for tubes
Marmon/Keystone’s
Cleveland
warehouse is the first location to switch
over to a new automated, paperless
warehouse processing system. The
transition will reduce order processing
cycle time, resulting in more timely
service for customers.
A wholesale distributor of tubular
products for over 100 years, Marmon/
Keystone inventories more than 15,000
sizes and grades of carbon, alloy,
stainless and aluminium tubular and
bar products. Service centres and sales
offices are located throughout North
America, with corporate headquarters
in Butler, Pennsylvania.
According to Jay Powell, director of
e-commerce, “The automation will
increase both our quality and level of
output, enabling us to go one step
further in meeting our customers’
needs.”
The move to a paperless system has
gone seamlessly in Cleveland and
will be expanded to other branches
throughout the year.
Marmon/Keystone LLC
– USA
