Underground Construction - September 2019 - 6

NEWSLINE LATEST INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS
P.O. Box 2608, Houston, TX 77252-2608, USA
Phone: (713) 529-4301, Fax: (713) 520-4433
UConOnline.com, ucinfo@ucononline.com
GROUP PUBLISHER Brian Nessen, brian.nessen@gulfenergyinfo.com
EDITORIAL
Editor-in-Chief Robert Carpenter, robert.carpenter@ucononline.com
Executive Editor Jeff Awalt, jeff.awalt@gulfenergyinfo.com
Digital Editior Jason Cockerham, jason.cockerham@gulfenergyinfo.com
Senior Editor Jeff Griffin, up-front@cox.net
Contributing Editor Cathy Schmermund, cathy.schmermund@gulfenergyinfo.com
Pipeline Editor Michael Reed, michael.reed@pgjonline.com
Washington DC Editor Stephen Barlas
MAGAZINE PRODUCTION
Vice President, Production Sheryl Stone
Manager, Advertising Production Cheryl Willis
Manager, Editorial Production Angela Dietrich
Artist/Illustrator David Weeks
UCT-EVENTS
Convention Director Karen Francis, karen.francis@gulfenergyinfo.com
ADVERTISING SALES
For complete list of sales representatives, please see page 50.
CIRCULATION
Customer Service (713) 520-4498, circulation@gulfenergyinfo.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Underground Construction (USPS 063-970) (ISSN 32-0188) is published
monthly by Gulf Energy Information, PO Box 2608, Houston, TX 77252-2608.
© Copyright 2019 by Gulf Energy Information LLC. All rights reserved. No part of
this publication may be transmitted or reproduced in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information
storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Publisher.
Subscription rates are: One year is $179; two year $300; three years $390. Airmail
$175 per year in addition to specified subscription rates. Current year single issue
copies (pre-paid only): $25 plus postage. Back issues one year old or more:
$25 plus postage. Cumulative editions of this publication are available in
microfilm from University Microfilms Inc., N. Zeeb Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48106.
Ph: (313) 761-4700. Periodical class postage paid in Houston, TX and additional
mailing offices. Postmaster and address changes to: Underground Construction,
P.O. Box 2608, Houston, TX 77252-2608
REPRINTS AND E-PRINT PRODUCTS
Foster Printing Service Jill Kaletha, (574) 289-9253 x149

President/CEO John T. Royall
CFO Alan Millis
Vice President Andy McDowell
Vice President, Finance and Operations Pamela Harvey
Vice President, Production Sheryl Stone
Vice President, Data Sales Harry Brookby
Publication Agreements Number 40034765
Printed in U.S.A.
Other Gulf Energy Information titles include: Pipeline & Gas Journal,
Pipeline News, Hydrocarbon Processing, Gas Processing, World Oil
and Petroleum Economist.

6

SEPTEMBER 2019 | UConOnline.com

The Toro Company to
Reorganize Underground
Construction Business
The Toro Company announced it is realigning
the organizational structure for its underground construction businesses after the
recent acquisition of Charles Machine Works.
Minnesota-based Toro said it intends to
combine certain aspects of the Ditch Witch,
American Augers and Trencor businesses,
all of which were part of the Charles Machine
Works acquisition announced earlier this year.
The company hopes to streamline its product
and services portfolio to build on the market
strength brought in by Charles Machine Works.
"We continue to be very excited about the
expertise, knowledge and understanding of
the underground business that the Charles
Machine Works companies bring to our
organization," said Rick Rodier, group vice
president, Construction Businesses.
In a related move, the company has
decided to wind down its Toro-branded large
horizontal directional drill and riding trencher
categories. With the addition of the Charles
Machine Works companies to The Toro
Company family of brands, there are many
opportunities to leverage their strength in the
underground market.
These actions align with the company's
broader integration plan and will allow the
company to rationalize its product offering in
the underground construction market. The
Toro brand will continue to serve the rental
and specialty construction markets with
Dingo® compact utility loaders, concrete and
masonry mixers, compaction equipment,
and tree and specialty turf products.

TC Energy Funding 'Pipeline
Academy' at Louisiana
Technical College
A Louisiana technical college has received
a $1 million donation from TC Energy to
enable students to gain hands-on pipeline
experience at its new "pipeline academy."
The money for the program and state-ofthe-art Process Technology Center at Sowela
Technical Community College includes
classroom equipment, instructor funding,
and a real pipeline training loop. The pipeline
will not carry any material, but students will
be able to hone their skills on a real pipeline.

"They actually will build an actual pipeline
training loop. It carries no material, but it will
be built on campus so individuals can come
and train on actual pipeline. There's classroom equipment, they provide funding for
the instructor, and some of the planning that
million dollars will be used for," said SOWELA
Chancellor Neil Aspinwall.
The program is scheduled to launch in
fall 2020 and a waiting list is expected upon
opening. Sowela did not specify how many
students would be admitted into the program.

U.S. Water, Wastewater
Costs on Rise
U.S. municipal water and wastewater utility
bills grew at an inflation-adjusted 3.6%
during the past year to an household
average $104 per month, according to a
new index that has raised concerns about
both affordability and regional volatility.
The new "U.S. Municipal Water &
Wastewater Utility Bill Index" from Bluefield
Research revealed wide discrepancies
in municipal rate structures and service
fees across the country. Of the top 50 U.S.
metropolitan areas analyzed by Bluefield, 35
demonstrated increased rates from 2018 to
2019, while another 15 decreased or kept
their rates constant during the same period.
"While water rates are rising overall,
the year-to-year rate volatility and varied
approaches by utilities is striking," says
Erin Bonney Casey, Research Director at
Bluefield. "Given the escalating annual
capital and operating expenditures currently
exceeding US$110 billion nationwide, and
the fact that rates represent a critical source
of water infrastructure funding, one would
expect to see more consistency, nationally
and locally, over time."
The volatility is evidenced nationally over
the last eight years with annual average
rate swinging from a 6.0% high in 2014 to
a 1.5% low in 2018. This past year, the biggest
changes occurred in El Paso, Texas and
Riverside California, where average
customer bills increased 33.3% and
declined -22.0%, respectively.
There is also a wide discrepancy in the
resulting customer bills based on estimated
household water usage, which varies across
regions. In 2018, combined water & wastewa-

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K
http://www.UConOnline.com
Underground Construction - September 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Underground Construction - September 2019
