Pipe Makers Applaud Landmark ITC Ruling

Six U.S. pipe manufacturers commended the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) for last week's decision to impose hefty countervailing duties (CVD) on Chinese exports of standard and structural steel pipe. Last week's ITC decision marks the first time that a CVD, or anti-subsidy order, has been imposed on a steel product from China, and the first time that a CVD case on China has resulted in a CVD since the Commerce Dept. (DOC) began to initiate CVD investigations of Chinese imports in Oct. 2006.

The trade action was filed in June 2007 on parallel tracks before the ITC and the DOC by the Ad Hoc Coalition for Fair Pipe Imports From China, along with the United Steelworkers union. The Ad Hoc Coalition includes Allied Tube & Conduit, IPSCO Tubulars, Northwest Pipe Co., Sharon Tube Co., Western Tube & Conduit and Wheatland Tube.

Read more about the landmark ITC decision here.

Warren Alloy Hires Hohos, Discianno From Crane
Warren Alloy Valve and Fitting Co. announced that Bob Hohos (left), formerly of Crane Energy Flow Solutions Group, joined the company as vice president effective May 27th. The 31-year industry veteran will assume management responsibility for the Warren Valve Business Unit. Another Crane industry veteran, Steve Discianno (right), also joined the company on the same day as director of valve product sales. Discianno has 25 years of experience in predominantly the valve industry with Crane, Zy-Tech Global Industries, Zidell, Newco and Walworth. He will assume responsibility for the sales and distribution organization in addition to his responsibility for product line development for valve products distributed by Warren Alloy, which include the Neway and Warren Valve brands. 

NW Pipe To Build New Plant In Houston
Northwest Pipe Co. announced plans to construct a new tubular products pipe manufacturing facility in the Houston area. The company is finalizing site location and permitting issues and expects to begin construction this summer. The company expects the new facility to begin operations by April 2009. The new facility will focus on producing casing pipe for the OCTG market.

EISI Helps Furman Go Green
Greenville, SC-based PVF distributor Eastern Industrial Supplies (EISI) is a key partner in a unique construction project on the Furman University campus that incorporates the best in green building practices. The Cliffs Cottage at Furman , a Southern Living Showcase Home, is a model of environmentally responsible design, sustainable building techniques and materials, and energy-saving systems.  It is expected to be among the first residential facilities in the nation to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Eastern's Plumbing Group partnered in this endeavor to supply the necessary pipe, valves, fittings and other key plumbing components needed for this project.

Consumers Pipe & Supply Relocates
After 43 Years in Los Angeles, PVF distributor Consumers Pipe & Supply has moved all corporate functions and its distribution center to Fontana and relocated the Los Angeles branch to Santa Fe Springs. The new corporate address is 10927 Jasmine St., Fontana, CA 92337-6999. Phone: 909-350-2141.

New Trade Show To Focus On Disaster Reconstruction
Imago Trade Shows and BNP Media (our parent company) have joined forces to launch a new trade show serving the Disaster Reconstruction Industry. The National Disaster Reconstruction Expo (NDRExpo) will be held June 17-18, 2009 in New Orleans. The NDRExpo was developed to unite the numerous vertical markets associated with disaster reconstruction preparation, response, recovery and rebuilding. The Disaster Reconstruction Industry encompasses over 50 industry segments represented by over 75 associations and organizations. The majority of these vertical markets work together to rebuild communities that have suffered catastrophic losses and are served by the same manufacturers, distributors and service providers.

For Want Of A Rivet ...

Remember the old ditty -- For want of a nail a horseshoe was lost, for want of a horseshoe a horse was lost, for want of a horse a battle was lost, for want of a battle a war was lost.

It reverberates in this New York Times article that plausibly traces the sinking of the Titanic to cheap rivets.

NEW -- Tech Tips by Gregg Marshall
To help you make the most of the Digital Age.

100 million hard drives fail every year.  I've had my share, including one last Christmas Eve.

When was the last time you backed up your notebook?  Your home desktop?  Your work PC?

 500 gigabyte external USB drives are selling for $99 to $129 on sale (Amazon has one LaCie Desktop Hard Disk 301285U 500 GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive).  That's enough to back up a notebook and most people's desktop(s).

 My favorite backup software is CMS Products' BounceBack Professional ($79, www.cmsproducts.com).  While Windows has a built in backup program, BB Pro can create a backup drive that can be simply installed to replace a failed drive (obviously you can't put a 3.5" hard drive into a notebook).

What I really like about BB Pro is it's the ultimate "nagware."  You tell it how often you want to back up and it will nag you to plug in that external drive and do your backups.

So really, when was the last time you backed up?

 Gregg Marshall, CPMR, CSP, is president of Rep Connection Inc. He can be reached by e-mail at gmarshall@repconnection.com, or visit his LinkedIn profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/greggmarshall.

Pocket Guide to Flanges, Fittings, and Piping Data

Packed with pictures, definitions, and descriptions of ANSI and API piping materials, such as flanges, fittings, bolts, gaskets, and required wrench sizes, it serves as an excellent guide for "rookies" and a ready reference for "old-timers" alike. This compact reference is packed with pictures, definitions, and descriptions of ANSI and API  piping materials, such as flanges, fittings, bolts, gaskets, and required wrench sizes. It contains basic information and data to answer common questions that arise in materials handling, pipe fitting, and engineering. $60.95 CLICK HERE to order.

Visit AECstore.com   to view all of our Plumbing resources or all Stephanie at 248-244-1275 with any questions.

AEC Store’s FEATURED Product

Valve Selection Handbook

Though there are only four basic types of valves, there is an enormous number of different kinds of valves within each category, each one used for a specific purpose. No other book on the market analyzes the use, construction, and selection of valves in such a comprehensive manner.

Click here to purchase, or visit AECstore.com to view our entire product selection.  Call Stephanie at 248-244-1275 with any questions.

NIBCO Commercial Strainers
NIBCO has introduced its Class 125 Cast Bronze Y-strainer line, used in commercial applications to trap foreign matter in steam, water, oil or gas pipelines. The bronze strainer line includes Class 125 solder 1/2" - 2", and threaded 1/4" - 3", rated 125 SWP/200 CWP. They are available in threaded or solder-end connections, solid cap or tapped cap with plug, stainless steel 20 mesh or perforated stainless steel screen.

New Bulkhead Fittings For Plastic Or Metal Tanks
Hayward Flow Control Systems , a division of Hayward Industrial Products, has announced availability of their new line of BFA Series Industrial Bulkhead Fittings. Designed to allow safe, quick pipe connections to plastic or metal tanks, the bulkhead fittings come standard with heavy duty, full buttress left hand threads to prevent leaks under pressure. BFA Bulkhead Fittings are available in PVC, Corzan® CPVC, and PPL with standard flanges in ½ - 6" sizes and large flanges in ½ - 1" sizes.