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Join and post!
STI/SPFA Group
on LinkedIn:
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| FABRICATOR
Houston TX Pro Tank Products Inc. Plentywood MT
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Hanson Building Products, parent company, has changed its company name to Forterra, following a recent divestment by former owners.
has added Curt Gillingham as Director of Sales. He has more than 25 years experience in the metals industry.
Got big news?
Add us to your press release email list:
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Nov. 10, Atlanta Metro area
2016 100th Anniversary Annual Meeting
Jan. 31-Feb. 3
Ritz-Carlton, Kapalui, Maui
Registration opens soon!
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ADVOCACY
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|  These are some of the trips STI-SPFA staff made recently to represent the fabricated steel industry at various federal
agencies, regulatory groups, conferences and trade shows. JULY
NISTM UST Conference, Denver
AUGUST
ASCE Pipelines, Baltimore
SEPTEMBER
National Tanks Conference, Phoenix
NISTM AST Conference, Galveston
Coordinating Research Council-ULSD, Denver
OCTOBER
PEI, Las Vegas
API Tank Conference, Las Vegas
National Biodiesel Board Technical Workshop,
Kansas City |
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STI/SPFA Consultants
FREE for Members
"Jim Rhudy was extraordinarily helpful with OSHA"
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Safety & Health
Jim Rhudy
281-419-5839
Fabrication
Bill Herdman
317-885-1270
Fire Codes
Jeff Shapiro
512--795-2900
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Meet your STI-SPFA staff
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Cindy Born
Education & Meetings Manager
If you've been to the Fall Conference, the Annual Meeting, the QC Meeting--in fact, any STI-SPFA meeting since April 2013--you've met Cindy. She is responsible for everything from site visits to hotels, finding the speakers and programs, promoting the meeting--right down to selecting dessert for the banquet!
In her off time, Cindy devotes herself to her extended family and to Sam, her mini-pinscher.
Rita Easterling
Administrative Assistant for Membership
Rita is a veteran staffer, having started here in 1987. Chief among Rita's responsibilities is managing STI-SPFA's databases, making sure that they're accurate and current. Part of that is uploading your information to the Find A Member application on our website. Rita also follows up on all the paperwork needed when a new member joins STI-SPFA. And when you hear the Annual Product Awards announced, thank Rita for the hours of work she puts in, usually right around the holidays, too!
Rita and her husband Rick have two children: Tyler is14 and a baseball fanatic; and Anna is 10, and is also a Princess.
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Recent and archived issues of
The Insider are available on the Members Only pages of our
website
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To comment or submit copy, contact The Insider Editor.
Disclaimer: Technical and other information published in The Insider is provided without representations or warranties, express or implied. In particular, STI/SPFA does not warrant the accuracy of information presented from external sources.
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 UST fabricators: Do you have a compatibility letter? |
 New EPA rules require owners to "demonstrate" compatibility
Do your customer and yourself a favor: If you haven't yet published a Letter of Compatibility, get it done and on file right now.
The EPA's new UST rules state that "owner/operators must demonstrate the UST system's compatibility with...alternative fuels with written certification from a nationally-recognized, independent testing laboratory, the equipment manufacturer or another source indicated by the compliance agency."
Your customers are likely to come to you first as they endeavor to comply with this requirement. It also protects your market: As more and more light is shed on FRP's problems storing alternative fuels, your customer can be assured that steel is the material of choice.
Many STI-SPFA tank fabricators have already posted their letters on our website. Scan and email your Letter of Compatibility to our office and we'll make sure it's posted, too.
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| Meet you in Maui! |
Combine learning with relaxation on the beautiful island of Maui for your 2016 winter get-away! Meet old friends and new, enjoy sand, sea, recreation and activities for four days (or more!). There's plenty of free time open to enjoy the island. Registration opens by the end of October--watch your email for announcement.
| Morning |
Afternoon |
Evening |
| Sunday, January 31 |
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| Committee meetings |
Free time |
Welcome LUAU! |
| Monday, February 1 |
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| Speaker presentations and Annual Business Meeting |
Free time |
Networking Reception |
| Tuesday, February 2 |
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| Speaker presentations |
Golf Outing
Water Volleyball |
Free time |
| Wednesday, February 3 |
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| Speaker presentations |
Free time |
Awards Dinner and sports awards |
Ritz-Carlton reservations
Make your hotel reservations now! 
- Special room rate Jan. 29-Feb. 6--$299 per night, any room
- Plus taxes and $8/person mandatory porterage charge (includes move-in/out of two bags per person and gratuity)
- No rooms available Thursday, January 28, hotel sold out
- Click here to make Ritz Carlton reservations or call 1-800-241-3333 and reference "STI meeting"
- Cancel up to January 14 with no penalty
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| Early deadline for 2015 Product Awards |
 Don't wait to enter!
Show off your best products from the first ten months of 2015! Take pride in your
production skills. All members are encouraged to enter the annual
STI-SPFA Product Awards.
Due to the early dates of the 2016 Annual Meeting and the Awards Banquet February 3, this year's awards requirements are modified:
- Entries for all categories MUST have been brought to market and available for purchase or implementation January 1-October 31, 2015 ONLY.
- Entry deadline is Friday, December 11, 5 pm Central. Sorry, no late entries accepted.
- Voting takes place by electronic ballot January 5-12, 2016.
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| 2016 Board of Directors: Are you interested? |
 Serve your association
and your industry
STI/SPFA's Nominations Committee is seeking people interested in serving on the Board of Directors. The Board is responsible for the governance of the association, determining its direction and programs.
What's in it for you when you volunteer your time to serve your association and fellow members?
- Professional growth: Get a broader view of the issues affecting your industry and your business.
- Relationships: Build your business network, as well as your personal friendships.
- Personal growth: Practice both consensus-building and leadership skills, shared with like-minded colleagues.
- Give back: It's satisfying to share your knowledge and experience, knowing that you're contributing to the growth of your association and your industry.
There are two Fabricator Member seats available on the 2016 Board of Directors, one representing the STI Shop Fabricated Tank Section and one representing the Steel Water Pipe Section.
The Board meets four times per year, in spring and early winter, and at the Annual Meeting and Fall Conference.
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| Active Shooter presentation available |
2016 Fall Conference
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One of the highest-rated programs at the 2015 Fall Conference in Mobile, Alabama, was "How to Deal with an Active Shooter" presented by Wilson Frazier, Caldwell Tanks.
Monitor the energy economy with these links
Another well-received program at the Fall Conference was "Energy Sector Developments" with Gurcan Gulan of the Center for Energy Economics at the University of Texas-Austin.
Dr. Gurcan suggests that these links are good sources for monitoring the energy economy:
Terrific tour of Outokumpu facility
The 40-plus members who participated in the tour of Outokumpu's state-of-the-art facility in Calvert, Alabama, were very impressed. "Best part of the conference" is what we heard.
Thanks to our Affiliate Member meeting sponsors
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| Aging infrastructure "faces a reckoning" |
 6 billion gallons leaking every year
According to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, "The American Society of Civil Engineers' 2013 Report Card for America's Infrastructure, which gave the nation's water infrastructure a "D+" grade, reveals that "there are an estimated 240,000 water main breaks per year in the U.S...The Center for Neighborhood Technology in Chicago estimates that approximately 6 billion gallons of water could be wasted in the U.S. every day."
This June 2015 article from the Wharton School discusses the impacts of government and private sector forces on renewing and maintaining the water infrastructure.
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| Attention Steel Water Pipe Section members |
Take action to support infrastructure
We all know how badly our infrastructure needs repair and replacement
 throughout the nation. And we've all heard about Congress' reluctance to fund infrastructure programs.
STI-SPFA's Steel Water Pipe Section is taking the lead by contacting Congress to urge that infrastructure funding be supported.
But in order to impress Congress, we want to tell them how many workers and how many manufacturing plants we provide to the national economy.
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| NEW webinar for your pipe customers |
Installing Flanges
and Tapping Sleeves
Does your customer database include any of these folks?
- Installers and fabricators of flange connections
- Utility owners and engineers
- Design engineers and consultants
- Project management personnel
If so, make some points by telling them about our new webinar
Steel Water Pipe: Installing Flanges. On Friday, November 6, this 90-minute online education event brings together two highly experienced industry experts--David Lay of Hytorc and Nels Thomsen of Hanson Pressure Pipe--on these practical topics.
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| Changes to ULC Standards |
 ULC S655 and ULC S677
Two ULC Standards were recently revised: ULC S655, Standard for Protected Tank Assemblies for Flammable and Combustible Liquids; and ULC S677, Standard for Fire Tested Aboveground Tank Assemblies for Flammable and Combustible Liquids.
S655 Second Edition was issued in September 2015. S677 was issued in October 2014 as a First Edition and supersedes ULC/ORD-C142.5, Concrete Encased Steel Aboveground Tank Assemblies for Flammable and Combustible Liquids.
Lorri Grainawi and Dana Schmidt of STI-SPFA technical staff were members of the committees that revised these two standards. There are many changes, especially to S677 which was almost entirely re-written from the previous C142.5, and includes a one-hour pool fire test without a maximum allowed temperature.
Of particular interest to STI-SPFA licensed manufacturers, a new paragraph with details of a Pressure Surge Test can be found in both standards. This new test is required for tanks that have "Secondary containment structures that provide emergency venting by form of construction." The test includes a requirement that the secondary containment will vent at a pressure of not more than 14 kPa (2 psi) that is applied to the interstitial space.
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Rainwater Harvesting Standard
open for public comment |
 November 24th deadline
The ICC/CSA Rainwater Collection System Design & Installation Consensus Committee has released the first draft of its standard for public review. Public comments will be accepted through November 24th at this website.
Dana Schmidt, Standards Engineer at STI-SPFA, assisted in writing the paragraph referencing rainwater storage tanks:
7.2.3.1 General Design
Storage systems shall be constructed in accordance with Section 7.2.3.1 through 7.2.3.13.
Tanks shall conform to the applicable requirements of one of the standards listed in Table 7.3, or the applicable requirements in Annex C Prescriptive Tank Requirements. Tanks used for fire suppression shall comply with the applicable fire code. Tanks shall comply with applicable code requirements, including but not limited to fire, wind, seismic and lightning protection.
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| New STI-SPFA exhibit |
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Lorri Grainawi and guest in our new exhibit at the National Tanks Conference in October.
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Getting our message out
Our 100th Anniversary seems a good time to polish STI-SPFA's image and message. This new exhibit booth is colorful, professional and versatile. It debuted at the National Tank Conference in October, and just came back from the PEI show in Las Vegas.
The message?
Steel is strong, durable and adaptable. The exhibit features photos of award-winning products fabricated by our members in all sections.
The exhibit is also built to accept a high-definition monitor--that's it on the left in the photo. We've been running a 15-minute video loop that emphasizes STI tank technologies, the compatibility of steel with all fuels, and our
100th Anniversary and
membership videos featuring members speaking about the value of STI-SPFA.
As we travel to various shows, we can change out the video and the right-hand panel to suit our audience.
The new STI-SPFA exhibit is an investment in our message on behalf of the industry.
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| News from ASCE Pipelines |
Pipeline Division joins new UESI 
The ASCE Pipeline Division is now part of the official Utility
Engineering and Surveying Institute (UESI). The Institute was
formally recognized on October 1.
Timothy Kennedy, Chair of the ASCE Executive Committee, says that "This formation (of UESI) provides a great
opportunity for the Pipeline Division to reach out to other
disciplines with shared challenges and resources."
2015 Pipelines stats
ASCE reports that there were 846
attendees, 177 papers, 83 exhibitors, and seven workshops at this year's conference. The 2016 Pipelines Conference will be July 17-20 in Kansas City.
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| STICO Mutual leadership change |
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Colin Donovan, STICO president and CEO
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As of September 1, Colin Donovan succeeded Brian Donovan as president and chief executive officer of STICO Mutual Insurance Co. Colin has been involved with STICO Mutual since 1998 in a variety of capacities, most recently as its Vice President of Operations.
Brian Donovan, who helped establish the company in 1988 and who has served as its only president, will be formally retiring at the end of 2015.
"STICO has a twenty-seven year track record of providing first-class coverage with stable rates and expert claims handling to the storage tank, pressure vessel and petroleum equipment industries," said Colin Donovan. "I look forward to the challenge of building upon that success while being mindful of our heritage."
Headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and domiciled in Vermont, STICO Mutual is a member-owned Risk Retention Group that provides liability insurance to manufacturers of storage tanks, pressure vessels and related components, as well as to petroleum equipment contractors. It is AM Best rated A- (Excellent).
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| FMA grants $500,000 to community college |
| Manufacturing lab can train 600 students per year
FMA is based in Rockford, Ilinois, and Harper College is in a Chicago suburb.
The new 6,000 square foot
FMA Metal Fabrication Lab, funded in part by a $500,000 grant from the FMA, will double the size of Harper's current manufacturing lab. The new facility will support Harper's Advanced Manufacturing Program, which trains students for high tech manufacturing careers in mechatronics/automation, precision machining, metal fabrication, and supply chain management/logistics.
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| Share your company's story |
STI-SPFA 100th Anniversary
The Steel Tank Institute was established in 1916 in Kewanee, Illinois. For a hundred years, our members have set the standard for high quality steel fabricated products, fostering confidence among regulators, tank owners and operators, and consumers.
We want YOUR story!
Share a story or photo on our 100th Anniversary webpage. We want to honor the history of member companies by posting their stories and photos. This page will be the first viewed by anyone coming to the STI-SPFA website, so it's a great opportunity to share your own history.
To participate, send us your material by email:
- Brief story of your company in a Word document (500 words or less). When was it founded? By whom? How many generations have worked there? What's your company's greatest accomplishment?
- Scanned photos of your company's early days, such as the founders, early manufacturing, newspaper stories, etc.
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We've created a new logo just for you
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It proudly says "MEMBER" so you can promote your company as belonging to STI-SPFA. As a Member, your Trademark & Licensing Agreement allows you to use this logo in any of your marketing materials-your website, letterhead, invoices, purchase orders, brochures...anywhere you want to show that you belong to the most recognized organization for steel fabricators and their suppliers.
Click here to request electronic logo files
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