NOTICE: STI tank License Agreement amended, STICO warranty revised
All STI Shop Fabricated Tank Section members recently received a letter via US Mail Certified Mail, explaining changes in two important items related to STI tank technologies:
1. An Amendment to the License Agreement clarifies which clauses "survive" and remain in effect even after termination of your current Agreement; and states that your current Agreement with STI/SPFA supersedes all prior agreements in all aspects.
2. For STI warranted tanks, the warranty has been revised to cover "compatibility failures," such as "blistering, cracking of the tank wall and stiffeners, permeation of product through the tank wall, delamination, and loss of the tank wall due to crazing, solvation, or dissolvement."
If you have any questions about these changes, or If you did NOT receive this letter by US Certified Mail, please contact the STI/SPFA office immediately.
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2016 Steel Fabricated Product Awards
STI/SPFA's annual awards programs are highly valued and
anticipated by the membership. The 2016 Product Awards were announced at the Annual Meeting in January.
There were 49 entries from STI/SPFA member companies for the 2016 Steel Fabricated Product Awards, utilizing a total 38,325 tons of steel.
To determine the winners, all Fabricator Members had the opportunity to vote in 14 categories by anonymous electronic ballot, based on promotional value, uniqueness, design and engineering, and aesthetics.
The winning entries were announced at the 2017 Annual Meeting in Naples, Florida. They are now
posted on the website and a
press release has been published to industry media. Recipients can expect their Award plaques in 6-8 weeks. Contact
Rita Easterling for status.
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2016 Safety Awards
March 3 was the deadline for members to submit their applications for the 2016 Safety Awards.
We received 31 applications for the Safety Award of Excellence, which r
ecognizes member companies whose employees have experienced a ZERO (0.00) OSHA Total Recordable Incident Rate for 12 consecutive months.
We received 22 applications for the Safety Award of Achievement, which recognizes Member companies who have experienced a minimum 10% reduction in the OSHA Total Recordable Incident Rate with no fatalities during the 2016 calendar year, as compared with the average Total Recordable Incident Rate for the three previous years.
STI/SPFA will communicate the 2016 recipients to the entire membership in the
Safety & Health Spotlight newsletter. They will also be posted on the website and will be publicized with a press release to industry media.
Recipients should expect their award plaques in six-eight weeks. Contact
Elizabeth Whitney for status.
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All in the family...
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Raise 'em up right...
Here's Bill Kennedy's daughter playing inside Kennedy Tanks' confined space entry and rescue trainer.
Bill is the fifth generation to enter the company's ranks. Grandpa Pat Kennedy is no doubt happy to see the next generation so interested in the business! |
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...And they'll come back!
Here are Johnny Jones' grandsons Jordan and John Loucks (center and right). They are the fifth generation to join Modern Welding. On the left is Gene Schober, Modern's Orlando sales rep. The photo was taken at the PowerGen 2016 show.
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Member News
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Got news about
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STI/SPFA presented a workshop at Stainless Steel World 2016. A big thanks to
Steve Fort, Modern Welding; Daryl Price, D3 Technologies; Rick Shepherd, Ward Tank; and industry friend John Grocki
for contributing their knowledge.
Bob Holland
is retiring from
Modern Welding
this month. He's been at Modern for 20 years and has a total of 50 years in the industry.
Mona Woods, owner of
Alabama Tank, is also retiring this month. The family-owned business was established in 1983 and has been an STI/SPFA member since 1984.
Ralph Carpenter retired from
American SpiralWeld on March 1 of this year. He had been with the company for 25 years, and in the industry for 40 years. Ralph has been a strong supporter of STI/SPFA, serving on the Board of Directors for six years and as chairman of the Steel Water Pipe Section and the Marketing Committee.
O'Neal Industries
has merged four of its affiliates to form a high performance metals company, United Performance Metals. The former affiliates were Aerodyne Alloys, Plus Ten Stainless, United Performance Metals, and Vulcanium Metals.
Last month,
United Performance Metals announced the opening of a new specialty metals distribution, sales, and processing facility in Budapest, Hungary. The facility is the company's third location outside of the United States. Other facilities are in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Singapore.
Mid-South Steel Products and owner Sonny Underwood were the featured "Member Profile" in PEI Journal, Fourth Quarter 2016. Sonny has served STI/SPFA as president twice and is now in a second year as chairman of the board.
Paul Showan was named President of the
TF Warren Group in January 2017. Paul has been with TF Warren Group since 2011, when he was brought in to lead its affiliate Tarsco, Inc., a tank construction and repair entity. Paul has expanded Tarsco's market into the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Mexico.
Premium Plate, part of the
TF Warren Group, was recently awarded a two-tank project. They will burn and roll 113 tons of plate required for the bottom, shell, roof, and rafters of the 52 ft. x 32 ft. tanks.
Blastco, another
TF Warren Group affliate, was the focus of an article in the November 2016 issue of
Coatings Pro magazine. Blastco had originally coated a 231 ft. wide x 35 ft. tall water storage tank for the City of Austin in 2000. Last year, Blastco won the contract to recoat it after 17 years of service.
Genius Solutions was named IT Company of the Month for January 2017 by the Quebec Technology Association.
Taylor Forge moved up two steps from the previous month to #23 on the
Kansas City Journal's list of Top Area Manufacturers for February 2017. Listings are based on local full-time equivalent employees.
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Infrastructure Week 2017 is a national week of education and advocacy to draw attention to the importance of infrastructure to our nation's economy, jobs, communities, and future. It's America's largest and most diverse effort to highlight the importance and state of our nation's infrastructure, from roads, bridges, rails, ports, and airports to water and sewer systems, the energy grid, and more.
Infrastructure Week engages thousands of stakeholders and a growing coalition of more than 160 affiliate groups in hundreds of events in Washington and in communities across the country. Many of these events are planned by manufacturers like you, who want to make sure our neighbors and our politicians understand the importance of what we do.
How to Participate: Your company can
sign up as an affiliate on the website. Then, plan an event, participate in the press and on social media, and tell your story. Be sure to let STI/SPFA know you're getting involved, too.
Join the hundreds of local Chambers of Commerce, unions, utilities, mayors, governors, legislators, policy organizations, trade associations, manufacturers, retailers, and more in telling our nation's leaders: it's #TimeToBuild.
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Have you registered?
2017 QC meeting in Vancouver, BC
Every two years, STI holds a Quality Control Meeting for  licensees of STI shop fab tank technologies. Attendance at this meeting is mandatory for licensee companies in North America.
The 2017 Quality Control meeting will be held
May 3-5, 2017, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Regal Tanks will host a tour of their new production facility in Chilliwack.
A valid passport is required to enter Canada.
Contact your local US Post Office or click here for expedited service. Fees vary depending on how quickly you need your passport, so we suggest you start the process early. NOTE: Canada will not accept passports from anyone who has a criminal record or a DUI.
Attendance policies
At least one representative from each Shop Fabricated Tank Section member company must attend the QC Meeting.
Penalties for non-attendance are assessed as follows:
- The non-attending fabricator plant must send at least one representative to a make-up QC meeting at the STI/SPFA offices in Chicago, AND
- The non-attending company is assessed a monetary penalty as follows:
- First offense: $2,000 + 1 registration fee for the missed QC meeting.
- Second offense: $5,000 + 1 registration fee for the missed QC meeting.
- Attendees are required to participate in the entire QC meeting, including all presentations and tours.
- NEW: Should a member company's representative leave the meeting early, the member company is assessed a fine of $250 for each hour missed of the QC Meeting.
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Steel Facts:
Coatings and linings
Coatings and linings for water storage tanks is the title of issue No. 8 of STI/SPFA's Steel Facts series.
Educate your customers with Steel Facts. These handy pages present facts and figures about the benefits of using steel, researched by industry experts.
Steel Facts files are downloadable from the STI/SPFA website. Or, if you like,
contact Noel Zak and she can produce a file with your logo and contact information.
Insert paper Steel Facts sheets with your customer invoices and add them to your presentation books. Make sure your sales reps have the electronic files handy to attach to customer responses.
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Welcome!
New members
We're glad you've joined us! You'll find your member benefits and the camaraderie of industry peers valuable assets. Be sure to explore www.steeltank.com.
FABRICATOR MEMBERS
AFFILIATE MEMBERS
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Representing your industry and
your interests
STI/SPFA staff travel often to speak at workshops, give presentations, and man our exhibit booth, representing the fabricated steel industry at federal agencies, regulatory groups, conferences and trade shows.
It's a major benefit to our members, but it's hard to quantify and communicate. That's why we provide this overview in The Insider.Here is a sample from the past few months:
- Steel Water Pipe Manufacturers Technical Advisory Committee 2017 Winter Meeting, January 2017
- Ohio Petroleum Contractors Assn., Feb. 13-15, 2017
- California CUPA Forum, February 2017
- Co-Optima Fuel Stakeholders Workshop, January 2017
- PowerGen Expo, December 2016
- ASTM Conference, December 2016
- API Tank Committee meeting, Nov. 2016
- Kentucky Petroleum Marketers Assn., Nov. 2016
- Biodiesel Technical Workshop, Nov. 8-9, 2016
- Indiana Petroleum Equipment Contractors Assn., November 2016
- NACS/PEI Convention, November 2016
- ASTSWMO, October 2016
- New England Convenience Store & Energy Marketers Assn., Sept. 14, 2016
- NISTM AST Conference, September 2016
- FabTech,September 2016
- API Tank Conference, October 2016
- Federation of Environmental Technologists, September 2016
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We're watching as federal regulation changes rapidly under President Trump
Federal regulation is changing very quickly under the Trump Administration, to the point that reporting in a quarterly newsletter like
The Insider would only bring you "old news."
STI/SPFA is keeping abreast of these changes and exerting influence when we can. In particular, we are monitoring and signing on to lobbying efforts of organizations such as the National Association of Manufacturers and the US Chamber of Commerce when appropriate.
For example, in early February, STI/SPFA signed on to a letter developed by the US Chamber of Commerce, urging the US Senate to consider and pass the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2017. As of this writing, the bill has passed the House and awaits action in the Senate.
If you have questions or comments on federal action, contact
Wayne Geyer, STI/SPFA Executive Vice President.
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2017 Board of Directors
STI/SPFA Members
elected their 2017 Board of Directors at
the 2017 Annual Meeting in Naples, Florida. Officers for 2017 were
then elected by the Board at its first meeting of the year, also in Naples.
Thank you to these volunteers who are giving their time and talents to STI/SPFA.
2017 officers, one-year term
- David Watson, President (Watco Tanks, Floresville TX)
- Robby Hagemann, Vice President, Chairman Pressure Vessel Section (Boardman LLC, Oklahoma City OK)
- James "Jimmy" Jones, Treasurer, Chairman Finance Committee (Modern Welding Co., Inc., Owensboro KY)
- Sonny Underwood, Chairman of the Board (Mid-South Steel Products, Inc., Cape Girardeau MO)
New directors, three year term
- Coby Hayes, Shop Fabricated Tank Section, Chairman Technical Committee (J.L.Houston Co., Hopkins MO)
- Bill Kennedy, Shop Fabricated Tank Section (Kennedy Tank & Mfg. Co., Inc, Indianapolis IN)
- Chip Stein, Field Erected Storage Tank Section (Tank Industry Consultants, Indianapolis IN)
Continuing directors
- Humberto Guglielmina, Chairman Meeting Planning Committee (Tanques TECSA, Chihuahua MEX)
- Ed McCarthy, Chairman Affiliate Section (Samuel, Son & Co., Baltimore MD)
- Patrick Pfersch, Shop Fabricated Tank Section (Lannon Tank Corp., Lannon WI)
- Ken Primavera, Chairman Steel Water Pipe Section (Forterra Pressure Pipe, Grand Prairie TX)
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Kevin Kroll leaves staff after 28 years
What Kevin Kroll doesn't know about STI/SPFA isn't worth
knowing. For 28 years, he's been on staff as Controller, heading up the association's accounting functions.
But Kevin's skills range much farther afield. At the office, he fixes the plumbing, drives the lift-truck, and is human resources manager, too. It was Kevin the Architect who found and designed our current office space.
Kevin's off-duty talents include master woodworker, loyal Chicago Bears fan, and doting husband and grandfather. He's very active in his church, donating time and expertise frequently.
On Awards Night at this year's Annual Meeting in Naples, Kevin received the coveted
Man of Many Hats Certificate, along with a standing ovation from his many friends among the membership.
Kevin will retire from STI/SPFA in mid-March. We know that everyone in STI/SPFA wishes you and Beth all the best in retirement, Kevin!
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About
The Insider
The Insider is STI/SPFAs Members-Only e-newsletter, reporting news and information about the association, its members, and its activities on their behalf.
To comment or submit copy, contact The Insider editor.
Disclaimer: Technical and other information published in The Insider is provided without representation or warranty, express or implied. In particular, STI/SPFA does not warrant the accuracy of information presented from external sources.
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