The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) announced today that its Building & Construction Division (BCD) has elected Bill Melvin of Legend Valve (Auburn Hills, MI) as Division Chair and Jim Paschal of Aquatherm (Lindon, UT) as Vice Chair. Melvin, who will also represent the division on the PPI Board of Directors for the next two Read more
Jason McKinnon
The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) announced today that its Building & Construction Division (BCD) has elected Bill Melvin of Legend Valve (Auburn Hills, MI) as Division Chair and Jim Paschal of Aquatherm (Lindon, UT) as Vice Chair. Melvin, who will also represent the division on the PPI Board of Directors for the next two years, takes over from Joseph Poniatowski of Asahi/America. The changes took effect June 1, 2024. PPI’s BCD focuses on pressure piping materials for plumbing and mechanical applications.
Jim Paschal (left) of Aquatherm, new Vice Chair and Bill Melvin (right) of Legend Valve new Chair of PPI’s Building & Construction Division with Lance McNevin, the engineering director for the division.
Bill Melvin has served on the Management Committee in several roles, including the Communications Committee Chair and Vice Chair. Jim Paschal also serves as Chair of PPI’s Polypropylene Pressure Pipe Steering Committee and formerly served as R&D Projects Chair. That position will now be filled by Rick Stock of Uponor. Brian Conner of Charlotte Pipe and Foundry joins the committee as Codes & Governments Affairs Committee Liaison.
Rick Stock, Uponor
Adam Grier of iNOEX serves as the Communications Committee Chair, and also as Chair of the PPI Umbrella Marketing Committee. Jason McKinnon of Viega LLC serves as the PPI Education Committee Chair and also as the BCD Education Chair, a position he has held for more than eight years. Forest Hampton III of Lubrizol continues as Advisory Council Liaison & Strategic Planning Chair.
According to Lance MacNevin, P. Eng., director of engineering for PPI’s Building & Construction Division, “PPI’s management committee members provide significant guidance to staff on topics from research, codes and standards to education and advocacy. These new leadership positions solidify their continued commitments to PPI and the piping industry. We are grateful for the volunteer service of these dedicated members.”
Brian Conner, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry
PPI is the major North American trade association representing the plastic pipe industry. The Building & Construction Division represents plastic pressure piping materials such as CPVC, HDPE, PEX, PE-RT, PP-R, and PP-RCT.
More information can be found at https://plasticpipe.org/buildingconstruction
The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) today announced the appointment of Jason McKinnon, director of engineering services, Viega, LLC (Broomfield, CO), as the chair of its Education Committee. PPI is the major North American trade association representing the plastics pipe industry. “Our Education Committee,” stated David M. Fink, PPI president, “is counted on by the Read more
The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) today announced the appointment of Jason McKinnon, director of engineering services, Viega, LLC (Broomfield, CO), as the chair of its Education Committee. PPI is the major North American trade association representing the plastics pipe industry.
“Our Education Committee,” stated David M. Fink, PPI president, “is counted on by the various industries we serve to provide viable, validated instruction on all aspects of plastic pipe. This includes courses and curriculum in each of our five divisions plus the Hydrostatic Stress Board. In his new role, Jason will assist in delivering courses at conferences with other organizations and use delivery platforms such as Red Vector and PPI’s own eLearn™ educational channel. His input on the new courses PPI will develop will be highly beneficial and valuable.”
McKinnon has more than twenty years of engineering and training experience developing new curriculum and training modules. He holds a Bachelor of Science – Mechanical Engineering Technology plus Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of Massachusetts. He has been a participating member of PPI for more than 10 years, mainly with the association’s Building & Construction Division, and was a founding member of the PPI Education Committee in 2013.
Founded in 1950, PPI’s five major divisions are Building & Construction, Drainage, Energy Piping Systems, Municipal & Industrial and Power & Communications. Its member companies share a common interest in broadening market opportunities that make effective use of plastics piping for building and construction projects, water and gas distribution, sewer and wastewater conveyance, oil and gas production, industrial and mining uses, plus power and communications systems. Additional information can be found at www.plasticpipe.org
Viega customers will have an opportunity to connect and learn new skills at the new Viega Experience Center, opening this summer in New York City. Construction began early in 2023. This new flagship location will serve as a centralized hub for Viega to support and connect with its east coast customers and provide opportunities to Read more
Viega customers will have an opportunity to connect and learn new skills at the new Viega Experience Center, opening this summer in New York City. Construction began early in 2023. This new flagship location will serve as a centralized hub for Viega to support and connect with its east coast customers and provide opportunities to host events and meetings. The space will include meeting rooms, a custom bar, lounging areas, and a large terrace with a view of the skyline. It will also include a flex space that can be converted into a classroom and has movable workbenches to provide training space for customers.
“The Viega Experience Center is part of our commitment to invest in the industry to help it grow and is in a key market that Viega believes is crucial to its success,” said Markus Brettschneider, President & CEO of Viega LLC. “We are committed to providing both best-in-class training and outstanding experiences for our customers. The Viega Experience Center is our first location for this new format, with more to come.”
Jason McKinnon, Director of Engineering Services of Viega LLC, has been leading the construction plans and timeline for the space. “We wanted to ensure that we capture the essence of New York City while still holding true to Viega’s core business. This facility has been designed to represent the applications, products, and partners within the NYC market. It gives us the ability to partner, learn, and grow together as we face the challenges in this unique and changing market.”
The indoor 3,500 sq. ft. space will be equipped with 200+ Viega fittings and all Viega piping systems to show various applications and opportunities where Viega solutions can be used to improve efficiencies and safety. There is also an additional 7,500 sq. ft of outdoor terrace space with stunning views of downtown NYC.
“We are excited to share our new experience center in the heart of New York City, a city built on grit and determination,” said Don Schink, East Territory Sales Director, whose sales team serves the NY market. “This space serves as both a tribute to the engineers, builders, and installers who have shaped this great city and as a hub for showcasing our innovative solutions and technologies with the construction industry. It perfectly reflects our purpose within this industry, installing lifelines for the buildings of tomorrow.”
The new facility is expected to be completed in the summer of 2023.