The St. Louis Road Tour host, Jeff Urbanski.

Mechanical Hub recently caught up with the HammerHead Trenchless team at its St. Louis stop on the HammerHead Road Tour 2024. There, around 35 contractors took in this “lunch and learn”-type setting to get more acquainted with HammerHead product and service offerings. Right from the jump, there was a high priority on safety. “Safety is the foundation of everything we do,” says Jeff Urbanski, senior manager, training and marketing with HammerHead—and our trenchless professor for the day.

Of interest to the Mechanical Hub team were the three live demos—assisted by Thomas Davies, application specialist—which started with CIPP point repairs, which included the point repair process with a standard packer wrapped in fiberglass coated in resin inserted into a PVC DWV pipe.

Thomas Davies prepares the standard packer wrapped in a resin-coated fiberglass sheath.

Next, the group ventured outside to watch the lateral clay pipe bursting demo— initiated by Nate Hrabosky, regional sales manager and assisted by Davies—using HammerHead’s PortaBurst PB30 machine. The rugged PortaBurst system replaces 2 to 6″ lateral pipes with up to 30-tons of pulling force.

And saving perhaps the best for last, attendees get to see Hammerhead’s proprietary BlueLight LED CIPP lining system in full effect. The Bluelight LED CIPP lining system for laterals and small drain pipes is the most advanced light-curing system available. The LED light head up to five times faster than other methods. The specially formulated resin only cures under light in the “blue” wavelength, giving installers a significantly longer working time between liner wet-out and curing. Once installed, the automated curing system pulls the LED light head through the liner, curing the resin almost instantly—up to five times faster than other methods. Instead of waiting hours for the liner to cure, a 50-foot sewer line could be fully cured in under 10 minutes.

Nate Hrabosky readies the PortaBurst PB30 machine for a clay pipe bursting demo.

In fact, contractor friend Diego Lujan, president, Alphalete Plumbing Drain & Sewer Rehab (@alphalete_plumbing_drain_sewer), Colorado Springs, Colo., gives high marks for the Bluelight CIPP system. “At Alphalete Plumbing, we absolutely love using the HammerHead Translucent Blue Light CIPP Liner Cure Machine. It’s been a complete game-changer for us,” says Lujan.

“The speed and efficiency this machine delivers are unparalleled, making pipeline repairs easier, more reliable, and environmentally friendly. We can’t imagine using anything else—it’s forever our go-to for trenchless technology.”

Urbanski discusses BlueLight’s diagnostics and intuitive touchscreen interface, which is easy to learn and operate. Simply input the job specs and the system will automatically set pull-back speed.

The Road Tour is a great way to get up close and personal with HammerHead products. Nonetheless, the team is equally as excited to get on job sites across the country as well. “We love being on job sites, and we love solving problems,” says Urbanski.

Be sure to check out HammerHead on the road.

Remaining HammerHead Road Tour

• Raleigh, N.C. — July 16
• Des Moines, Iowa — July 23
• Salt Lake City — August 27
• Lake Mills, Wis. — More info coming soon!

Allen Stanley has been promoted to vice president, fittings manufacturing and distribution, and Rudy Smith to vice president, valve manufacturing.

Elkhart, Ind. — NIBCO INC. has announced the promotion of Allen Stanley to vice president, fittings manufacturing and distribution, and Rudy Smith to vice president, valve manufacturing.

Both Stanley and Smith will report to Ashley Martin, president and COO, NIBCO.

Allen Stanley

“Allen and Rudy have long careers with NIBCO and the knowledge and expertise that they both bring to these roles will be valuable for the success of our organization,” said Martin. “Join me in congratulating them on their well-deserved promotions.”

In this new role, Stanley has responsibility for the Stuarts Draft, Virginia manufacturing operations and the Demand Planning department, along with his current responsibilities for the U.S. distribution centers, world headquarters logistics, and all plastic manufacturing facilities.

Stanley began his career in 1997 at NIBCO as administrative manager at the Atlanta Distribution Center. He held a variety of roles of increasing responsibility including operations manager at the Elkhart Distribution Center, manager, distribution and transportation, and most recently, director, plastic fittings manufacturing and distribution.

Stanley holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia. He also earned his master’s degree in marketing from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Rudy Smith

In his new role, Smith will have responsibility for NIBCO’s Blytheville, Arkansas, facility, along with the company’s Nacogdoches, Texas, McAllen, Texas, and Reynosa, Mexico facilities.

Smith began his career at NIBCO in 1996 in logistics at NIBCO’s world headquarters. Two years later, he was promoted and transferred as operations manager of NIBCO’s Nacogdoches facility. He held various roles from production superintendent, plant superintendent, plant manager, and most recently, senior plant manager at Reynosa, prior to his new role.

Rudy holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Rice University, in Houston, Texas.

By joining forces with Uponor, GF is set to become a global leader in sustainable water and flow solutions. To support this ambition, complementary businesses will be grouped together under one roof: the new division GF Uponor will focus on Building Technology, whereas the infrastructure and utility business will move to GF Piping Systems. Michael Rauterkus will join GF’s Executive Committee and will lead the new division together with his Uponor leadership team.

After all conditions of the tender offer have been fulfilled, GF closes the transaction as of 13 November 2023.

To accelerate the implementation of GF Piping Systems’ Strategy 2025 and to further benefit from global megatrends, GF will start an ambitious value creation program to unleash the full potential of this acquisition. GF Piping Systems will focus on the industrial and utility business, providing its customers with sustainable leak-free piping solutions for numerous end markets such as microelectronics, water treatment, energy, chemical processing, marine, data centers or water & gas utilities. Uponor’s infrastructure business will become part of GF Piping Systems and will further strengthen the division’s portfolio to provide customers with combined solutions.

In the new division, GF Uponor, the building technology businesses will be combined to offer a complementary portfolio for safe and clean water, as well as energy efficient heating and cooling. The consolidation of complementary businesses provides an ideal platform to develop markets with high potential for both divisions. As the brand Uponor stands for high quality and innovation, it will drive growth in intelligent Building Flow Solutions.

These organizational changes will be implemented during the course of 2024 while GF will ensure operational excellence and business continuity to customers.

“We will continue to implement our strategy, and leverage powerful global trends, such as the need for safe and clean water, or more efficient energy use,” GF CEO Andreas Müller said. “On behalf of all my colleagues, I am happy to welcome Uponor employees and start this new chapter together.”

“It’s like Disney World for engineers and contractors,” said one visitor on the tour. The Mechanical Hub team made a quick visit to Apple Valley, Minn., to visit Uponor North America as the company celebrated the grand opening of its newly constructed Uponor Experience Center with a “pipe-cutting” ceremony.

Andres Caballero (fifth from left) performs the pipe cutting for the new Uponor Experience Center.

The team was treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the new 4,500-sq.-ft. customer experience center, which features hands-on displays, full-scale residential and commercial training areas, and cutting-edge innovation showcases, and a place to bring MEP students from the area to get a taste of the trades. The new Uponor Experience Center is a flexible education and discovery space designed to advance the technical skills of current and potential customers. In addition, it will help foster innovation within the plumbing and HVAC industry and provide an immersive experience for employees and visitors alike.

Some displays mimicked true applications.

The new Uponor Experience Center occupies the company’s previous customer training area, which was originally built in 2000 and renovated in 2010. It is at the center of the North American headquarters campus, surrounded by corporate offices, an R&D facility, and manufacturing space.

Andres Caballero thanks his staff for all of the hard work and dedication that went into planning and constructing the experience center.

“The opening of our new Uponor Experience Center signifies the importance we place on keeping the needs of our customers, employees, and key stakeholders top of mind as we continue our mission of becoming the global leader in sustainable water and energy solutions,” says Uponor North America President Andres Caballero. “The ‘X’, as our employees have begun to call it, is a culmination of our rich history and decades of innovation coming together to generate awareness and create enthusiasm for moving water more efficiently, effectively, and sustainably.”

With original concepts beginning back in 2020, the Uponor Experience Center was several years in the making. The thoughtful design, which takes into consideration the company’s rich Finnish roots, resulted from many months of internal team collaboration, as well as feedback from customers, partners, and industry influencers.

Mechanical Hub took the opportunity to record parts of the Appetite for Construction podcast with Des Clancy, director of training, Uponor, and the “architect” for the new center.

As guests move through the front doors toward the back of the space, they first experience displays depicting who Uponor is as a company along with the customers served and the unique value provided to key audiences and the industry.

Experience center visitors will get the full hands-on treatment as seen here with one of its gracious partners Milwaukee Tool and its PEX Expander.

Then, there are product showcases and interactive displays for plumbing, fire safety, radiant heating/cooling, hydronic piping, and pre-insulated piping system solutions for residential and commercial markets. Finally, there is an oversized training area, featuring both wood and steel structures, where professionals will learn proper hands-on installation techniques as well as how Uponor’s emphasis on problem-solving and productivity delivers results for their businesses.

Doug Vetter, center, and Brian Spjut, left, from Vetter Plumbing, came all the way from Seattle to get a first glimpse of the space. (Pictured right is Uponor’s Dan Hubbard.)

“We wanted the Uponor Experience Center to extend beyond simply training customers on our products and systems,” says Vice President of Sales Matt Bahr. “As a result, we’ve created a holistic experience that spans a broad spectrum of who we are as a company, showcasing the depth and breadth of our product portfolio and sustainable solutions as well as providing access to the best trainers in the industry.”

With the focus not only on customers but also employees and those in the community, Director of Training Des Clancy says the planning team was very thoughtful about creating an elevated experience for everyone.

“At any given time, we will have contractors, builders, engineers, owners, students, employees, civic leaders, and other guests coming through the doors,” he says. “From tours and training, to onboarding and education sessions, the Uponor Experience Center offers something for everyone, and we are proud to showcase all we are offering to the industry and our community.”

Mechanical Hub’s John Mesenbrink (l) and Tim Ward (r) complete the “Uponor sandwich” as they also toured Uponor’s Distribution Center in Lakeville, Minn., with tour guide and director of logistics and warehousing, Nate McIntosh.