June 2011 Vol. 238 No. 6

Features

Brendan Ryan Elected President Of Pipe Coating Group

The National Association of Pipe Coating Applicators (NAPCA) elected Brendan Ryan to serve as its president for 2011-12 during the association’s 47th annual meeting which was held in April in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Ryan is vice president and general manager-North America of Bredero Shaw, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Another highlight of the meeting was the announcement that the association’s Hall of Fame had gained a new member. He is James T. Shea, retired managing partner – Operations of The Bayou Companies, L.L.C. He was nominated by a competitor company and chosen by a unanimous secret ballot.

NAPCA, founded in the mid 1960s, aims to provide a forum for owners of fixed pipe-coating facilities to share solutions to common technical and business challenges and to network with 1) manufacturers and suppliers of pipe-coating materials and equipment, 2) manufacturers of line pipe, 3) providers of pipe transportation and handling services, 4) consulting firms, 5) independent inspection firms, 6) stocking pipe distributors, and 7) other providers of materials and services.

The convention is open to members and invited guests. Its program offers a combination of general and segment-specific business meetings and recreational events. The general business sessions featured presentations by Dr. Donald McNeeley, Guy G. Buckley, Paul Vivian and Rick Preckel and Bradley A. Brewster.

McNeeley, president and COO, Chicago Tube & Iron, Romeoville, IL, in a presentation titled, “Political and Economic Realities – The Absence of Outrage,” drew a stark picture of the federal debt when calculated using generally accepted accounting principles that would include Social Security obligations on the balance sheet ($593,400 per household) and real unemployment (about 17%).

Buckley, group vice president, Spectra Energy Corp., Houston, titled his presentation, “Changes in the Natural Gas Pipeline Infrastructure.” He cited INGAA Foundation figures about growth in U.S. gas reserves and projections for pipeline construction (up to 1,500 miles per year of new transmission pipelines out to the year 2030) and alerted his audience to a coming update of INGAA’s pipeline construction assumptions that will be available in 2Q11.

Paul Vivian and Rick Preckel, co-owners of Preston Pipe & Tube Report, St. Louis, addressed demand trends going forward for line pipe in the U.S. They said expected line pipe production in the U.S. over the next three years will grow at a compounded annual rate of up to 15%.

Finally, Bradley Brewster, senior consultant, Moody Int’l, Houston, drew a high-relief picture of the responsibility that resides in the on-scene supervisor for completing jobs competently and safely. Brewster said supervisors today have responsibilities equal to that CEOs of prior years, especially when it comes to worker safety. He urged the NAPCA executives to encourage the supervisors 1) to clearly and consistently communicate safety expectations, 2) to open up and be willing to share best safety practices and 3) to not treat safety knowledge as a competitive secret.

The full slate of officers elected for 2011 includes Ryan as president, Joel Chermak as vice president and Hank Reuser as secretary/treasurer. Chermak is general manager of Midwest Pipe Coating, Inc., Schererville, IN. Reuser is vice president of Perma-Pipe Oil & Gas, Inc., Houston. Merritt B. Chastain, III, continues as the NAPCA managing director and general counsel. He is partner – Labor and Employment, Gardere Wynne Sewell, LLP, Houston. Newly elected trustees for 2011 are Eldridge Indest, president of Bayou Perma-Pipe Canada, Ltd., Calgary; and Richard Schok, president, Flowline Alaska, Fairbanks.

Hall Of Fame Honoree
A highlight of the closing banquet Saturday night was the announcement of the Hall of Fame honoree. According to the Association, the award is given only to those who have contributed greatly to the plant-applied pipe coating industry and to the Association. The honoree may be a member or non-member, living or deceased. Annually, members may nominate individuals for this honor. Then, a select committee, consisting of the board of trustees, associate member chairman, managing director and all living recipients of the award, elects recipients of the Hall of Fame award, if any, by secret ballot.

The recipient for 2011 is James T. (Jimmy) Shea, retired managing partner – operations, The Bayou Companies, L.L.C., New Iberia, LA, and former multi-term NAPCA president. Shea was lauded on the convention podium by two previous Hall of Fame honorees – his father, Jerry Shea Sr., and brother, Jerry Shea Jr. (see photo) – and with a video featuring two leaders of the Stupp Corporation, St. Louis. Shea was recognized during the ceremony for his zeal for 1) caring about the people who worked with him and 2) for executing honest, first-class work.