Trenchless Industry Gathers at NASTT’s 2018 No-Dig Show: Day Two Recap
NASTT’s seventh Hall of Fame Class – George Ragula, Ian J. Doherty, , B.A.Sc., P.Eng., and Chris Brahler.
Day 2 of NASTT’s 2018 No-Dig Show proved to be a busy one at the Palm Springs Convention Center, starting with a morning of technical sessions and ending with the trenchless industry honoring its own at the Gala Dinner. Attendance for the show is proving that the industry continues to grow, with unofficial attendance figures pushing past the 2,000 mark.
At the Gala Dinner, NASTT welcomed its seventh Hall of Fame class: Chris Brahler, president and CEO of TT Technologies; Ian J. Doherty, B.A.Sc., P.Eng., president of Trenchless Design Engineering Ltd.; and George Ragula, distribution technology manager at PSEG.
RELATED: Picking the Brain of Ian Doherty, P.Eng.
The NASTT Board of Directors created the Hall of Fame in 2010, to ensure that the society’s most outstanding and praiseworthy members received due recognition. The intent of the NASTT Hall of Fame is to preserve the outstanding accomplishments of exceptional individuals and to honor their contributions to the advancement of both the trenchless industry and the society.
Charles Tripp, project manager Kleinfelder and Matt Smith, Manager-Direct Pipe Michels Corp.
Also receiving recognition at the Gala Dinner were recipients of the Trent Ralston Award for Young Trenchless Achievement – Matt Smith, Manager-Direct Pipe Michels Corp., and Charles Tripp, project manager Kleinfelder – and NASTT Chair Award for Lifetime Service award honoree Kimberlie Staheli, Staheli Trenchless Consultants.
The NASTT No-Dig Show is known for its exceptional technical sessions, as well as its jam-packed exhibit hall. It is also a known as the place to unveil the latest technologies that continue to push the industry forward. NASTT’s honors the best new and innovative products each year with its Joseph L. Abbott Jr. Innovative Product Awards, recognizing companies with state-of-the-art products in either new installation or rehabilitation for their achievements in advancing the trenchless industry.
Rich Prosser, Jason LaValley and Jorge Prince accepted the NASTT Innovative Product Award for the LaValley TONGHAND exit side wrench.
The Innovative Product Awards were handed out for the top technology in the industry Tuesday afternoon.
Clint Baumgartner and Rob Tumbleson accepted the the NASTT Innovative Product Award for the Quick Connect Universal Pull Head
Quick Connect LLC received the Innovative Product Award for its Quick Connect Universal Pull Head. This was designed to save time and money by eliminating fusing in the hole, being engineered for multiple applications and withstanding forces of more than two times maximum pull.
LaValley Industries received the Innovative Product Award for its TONGHAND exit side wrench, technological step forward in large bore horizontal directional drilling work. This tool automates HDD exit side operations and allows for all exit side connections to be accomplished with precision by a single operator from the safety of the excavator cab.
Today is the final day for the 2018 No-Dig Show, featuring Gas Industry Day, which features a full day of education and networking for the gas industry through an array of technical sessions. Exhibit halls hours are 9 am to 12:30 p.m. The conferences concludes with its annual Closing Luncheon, which gives attendees a preview of the 2019 No-Dig Show in Chicago.
RELATED: Read the Day One Recap of NASTT’s 2018 No-Dig Show
Stay abreast of NASTT’s 2018 No-Dig Show by following @TrenchlessTech, @WFM_Journal and @NoDigShow on Twitter. Or you can download the official (and free) No-Dig mobile app on either your iPhone or Android phone.
