NEWS
EVENTS
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
Danos Group Holdings
Acquires AXion Logistics
April 2
Mechanical Solutions, Inc.
Acquired by Universal Plant Services
April 3
CPC & PSG Biotech
Combine to Create CPC Biotech
April 21
PROMOTIONS
Jee Tanoue
Ashcroft, Inc. STRATFORD, Conn. – Ashcroft, Inc. announced that Jee Tanoue has been appointed vice president of corporate affairs. Tanoue has more than 17 years of experience with Ashcroft and has served as a trusted advisor to both Ashcroft’s executive leadership team and parent company Nagano Keiki. Throughout her tenure, she has held several key roles including business intelligence analyst, project management office (PMO) manager and executive liaison, contributing significantly to organizational alignment and operational transparency.
Scott Hudson
BinMaster Sensors & Technologies LINCOLN, Neb. – BinMaster Sensors and Technologies LLC (BST) announced the promotion of Scott Hudson from president to chief executive officer. Hudson brings more than a decade of leadership experience within the organization, having joined BST in 2015 as executive vice president of sales and marketing. He later advanced to president, where he played a key role in expanding the business portfolio and product innovation and strengthening the company’s position as a leader in level measurement and inventory management technologies.
Tim Schamel & Tim Albers
Nidec Commercial & Industrial ST. LOUIS – Nidec announced the promotion of Tim Schamel to president of Nidec Commercial & Industrial. The company also named Tim Albers chief technology officer. The moves come as part of Nidec’s organizational strengthening strategy and with the goal of ensuring greater alignment across all areas of Nidec’s Appliance, Commercial and Industrial Motors (ACIM) business unit
AROUND THE INDUSTRY
IMAGE 1: Keynote speaker Tom Decker discusses the current state of the industry and its possible future trajectory
IMAGE 2: Seminar attendees perform maintenance on a grinder pump.
IMAGE 3: Bill Deibert of Vaughan Company shows seminar participants the innards of a chopper pump.
2026 SWPA Pumping Systems & Controls Training Seminar
The Submersible Wastewater Pump Association (SWPA) held its annual Pumping Systems and Controls Training Seminar on April 21-22 in Chicago. After a breakfast and networking session, day one’s programming kicked off with an energetic introduction to SWPA by Executive Director Adam Stolberg, followed by the keynote speech by Tom Decker of Thomas E. Decker Consulting, LLC. This year’s speech used the whimsical theme of Snow White’s dwarves to touch on such topics as infrastructure funding, market growth opportunities, data centers, supply shortages, AI adoption and what the future might hold for the industry.
Following the keynote speech, Nic Atkins of Zoeller gave an informative presentation on the systems approach to lift station design, construction, maintenance and safety, after which attendees were divided into small groups to take part in hands-on training sessions.
While previous years featured both hands-on and lecture-style training, this year was the first to shift the focus entirely to hands-on. Attendees were able to take part in various maintenance and troubleshooting activities, such as assembling control panels, performing basic field maintenance on residential grinder pumps, disassembling chopper pumps and performing pump-sizing tasks and control configuration.
Day one hands-on training courses included:
- Build a Panel: While assembling a small control panel, participants learned about key components, potential pitfalls and how to address defects. (Presented by SJE, Liberty Pumps)
- Chopper Pump Maintenance: Participants were taught how to make pump cutting surface adjustments, change the oil in a chopper pump, troubleshoot the pump and more. (Presented by Vaughan Company)
- Troubleshooting and Field Maintenance of Residential Grinder Pumps: Attendees performed basic troubleshooting and maintenance on a failed grinder pump. (Presented by Crane Pumps & Systems, Liberty Pumps, Franklin Electric, Xylem and Sulzer)
- Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs): A live demo and problem-solving session showed attendees the inner workings of a VFD. (Presented by C3 Controls, WEG)
- Pumps Sizing 101: Participants learned how to determine pump duty points, apply system curve concepts and utilize digital tools for selection and documentation. (Presented by Homa Pump, Motor Protection Electronics [MPE])
Day two began with a presentation by Sulzer on the issues “flushables” create for wastewater utilities, followed by a discussion on pressure sewer systems and the role of grinder and chopper pumps presented by Liberty Pumps, Crane Pumps & Systems, Vaughan Company and Xylem. After a short break, attendees split into small groups and dove back into hands-on training sessions on such topics as control panel troubleshooting, pump troubleshooting, pump startup issues and the operation and configuration of pump controllers.
Day two hands-on training courses included:
- Control Panel Troubleshooting: Participants were guided through various troubleshooting scenarios on simplex and duplex control panels. (Presented by SJE, Liberty Pumps)
- Pump Troubleshooting: Attendees learned how to identify pump and system issues and utilize available information to draw conclusions. (Presented by Homa Pump)
- Startup Training: The importance of pump startup was emphasized in this session focused on preventing system failure and functional drawdown. (Presented by Zoeller)
- Operation and Configuration of Pump Controllers: Participants learned how to install, configure and troubleshoot a pump controller. (Presented by MPE)
For more information on SWPA, its training sessions and more:
Isuzu Expands Distributor Territories
PLYMOUTH, Mich. – Isuzu Motors America, LLC, PowerTrain Division announced expanded areas of responsibility for several authorized distributors across key U.S. regions. Under the new alignment:
- M&L Engine LLC will expand its territory to include Texas and New Mexico.
- Palmer Johnson will expand its territory to include additional areas within California and Nevada.
- Husker Power Products will expand its territory to include Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Flow Control Group to Receive Investment From Neuberger Private Markets
NEW YORK – Flow Control Group (FCG) announced that KKR, FCG’s existing investor, and Neuberger Private Markets have agreed to jointly acquire FCG. As part of this transaction, funds managed by KKR will maintain majority ownership of FCG, with Neuberger holding a significant minority interest.
At the time of KKR’s 2021 acquisition, KKR implemented a broad-based ownership program, whereby all employees of FCG became owners in the company, including over 1,000 technical sales professionals and 600 service technicians.
As part of this ownership program and contingent on the closing of the sale, all of FCG’s more than 3,000 employees will receive cash payouts. KKR and Neuberger intend to reestablish the broad-based ownership program at FCG following the closing. Neuberger has also been a member of Ownership Works’ coalition of financial services partners that support the creation of financial opportunity for all employees and build stronger businesses in the process.
The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to close in Q2 2026.
TRADESHOW PREVIEW
AWWA’s Annual Conference and Exposition (ACE) is one of the largest gatherings of water community professionals worldwide. ACE features four days of educational programs, an exhibit hall, annual competitions, networking events and much more. Attendees will discover the latest strategies, technologies and tools to address prominent challenges water systems face everywhere
In This Issue
