The French Britney locks up with her nubbin tail high and nose full with the wonderful smell of quail-birds.  Jim Craig stops in his tracks on the edge of a brier patch to take it all in.  The dog’s muzzle is shaking with an adrenalin rush and the same physical characteristics are evident in me as I scramble the fifty or so yards to catch up.  Craig patiently waits and coaches me into position.  The birds take flight in the direction he foretells but I miss the opportunity with my poorly aimed shot and am forced to watch them sail far over the meadow leaving us behind.  The dog picks up Craig’s bird and brings it to him.

“They’ll be some more birds over in this draw,” he says pointing in the opposite direction of the bird’s flight.  I follow even though the ‘bird in hand’ philosophy is ringing in my ears.  I finally decide he probably knows what he’s talking about.

Jim Craig handles a 20 gauge and a seven iron like they are part of his physique but his true abilities lie in his knowledge of polyethylene pipe and the ambassador role he has played for many years that helped propagate the pipe into the gas industry.  He has a 34 year history as a Professional Engineer with McElroy and his face is familiar to countless individuals who’ve ever had the opportunity to dabble with polyethylene pipe.  He has become a fixture within The Plastic Pipe Institute (PPI) and the AWWA knows him for his relentless effort to educate the water industry about the advantages of HDPE.

Most recently he was involved with the development of the AWWA M55 PE Pipe Design Manual and the PPI Polyethylene Pipe Handbook.  Craig’s hope is that these manuals will finally dispell some of the perceived fears and lack of knowledge that have slowed technology advancements in the water industry.  Craig’s hope is that these manuals will help the water industry take advantage of all the technology advancements that HDPE has to offer.

“I see a lot of work going on in the industry to educate mayors, municipalities and public works departments about the benefits of polyethylene pipe,” said Craig.  “These efforts are what will guarantee that the benefits of HDPE reach the water industry and now is the time for everyone to become involved with the effort,” says Craig.  “It’s been a long time coming, but the new AWWA polyethylene design manual, which was developed by a very focused task group from the PPI, will be a giant tool for engineers to use in the design of new, leak free, potable water systems of tomorrow.  With this tool, the engineers can design PE piping systems to conserve water, protect public health and eliminate the exorbitant maintenance costs that are crippling our public works departments.”

Craig leads me up a long sloping hill and we find the Britney waiting in the bottom of the draw on the other side displaying a rigid unyielding point.  She has done her job well and we can even see the quail gathered up on the downwind side of a large fallen oak.  We know she has the quail held tight on the ground and apparently her effort has us captured too because we both seem content to just stand there and watch.  She glances back up the hill at us as if she is wondering why we are so slow to follow her point.

“We better get down there before she gets mad at us,” says Craig as we head down the hill.

The Mni Wiconi Rural Water Project (Mini Washonee) is the world’s largest rural water pipeline.  The development of this massive water supply project was based on a needs assessment and final engineering report carried out under the supervision of the Federal Government.

ISCO Industries, has announced the acquisition of Fraser Mining and Industrial Supply Company in Mansfield, Texas. 
Click here to read more

Fort Peck Indians hope to tap Missouri
POPLAR, Mont. -- As the Missouri River drops out of the Rocky Mountains and snakes across the plains toward St. Louis, it passes through some of the most...
Click here to read the entire story!

House approves financing for Red River Valley water project
BISMARCK, N.D. -- Initial financing for a huge project to deliver Missouri River water to North Dakota's Red River Valley now has the state Legislature's final approval.
Click here to read the entire story!

Jupiter, Fla. officials want water restriction exemption
JUPITER, Fla. -- City officials want an exemption from new water restrictions, saying the municipality already is conserving by investing millions in alternative...
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Ruling protects fish, jeopardizes California water deliveries
SACRAMENTO -- In a decision that could cripple water deliveries to California farms and cities, a judge has ordered the state to halt pumping water out of the delta...
Click here to read the entire story!

Arizona lawmakers grapple with rural water concerns
PHOENIX -- A quarter of a century after Arizona lawmakers passed a historic law to regulate groundwater use in urban areas, those legislators' successors are...
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The McElroy Image Library has recently been expanded to include a large collection of photographs including McElroy fusion equipment in action and general construction photos of polyethylene construction sites from around the country.  If you are in need of photo art for your website or printed materials, be sure to browse these photographs. Click here!

In keeping with our long standing tradition of providing outstanding tools, McElroy recently developed a Facer Blade Reference Poster.

This poster measures 32" wide by 46" tall and features actual size representations of all available facer blades along with easy reference and part numbers for the associated machines.

These posters are perfect for easily identifying exactly which replacement facer blade is needed.

This week, we will be sending posters to each of our distributor locations. It is our hope that they will be displayed in the shops, showrooms, or offices and that this will be a useful tool for all our customers.

The posters were printed in limited quantity and current distribution is only to our distributors.

If you have question or comments, please contact your McElroy Regional Sales Manager or Customer Service Representative.

Now, when you register McElroy equipment, on behalf of your customers, you are giving them a gift of up to $600.

To help introduce the new 2007 curriculum of McElroy University Classes and Certification Options, McElroy is offering free or half-price classes (a discount of $600 or $300) for your customers that purchase a McElroy Fusion Machine.

Your customers that purchase a hydraulic machine from a 28 series or larger, will receive a class of their choosing for free (i.e. a $600 discount). Your customers that purchase a manual machine size No.14 and below will receive 50% off a class of their choosing (i.e. a discount of $300).

Please note: the discount only applies to class tuition. Those opting for any certification will still be responsible for the $150 testing fee.

Eligibility
To receive the discount:

1. The machine must be purchased after 1/1/2007
2. The distributor must register the machine with McElroy via the product registration section on the McElroy Distributor Website
3. Upon proper registration, a letter will be sent to the contact person listed on the registration with a discount code specific to each machine registered (codes can only be used for one time)
4. During registration, your customer will need to enter the discount code, model number, and serial number of the machine for verification
5. Customers will initially be charged for the full price of the class but upon verfication, their account will be credited with the appropriate discount
6. All other rules and guidelines for McElroy University (such as cancellation policy) will still apply
7. This promotion is offered on a limited time basis and can be cancelled at any time