The Alliance for PE Pipe (PE Alliance) has awarded AGRU America a 2023 Municipal Leadership Award for its “innovative and instructional HDPE project” in New Orleans.
[Georgetown, South Carolina, January 2, 2024 —] AGRU America, Inc. (“AGRU”) has earned a PE Alliance 2023 Municipal Leadership Award (MLA) for its role in helping rehabilitate a transmission main in New Orleans.
The MLA program recognizes innovative HDPE projects yearly at its industry showcase. The program aims to celebrate projects that highlight the unique characteristics of HDPE pipes in municipal settings, provide recognition for the people and companies that make a difference in the municipal water market, and create an avenue to bring new case studies and data to support the industry.
“The record-breaking compression fit project for the South Claiborne Transmission Main has demonstrated AGRU’s capabilities as a pipe manufacturer to support Ductile Iron Pipe Sizes (DIPS),” said Natasha Arguijo, AGRULINE business unit manager. “We are thrilled to receive this recognition by the industry and look forward to contributing to more municipal projects of this magnitude in the future.”
The South Claiborne Transmission Main Project was a collaborative effort led by the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO), which brought together the engineering expertise of Meyer Engineers, Murphy Pipelines as the installer, Choice Supply Solutions as the distributor, BLD as the contractor, CMG Pipelines as the subcontractor, and AGRU as the pipe manufacturer. AGRU leveraged its manufacturing expertise to provide an industry-first 48” DIPS high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe. The over 5,600 feet of pipe was installed via compression fit, a technique especially useful in municipalities for its cost-effectiveness and minimal disruption to local traffic and quality of life.
“AGRU is honored to receive this award, which we feel recognizes the company’s efforts in building a better future through innovative engineering plastics solutions,” says Robert Johnson, president and CEO at AGRU America. “This project demonstrates the role of HDPE pipes in creating sustainable infrastructure, and we are excited to take on the role of leaders in the industry.”
The South Claiborne Transmission Main Project, completed during the Fall of 2023, is one of an 11-project effort by the SWBNO to rehabilitate its 120-year-old water transmission mains with a more robust system. Thanks to the compressed fit installation approach and HDPE pipes, project owners estimate an overall 25% savings compared with other methods.
About AGRU America, Inc.
Since 1988, Georgetown, SC–based AGRU America, Inc. has been on a mission to build a sustainable future by developing innovative engineering plastics solutions and fostering relationships built upon the highest quality, service, and dependability standards. AGRU America is a subsidiary of AGRU Kunststofftechnik GmbH, an Austrian family-owned business since 1948 with production facilities in Austria, the United States, and China. AGRU solutions, which include state-of-the-art products such as AGRU geosynthetics, concrete protective liners, pipes and fittings, and semi-finished products, are distributed in over 100 countries worldwide. Learn more about AGRU America at https://www.agruamerica.com.
About Alliance for PE Pipe
The Alliance for PE Pipe comprises leaders in the HDPE pipe industry committed to advancing PE pipe in municipal water systems. Their goal is to help American and Canadian municipal leadership realize PE pipe’s real-world benefits and long-term cost-effectiveness. The Alliance meets face-to-face with over 3,000 individuals annually to share knowledge on the features and benefits of the pipe and related equipment. Many of these meetings demonstrate the HDPE fusion process, which gives people a fresh take on the old problem of fix and break. Learn more about Alliance for PE Pipe at http://www.pepipe.org/about-the-alliance.
