AVT and R2M Deliver AVT EZ Valve™ Kits to First UK Water Company Customer

Newly acquired equipment and expertise make South West Water the first water company in the country to become self-sufficient in installing AVT’s unique inline valves

September 9, 2019

(Houston, US /Accrington, UK July 31, 2019) – Advanced Valve Technologies (AVT), and its UK distributor R2M Ltd. have provided AVT EZ Valve™ Kits to South West Water, allowing the company to take a major step forward in controlling burst situations and reducing service interruptions to customers. With the strategic decision to acquire these kits from R2M Ltd, South West Water operatives now have the ability to quickly install valves using their own resources.

The AVT EZ Valve is a unique, patented inline valve designed by AVT, a manufacturer of advanced industrial valve products and minimally invasive compact fittings. The valve is just one of a number of innovations South West Water is using from R2M Ltd. The kits include an innovative machine that mills a small 120° slot in the top of the pipe, eliminating the need to cut a coupon or remove a section of the pipeline. This design allows the valve to be installed under pressure, enabling faster restoration than alternative solutions, preserving pipe integrity, and allowing installation under full pressure with no need to shut off the water supply.

The system is the lightest and most compact on the market and the fastest and simplest to install. As water flow does not have to be interrupted when placing the valve, South West Water can make repairs without interrupting service to its customers.

AVT President Harry Gray says, “We are pleased to help South West Water improve its internal capabilities for managing potential interruptions to supply using our award-winning inline valve. We designed the AVT EZ Valve Kits to put our technology in the hands of companies that need it. As the first water company in the UK to take advantage of this innovation, South West Water is in a position to respond swiftly to emergency situations and better manage its supply interruption outcomes.”

“We have a long history of close collaboration with South West Water,” says R2M Ltd. Valve Division Director Matt Harris. “They were looking for more ways to provide a better level of customer service as they work towards their AMP7 commitments. They like the EZ Valve as it is compact and fast to install on live networks. Importantly, they wanted an asset that not only looks like a valve but also operates the same as a standard valve.”

South West Water has purchased three 100mm to 300mm (4-inch to 12-inch) AVT EZ Valve Kits along with a range of valves, spares and accessories and put 30 of their installers,  a mix of internal resource and operatives who are contracted to the company from the Kier Group, through intensive training at their Exewater Depot in Exeter, Devon.

The purchase of the installation kits from R2M Ltd. frees South West Water from reliance on a third party and enables the company to quickly and effectively carry out live valve installations while maintaining supplies to customers.

As part of the partnership agreement, AVT UK Sales Manager Jason Taylor, Installer Ewen Patrick and Sales Director Shawn Petty worked with R2M Valve Division Director Matt Harris to train the SWW and Kier Group employees to install the inline valve. Trainees received classroom instruction followed by hands-on training, during which they familiarised themselves with the installation process. SWW and Kier Group staff have 24/7 access to AVT and R2M Ltd. support and will carry out their first live installation with AVT or R2M expert oversight.

According to South West Water Mark Hillson, Director of Networks, additional employees will receive training to install AVT EZ Valves using the three installation kits, which will be located at our regional hubs and will serve customers across the South West and Bournemouth operating areas.

“We were eager to have access to the specialised kits so we could begin installing the valves ourselves,” he said. “With the exceptional training our field teams have received, we now are in a position to act much more quickly to emergency situations and will be better able to manage burst situations to offer even more reliable service and keep customers in supply”

Ranked among the industry’s most innovative solutions, the AVT EZ Valve is designed with a built-in isolation gate that allows the valve to be installed under pressure in challenging conditions. Using this valve allows customers to improve uptime and achieve greater environmental stewardship because it enables faster restoration than alternative solutions, has no negative effect on pipe integrity, and can be installed at full pressure with no need to shut off the water supply.

About AVT

Advanced Valve Technologies, a Clock Spring|NRI Company (AVT), manufactures comprehensive solutions for the safe and sustainable repair and rehabilitation of critical water and gas infrastructure.

The company is best known for the AVT EZ Valve™, an award-winning inline insertion valve designed for quick and easy installation for emergency water and gas line repair and pipeline maintenance, requiring no disruption in service.

ClockSpring|NRI is a Houston-based manufacturer and provider of high-performance critical infrastructure construction and repair products and associated engineering support and training services. ClockSpring|NRI products are used to construct, maintain, and rehabilitate pipelines, natural gas distribution lines, high-consequence industrial pipework, and civil structures. ClockSpring|NRI composite pipe repair systems and inline insertion valves are used in more than 75 countries and include industry-leading products such as Clock Spring™, AtlasTM, Syntho-Glass® XT, Scar-Guard®, Contour, and DiamondWrap® composite products, as well as the award-winning AVT EZ Valve™ for water and gas lines. All ClockSpring|NRI products are easy to install, cost-effective to deploy, and durable for decades. www.AVTFittings.com,  www.cs-nri.com

 

About R2M

R2M is one of the UK’s largest pipeline, valves and fittings suppliers, providing ingenious, innovative products to redefine service and supply in the water, gas, oil and petrochemical industries.

Used by national and international organisations, the company stocks one of the broadest ranges of pressure pipes, valves & fittings in the UK, making its customers’ jobs easier whether they are a buyer, engineer or contractor.

www.r2mltd.co.uk

ClockSpring|NRI Adds Milliken Infrastructure Solutions to its Portfolio

Leading Composite Repair Manufacturer Expands Suite of Rehabilitation Products for Critical Infrastructure

June 17, 2019

HOUSTON – ClockSpring|NRI, a leading manufacturer of highly innovative and engineered products for the repair and rehabilitation of global critical infrastructure, today acquired Milliken Infrastructure Solutions, LLC, previously a subsidiary of Milliken & Company, expanding its line of superior composite solutions for industrial process and transmission pipelines and adding new, pioneering technologies for water and wastewater infrastructure restoration.

“This acquisition expands ClockSpring|NRI’s ability to address complex integrity issues,” says ClockSpring|NRI CEO Matthew Boucher. “Our combined engineering expertise and complementary product lines enable us to offer the most comprehensive suite of products and services for the safe and sustainable repair, maintenance, and construction of critical infrastructure.”

With this acquisition, the ClockSpring|NRI solutions portfolio now includes GeoSpray™, a high-performance spray-on geopolymer mortar lining that provides trenchless pipe rehabilitation and structural strengthening for sewer, water, and wastewater lines; Concrete Cloth, the “concrete on a roll” flexible concrete-impregnated fabric designed for berm and secondary containment and erosion control; the Atlas™ carbon fiber system for pipeline repairs that require strain reduction due to dynamic loading conditions; and the RenewWrap™ FRP strengthening systems for civil repair applications, as well as other complementary repair technologies.

Atlas™ and RenewWrap™ are among the products that will be integrated into the ClockSpring|NRI Composites Division. ClockSpring|NRI will create a new Concrete Solutions Division led by John Hepfinger, who previously served as Global Market Director for Milliken Infrastructure Solutions and brings nearly 30 years of experience to his new role. John will report directly to CEO Matthew Boucher as a member of the ClockSpring|NRI leadership team.

“Milliken Infrastructure Solutions has grown tremendously over the last few years as customers have increasingly adopted these differentiated products that solve relevant infrastructure rehabilitation challenges,” comments Alex Kim, executive vice president of corporate strategy and development for Milliken & Company. “With their global scale and focus on infrastructure, we believe that ClockSpring|NRI will be able to accelerate the growth and achieve the full potential of this business.”

ClockSpring|NRI’s financial sponsor, Wind Point Partners, was instrumental in helping to complete the transaction. Wind Point is an active investor in industrial products and services with relevant investments including Kleinfelder (a multi-disciplinary engineering firm with significant experience in critical infrastructure) and Interface Performance Materials (a manufacturer of fiber-reinforced and composite products).

Alex Washington, Wind Point Partners managing director, states, “This transaction enhances the breadth of ClockSpring|NRI’s comprehensive portfolio and highlights the capabilities we bring to help portfolio companies scale. In cooperation with management, Wind Point will seek to continue growing the platform through a combination of organic growth and accretive acquisitions.”

Clock Spring|NRI additionally was advised by Kirkland & Ellis and KPMG.  Jones Day supported Milliken & Company during the transaction process.

About ClockSpring|NRI

ClockSpring|NRI is a Houston-based manufacturer and provider of high-performance critical infrastructure construction and repair products and associated engineering support and training services. Clockspring|NRI solutions are used to construct, maintain, and rehabilitate pipelines, natural gas distribution lines, high-consequence industrial pipework, and civil structures. ClockSpring|NRI composite pipe repair systems and inline insertion valves are used in more than 75 countries and include industry-leading products such as Clock Spring™, AtlasTM, Syntho-Glass® XT, Scar-Guard®, Contour, and DiamondWrap® composite products, as well as the award-winning AVT EZ Valve™ for water and gas lines. All ClockSpring|NRI products are easy to install, cost-effective to deploy, and durable for decades. www.cs-nri.com

About Milliken 

Milliken has been solving everyday problems with innovative solutions for more than 150 years. Our research, design and manufacturing expertise reaches across a breadth of disciplines, including specialty chemicals, floor covering, and performance and protective textiles. An unwavering commitment to ethics guides our work to redefine how we add strength and protection to products, how we infuse vibrancy and color into our surroundings, and how we care for the environment. For us, success is when discoveries made within Milliken help us all have more meaningful connections with the world. Discover Milliken at www.milliken.com.

About Wind Point Partners

Wind Point Partners is a Chicago-based private equity investment firm with approximately $2 billion in assets under management. Wind Point focuses on partnering with top caliber management teams to acquire well-positioned middle market businesses where it can establish a clear path to value creation. The firm targets investments in the consumer products, industrial products, and business services sectors. Wind Point is currently investing out of Wind Point Partners VIII, a $985 million fund that was initiated in 2016. For more information, please visit www.windpointpartners.com.

ClockSpring|NRI Steps Up!

 

Setting out to walk from Manchester in the UK to Palm Beach Shores, Florida, might sound like mission impossible, but for 15 ClockSpring|NRI employees, it sounded like a great idea.

After deciding in January to raise money for local charities, the employees did some brainstorming to come up with fundraising ideas. “We wanted something that would be beneficial for our team, that would be engaging, and that would allow us to have some friendly competition,” said Managing Director Sean Connolly.

CSNRI Walk to Florida

Not content to take a traditional path toward their goal, they decided on a “walk” that would cross the Atlantic, a distance of 4,258 miles. Wanting to put a price on their efforts, they approached ClockSpring|NRI management and got a commitment for the company to donate 10 pence for every mile completed.

Gearing up to count their steps, they determined how many would be needed collectively and got down to business. They used digital step counters to count their steps and set off, tracking their progress across the “ocean” as they went.

After 13 weeks of dedicated walking, the group achieved their goal, raising £800, which they divided into contributions of £200 for four charities: St. Anne’s Hospice, Alzheimer’s Society, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Disability Challengers.

“It was a great way to raise money for deserving charities,” Connolly said, “because everybody wins.”