Holloway Deal Sealed
Trenton Pipe Nipple Company has been sold to the former president of JOSAM, a manufacturer of plumbing drainage products. The buyer, Stephen J. Holloway, brings extensive experience and contacts in the Asian supply market. Founded in 1911, Trenton Pipe, based in Federalsburg, Md., sells its brass products to plumbing, waterworks, well water, irrigation, pool supply and boiler companies. Holloway was one of 68 prospective suitors for the company.

Liberty Pumps’ Regional Meet
Liberty Pumps held its western regional sales meeting Nov. 2 in Phoenix, Ariz. The regional meeting provided hands-on training and featured live product demonstrations of Liberty’s extensive line. Over 30 western U.S. reps attended the two day meeting.

PHCC Donates to U.S. Soldiers in Iraq
The Gulf Coast chapter of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association in Houston sent special troop care packages to more than 100 U.S. troops stationed in Iraq. The personal hygiene products sent were donated by PHCC members during their third annual cruise and expo. Capt. Joe Benson expressed his gratitude in a note. “Thank you very much. Your gifts are greatly appreciated. I can’t express how much it means to the soldiers and me to receive items of support from people other than our own family members.

Prize Winning Pump Design
The man behind Grundfos’ SmartFlo SQ and SQE pump systems has been recognized with a design award. Niels Due Jensen, group chairman at Grundfos Pumps Corp., received the Equipment Design Award from the National Ground Water Association. Awards committee chairman Thomas Downey said the nominee was a step above the others. “Mr. Jensen exemplifies the type of professionalism and devotion to bettering our industry that the NGWA Awards Committee searches for each year.” The winning pumps provide constant water pressure for homes, irrigation systems and small commercial applications.

Lochinvar Joins Reading Initiative
Nashville area elementary students are cracking the books for the annual “Stick To Reading=Succeeding” program, thanks to teamwork from Lochinvar Corp. and the Nashville Predators. One aspect of the motivational program is the All-Star Reading Challenge, which rewards students with prizes for reading books. “Through our partnership with the Predators and the annual ‘Stick to Reading’ program, we aim to help area students discover the joy and excitement that reading can bring to their daily lives,” said Lochinvar president Bill Vallett.

Copper is IN—and OUT
Copper remains high on many thieves’ must-have lists. Vacant homes in the Denver metro area have become the latest target for thieves who are breaking into the homes to steal copper pipes. One of the latest thefts happened over the holidays at a house that was up for sale. Homeowner Ray Ress had been trying to sell his home for the last nine months and didn’t think there was anything of value left inside. “Everything they stole is underneath the house,” said Ress, after discovering the missing plumbing. He estimated that 70 to 80 feet of pipes, valued at about $650, were stolen. The price of copper has reportedly doubled in the last year. Denver police said copper thefts are at an all time high in the area. In May, Governor Bill Ritter signed a bill requiring scrap yards to keep track of who they buy copper from, with the hope is that better records will lead to more arrests.

Colo. Fire Totals Plumbing Business
A large fire collapsed a plumbing office Jan. 5 on the west side of Colorado Springs. At least five engines and several crews responded to the call at Johnson Heating and Plumbing. Firefighters say gusty winds made it difficult to get under control. No one was in the building at the time. The general manager said the company had been in business for 20 years, seven at the current location. Preliminary reports indicated the building is a total loss. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Steaming Swedes
A Swedish company plans to harness the body heat generated by thousands of commuters scrambling to catch their trains at Stockholm’s main railway station and use it for heating a nearby office building. Real estate firm Jernhusen AB believes the system can provide about 15 percent of the heating needed for a 13-story building being built next to the Central Station in the Swedish capital. “It just came up at a coffee meeting last summer. Somebody suggested: why not do something with all this heat in the station?” project leader Karl Sundholm said. About 250,000 people pass through the station every day. The idea is to have large ventilators in the station suck in the warm air and use it to heat up water, which will then be shipped through pipes to the new building.

ACE DuraFlo Espana Expands
ACE DuraFlo Espana, an international affiliate of the Irvine-Calif. based ACE DuraFlo Systems, will open three new operations throughout Spain. The pipe restoration business is expanding into Madrid, Barcelona and Malaga, in addition to its headquarters in Zaragoza.  President of ADF Espana, Jesus Naudin said, “Our goal is to increase in size through the middle of 2008.” Naudin also announced plans to participate this summer in Zaragoza Expo, the world’s first expo on water and sustainable development. The United Nations, the European Union and more than 100 countries are expected to take part.