Pressure Pipe Breaks The Record
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada - April 20, 2002 - The Pressure Pipe Inspection Company, along with its partners, have just become the first to win the Ontario government's coveted Global Traders Central Region Partnership Award for two years in a row. The award, which recognizes outstanding alliances between suppliers and exporters of services, singled out Pressure Pipe's partnership with Queen's University and InvoDane Engineering Ltd. in developing its exclusive technology to inspect pipeline systems.
"We're hoping to go on and win the provincial finals again this year," said Pressure Pipe President Brian Mergelas. Last year, the company won the Market Expansion Service Award and the Partnership Award of Merit, as well as receiving an honourable mention for the Award for Innovation.
This latest win tops a string of successes for Pressure Pipe. In the past year, the Mississauga company has made two acquisitions: Pipeline Technologies, a leading acoustic monitoring company out of Scottsdale, Arizona, and Interactive Engineering, a Markham-based firm specializing in Geographic Information Systems. It has also won six other national, provincial and industry awards, and was ranked fourth in Profit Magazine's list of Canada's 50 Hottest Startups.
Mergelas founded the company in 1997 after working with Professor David Atherton at Queen's University to develop a unique technology for inspecting concrete pipes used in water supply systems. Until then, most inspections were performed physically or by using sound waves to detect breaks and corrosion. Pressure Pipe's technology used electromagnetic waves, which was much more accurate. The technology identifies sections of pipe that need to be repaired, thereby saving replacement costs.
"There is over $40 billion worth of underground concrete water pipes in North America alone," said Mergelas. "Most pipeline systems worldwide are old and in need of attention. Inspections like ours help ensure that the pipes are stable and can handle water flow without rupturing. We also help cut down on unnecessary repair costs for governments and taxpayers."
Pressure Pipe's services are now used extensively by governments across Canada, the U.S. and Africa in ensuring stable water pipeline systems. "We plan to continue our growth by expanding into Mexico and South America," said Mergelas.
The Pressure Pipe Inspection Company Ltd. was founded in 1997. The company, which started with one employee, has grown to over 50 employees and continues to expand on a global level.
About PPIC
A world leader in large diameter water and wastewater pipeline condition assessment, the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company (PPIC) offers forward looking solutions to help customers address aging infrastructure challenges in a reliable and cost effective manner. Our innovative services pinpoint damaged sections of a pipeline to help optimize infrastructure investments, stop leaks, reduce risk and ensure compliance. PPIC has inspected over 6,000 miles of critical pipeline assets over the past decade. For more information, visit www.ppic.com.
For more information, contact:
Michael Stadnyckyj
the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company
+1 905-624-1040 x 301
mstad@ppic.com