carbon steel prices, and oil prices
have all had serious run-ups in price.
Each of these commodities has come
back "down to earth" as some of the
business analysts had forecasted.
in its infancy. The Department of
Energy has funded fi ve groups with
grants to prepare pilot plants for
processing of "cellulosic ethanol".
Most of the developers in the ethanol
market have been weeded out of the
market and now the larger players in
the industry are participating on a
much "larger plant capacity scale".
along, though outputs are not very large
for capacity. Not many projects can be
fi nanced until prices drop in soybean
markets and related oil. Solar generation
continues to build momentum in the
Western United States.
Recently, an article from GenMarkets
magazine pointed out that as of July 22,
2008, information from the American
Wind Energy Association will be
announcing that the United States will
pass Germany as the World's biggest
energy producer sometime in 2009.
will take place in the United States when
it comes to the way energy is produced
and transmitted. Future generations
will have homes and businesses
powered by solar and wind energy,
in addition to the traditional means
of coal and nuclear generation.
their "fi ngers on the pulse" of new
renewable energy projects and look
forward to continued involvement in
this emerging and exciting market
for many years to come.
is currently producing at a capacity of
more than 8 billion gallons. In 2008,
plants under construction represented
5.2 billion gallons of annual nameplate
capacity, thanks in part to some major
additions this month. Archer Daniels
Midland Co. (ADM), the largest single
producer of ethanol in the world, has
ethanol plants under construction in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Columbus,
Nebraska. Scheck Mechanical Wisconsin
Corporation (SMWC) was awarded
the pipe fabrication packages for both
projects. Each of the plants will
produce an additional 275 million
gallons (1.04 billion liters) of the
corn-based fuel each year.
boom, quality fabricators are in demand.
As a result, SMWC has seen unprece-
dented growth, and continues to
enhance its state-of-the-art fabrication
capabilities. This has led to a major
upgrades, and the addition of
outstanding personnel.
in Iowa and Nebraska, SMWC logged
more than 75,900 hours in an 18 month
period. The fabrication shop also
completed large projects for Poet
Design and Construction, GE Oil and
Gas, Allied Environmental, and other
new customers throughout the Midwest.
to enhance our fabrication capabilities
and meet the needs of our growing
national customer base," said Larry
Seidl, VP of Operations for Scheck's
Wisconsin business unit. "Our Team
works closely with Local 400 to train
and supply quality pipe fi tters for
our growing work force. We have
established strong working relationships
with our Local Union partners."
allowing the company to take on multiple projects and manage them with a single team in a controlled and productive
environment. In 2008, Scheck expanded its fabrication capabilities by opening an additional fabrication facility in
Joliet, Illinois. "With our headquarters located here in the Chicago area for the past 25 years, we are proud to have
this new facility to provide additional employment opportunities for local pipe fi tters," said Chris Scheck, who oversees
the fabrication business units. "It also offers cost saving alternatives for our current and future clients in the Chicago
area by utilizing shop vs. fi eld fabrication. With such a skilled labor force in Pipe Fitters Local 597 & Local 422,
we look forward to continuing that long term working relationship for years to come."
and modular fabrication