WWEMA Window: Manufacturers Reps Are Working To Advance The Industry — Come Hear How At WEFTEC 2017
By Carl Janson, Riordan Materials Corporation
What is the perspective of today’s market from the view of a manufacturer’s representative marketing a diverse line of water and wastewater treatment products, along with pumps, solids handling/dewatering equipment, and infrastructure assessment? The market continues to be challenging with the need for facility upgrades and improvements far exceeding the funds available either through bond issues or grants. Municipal utility authorities and cities continue to prioritize their needs for improvements and the handling of system/equipment emergency repairs as needed. We are all hopeful that the federal and state governments will provide more funding for infrastructure — not just for bridges and roads, but also for the water and wastewater treatment facilities. We are seeing an increased focus on companies that offer services that evaluate system infrastructure for both water and wastewater facilities.
There have been fewer projects in design because of funding limitations. This creates increased competition in our industry. With my involvement in the Water Environment Federation’s (WEF’s) Manufacturers and Representative Committee, I have been focusing on preparing the technical session that will be presented at WEFTEC 2017 in Chicago — “Developing Project Specifications: Know and Get the Quality Equipment You Want Through Better Specs”. We have lined up several well-respected industry, legal, and municipal professionals to present their viewpoints during the session. After their presentations, we will have a roundtable discussion with session attendees. We provided a similar session at WEFTEC 2016 and it was well attended and was one of the top-rated technical sessions. We are looking forward to a successful and well-attended session in Chicago. As an active member of the Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association (WWEMA) and WEF, we believe it is important to provide quality equipment at a competitive price that meets or exceeds the requirements of both the consulting industry and their municipal/industrial clients. Plan now to attend this informative and interactive session!
Carl E. Janson is a WEF Fellow and President of Riordan Materials Corporation. He also serves as Chair of the WWEMA Manufacturers Rep Council and an ex-officio member of the WWEMA Board of Directors. For more information about WWEMA, go to www.wwema.org.