TechFab India is three to four months away from producing TechGrid, a 5.1 m wide weft insertion warp knitted polyester geogrid with PVC coating, the first geogrid to be manufactured in India. At the same time, TechFab is rationalizing their line of woven geotextiles. More information will be forthcoming.

Gundle/SLT Environmental, Inc. (GSE) announced on Monday, February 21, 2005, the appointment of Kelvin R. Collard to the position of Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Collard succeeds Roger J. Klatt, who is retiring effective March 3, 2005 after serving as Executive Vice President and CFO of GSE since 1994. GSE's Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer congratulate Klatt on a successful career, thank him for his past leadership and many contributions to GSE, and wish him well in retirement. Prior to joining GSE, Collard served as CFO of the American Bureau of Shipping's for-profit subsidiary, ABS Group, since 2002. He previously served as CFO of Hydrochem Industrial Services following a 13-year career with Lyondell Chemical Company and Lyondell's former parent, Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO). While at Lyondell, Collard first served as Vice President and Controller of Equistar, Lyondell's joint venture operating company, from 1997 to 1999. Following Lyondell's announced acquisition of ARCO's specialty chemical business, Collard was named Vice President-Controller of Lyondell and Equistar, where he served from 1999 to 2001. From 1994 to 1997 Collard was employed by ARCO where he served as Controller of ARCO's global Coal Division, Manager of Corporate Accounting Policy from 1992 to 1994, and Manager of Financial Reporting and Control of ARCO's Lyondell Division from 1989 to 1992. He began his career as a Staff Auditor with Coopers & Lybrand (C&L) in 1981, earning promotion to Senior Auditor in 1983 and Audit Manager in 1985 before leaving the firm to join ARCO in 1989. Collard earned his Bachelors in Business Administration degree in Accounting from Lamar University in 1980 and is a Certified Public Accountant. Collard is 47 years of age.

CALL TO THE GEO-COMMUNITY: In the newest issue of Better Roads magazine (Feb 2005, vol 75, issue 2) thirteen pages are dedicated to two articles titled Balancing Repairs with Prevention and Erosion Assaults on the Unpaved Road. Geosynthetics are mentioned briefly only twice! Clearly, we need to better educate road engineers at the grass roots level and increase the scope of geosynthetics use. A RESPONSE: Elizabeth and Lara, Your post regarding a lack of geosynthetic information in the recent Better Roads article is apt. Currently, GFR is compiling a couple roads articles built on responding to the information generally published about road design--e.g., proper drainage--but adding those solutions normally passed over--e.g., geosynthetic drainage products. Other materials and design strategies will be addressed too, such as paving fabric, geogrid reinforcement, soil consolidation, etc. The editors invite contributions from the field. Interested geosynthetica.net readers and underwriters should contact Christopher Kelsey at gfr@ifai.com, +1 651 225 6988. Participation is welcomed through March 15. - Christopher Kelsey, Editor GFR

The European GeoMembranes Association's (EGMA) mission is to represent and promote the interests of its industry and be its voice vis-à-vis the European institutions. Learn more here.;

OMV, Central Europe's leading oil and gas group, is planning a strategic divestment of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Polyfelt, the world's largest manufacturer of geotextiles. The reason for OMV's decision to separate is that Polyfelt's increasing focus on geosynthetics does not fit into OMV's business model. However, both sides will benefit from the split. "The divestment creates a win-win situation for both sides," said OMV associate managing director Gerhard Roiss. "OMV, as an integrated oil and gas group, will be in a position to concentrate more on developing its core business. Polyfelt will be able to focus more strongly on its international growth." OMV says the forthcoming negotiations will be conducted confidentially in 2005, and that they are committed to finding an investor that is fully supportive of the company developing its position internationally. They also want to ensure that the buyers have a sustainable and profitable investment plan that will safeguard Polyfelt's Linz headquarters. "We are committed to ensure that Polyfelt takes a partner that will uphold the company's values and support strategic growth in geosynthetics," says Gerhard Roiss. Polyfelt is stil growing; the latest sales office will be opened in New Delhi and will help the company to gain a foothold in the booming Indian market for geotextiles. At the beginning of the second quarter this year, a unique manufacturing plant with 9,500 tons per year for high performance geotextiles will go into operation in Linz. This €11 million investment will increase production capacity for geotextiles and further develop the company's technology. After the commissioning of the new plant, global production capacity will reach some 40,000 tons a year.

SI Corporation, manufacturer of foundation and stabilization fabrics for the furnishings and construction materials markets announces its new research and development center is up and running in Dalton. SI is centering the company’s current R&D specialists under one roof and hiring new experts as well. The company expects the investment in the scientific side of the business to give it a competitive edge in its core markets. According to Davis Lee, Director of R&D, “Developing innovative products on an on going basis is much more than an economic or business strategy decision. It requires market input and a collaborative effort with key customers, industry advisors and our own development team. And now, by pulling all of our R&D talent into one location, we anticipate the ability to speed up the process of bringing new solutions to our customers. With our new center located in Dalton, we have easy access to our largest customer base for collaboration and feedback.” The most recent additions to the R&D center are Andy Sebastian, a PhD in Emulsion Polymers from London Metropolitan University. He joins SI from Dupont and now serves as a technical advisor. Joe Robinson, now head of new product development initiatives for SI, comes from Dupont and graduated from the University of Tennessee.

Titled "World Markets for Nonwovens and Other Unspun Products to 2010", a major new market report published by International Newsletters, has been produced by experts assembled by the internationally renowned organization Comite International de la Rayonne et des Fibres Synthetiques (CIRFS). The report is now available to non-members of the organization for the first time. "World Markets for Nonwovens and Other Unspun Products to 2010" examines the global market for nonwovens and other unspun products, and provides a comprehensive set of projections to 2010. In particular, the report examines: product categories and production technologies; the quality and properties of fibres; manufacturing processes; technological change; the costs of production; production, trade and consumption by region; and future developments and strategies. The report includes 68 detailed tables forecasting production, trade and consumption in Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East over the first decade of the 21st century. Full details of the report including a full contents listing and list of tables are given at the link below. Learn more here.;

Performing a Liner Leak Location Survey in a Confined Space: Some Observations, written by Ian Peggs, I-CORP INTERNATIONAL.

International Newsletters has launched a new website, Performance-Materials.Net. A partner website to International Newsletters' technical textiles site, Performance Materials.Net is an information source for those interested in research, development, manufacture and applications of advanced ceramics, composites, plastics and biomedical materials.

Advanced Drainage Systems Inc. (ADS), the world’s largest manufacturer of corrugated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe, has announced plans to open four new manufacturing facilities located in the United States, Puerto Rico and Mexico. All plants will be operational within the next six to nine months. ADS currently operates 21 domestic and five international plants, along with 28 distribution centers in the United States. Since first introducing corrugated HDPE pipe in 1966, ADS has led the industry in production and product development servicing the stormwater management industry. With growing approvals and acceptance, these announced plant expansions follow a long line of strategic growth. “In the last 15 years, we have experienced solid growth as the civil construction industry has embraced the substantial features and benefits of our N-12® pipe and related fittings and structures,” said Joe Chlapaty, president and chief executive officer of ADS. “Our products have shown substantial benefits in both cost and performance compared to corrugated steel and reinforced concrete pipe.”