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One of my favorite quotes/speeches comes from our 26th President of the United States, Teddy Roosevelt.  His “man in the arena” speech was given after he left the Presidency in 1910 during a visit to Paris.  It is too long to recite in its entirety here, but it begins like this:

Ah, the simple joys of summer: warm evenings on the back patio with friends, fresh tomatoes on a BLT, and the sweet smell of chlorine after a long afternoon at the local pool—it doesn’t get much better than that. But that pool-perfume we associate with swimming has more applications than just summertime fun. In fact, chlorine is a fascinating chemical, essential to everyday life, and used in the production of everything from life-saving medication to the phone in your hand. Hold on to your swim caps—let’s dive in.

It wasn’t so long ago that two thirty-somethings stood on a beach near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, witnessing the first powered flight in the history of the world. The year was 1903: Wilbur Wright was airborne for roughly three seconds. A century later, homosapiens have been transformed from a species incapable of flight to one that has walked on the moon--it’s hard to imagine so much innovation in only a few generations.

Stop, drop, and roll: most anyone who hears this phrase knows exactly what to do and why: they’re on fire! As acts of fire prevention, we clean our chimneys, install smoke detectors (and change their batteries), and instruct children never to play with matches. But is fire safety really that simple? Not exactly. And it becomes even more complicated when added risks—like proximity to flammable substances or large crowds—are part of the equation. So how can we prevent fires? Enter: the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Let’s have a little Q&A. 

Paint is pretty powerful. Not paint-ings, like Picasso or Monet. Just paint. Painting beige walls a “dusty rose” transforms a room from a boring home-office to an expectant nursery, while a coat of “sage green” on wooden cabinets takes a dated kitchen into the twenty-first century. Paint can change a familiar space into something totally unrecognizable, but it can also serve as a form of self-expression: agonizing over two shades of green allows those of us who are artistically challenged to tap into our inner Rembrandt.

Run a comb through your hair and apply a dollop of Coppertone® to your face: voila, presto, you’re ready for anything! Bring on the day, you can handle it—at least, that’s how it used to be. These days, most of us require a much more complicated beauty regimen, with North Americans spending upwards of $35 billion annually on makeup products alone. Between Instagram influencers, un-aging Hollywood celebrities, and the endless rows of cosmetics displayed at our local drugstores, it’s clear that the beauty and personal care industry is big business. But what has to happen before all...

As an example of how international engineering and performance standards can be applied to improving ship technology and functionality, the LNG bunkering vessel M/T Coralius is a fitting case.  Owned by Sirius Shipping and the Anthony Veder Group and chartered by Skangas (now Gasum), the Coralius, which completed her first bunkering operation in September 2017, contributes to an LNG infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region while boasting a fuel transfer system technology that is truly state-of-the-art.

Formed in 1978 the ASTM’s Committee F25 on Ships and Marine Technology still plays a pivotal role in developing new standards for the entire maritime industry and currently has jurisdiction over 100 standards. ASTM International works to improve the lives of millions so when it became clear that there were insufficient standards and inconsistencies in the construction of LNG bunkering hose systems it was inevitable that the marine industry would turn to them for guidance.

It might be at the time new technologies emerge in areas where there are incomplete knowledge and understanding. It could be when persistent problems reveal deficiencies in current system designs and field operating practices. Or, it might arise when a lack of comprehensive and universal standards is causing work inefficiencies – so much so that companies are needing to “reinvent the wheel” with each new customer application.

By employing Dixon’s intake manifolds, a Well Services company overcame catastrophic failures to its hydraulic fracturing fluid-ends, preventing costly operational downtime and repairs. The situation: Hydraulic fracturing operations are intense and time critical. The need for continuous and uninterrupted flow from the myriad high-pressure pump units within the “hot zone” near the well head allows little room for equipment failures.

As vice president of sales and marketing at Dixon, Scott Jones is tasked with promoting the company’s products to a global marketplace. One of Dixon’s most significant advantages over the competition, he says, is the company’s longtime emphasis on educating its distributor customers on how to properly assemble, use and re-sell its products. “We really look at training as being one of the key differentiators that we can provide to our distributors,” says Jones, who has worked at Dixon for more than 30 years. “It’s a priority for me.”

What makes a specialty contractor special? As opposed to a general contractor, a specialty contractor is someone who concentrates on one particular area of construction, such as plasterwork, site preparation, plumbing, or electrical work. Specialty contractors are often hired by general contractors and project managers for a certain level of expertise on the worksite. Many specialty contractors have received extensive training in their field of practice and must be licensed in the state in which they work. You are likely familiar with a variety of specialty contractors, but here...