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PRODUCT NEWS TRIDENT’S COMPOSITE POLE AN EFFECTIVE STORM HARDENING TOOL As utili- ties continue to look for new ways to keep the power on during severe weather, reports find that the total number of minutes customers are with- out power each year has increased over time. Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Stanford University recently found that severe weather events are linked to a 5-10 percent increase in the total number of minutes customers are without power each year. The culprit is the inability of wood poles to stand up to the force of winds coupled with snow, ice, sleet, and freezing rain. Trident Industries (Chi- cago, IL), a manufacturer of composite utility poles for utility transmission and distribution, offers products with advantages over traditional materi- als such as wood, steel, and concrete. “Utilities face significant challenges following major weather events, such as thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, ice storms, and fires,” said Pe- ter Ceko, CEO of Trident Industries. “In order to safely and quickly restore power to residential and commercial customers following these events, more and more utilities are utilizing Trident products.” The report, “Assessing Changes in the Reliability of the U.S. Electric Power System,” analyzed a cross-section of utilities representing nearly 70 percent of U.S. electricity customers spanning from 2000 to 2012. Researchers pinpointed what utilities and their regulators refer to as “ma- jor events,” or events generally related to severe weather, as the principal driver for the increase.

W. R. MEADOWS’ AIR-SHIELD LMP EVALUATED BY AIR BARRIER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA W. R. MEADOWS (Hampshire, IL) has announced that its AIR-SHIELD LMP – a water-based, air/liquid barrier product – was evalu- ated by the Air Barrier Association of America and listed on its website. The announcement comes on the heels of the company’s AIR-SHIELD product having also been evaluated. ABAA is the national voice of the air barrier industry in America and is dedicated to the education of all parties involved in building construction. It also provides training to designers and contractors and offers a listing of materials and assemblies evaluated by the association. The ABAA en- sures products’ standards and requirements are up to code as guidelines continue to change. “ABAA evaluates a number of different types of air barrier materials and systems providing the industry with assurance that the listed materials meet all of the material properties being published, as well as meeting the requirements that ABAA has established,” said Russ Snow, W. R. MEAD- OWS’ building science specialist. “Having both a sheet applied and fluid applied air barrier listed with ABAA provides a choice of materials for the consultant, as well as giving them that level of comfort that the different materials and assemblies meet the industry requirements.” AIR-SHIELD LMP is formulated to act as a barrier to air and liquid mois- ture, allowing vapor to pass through it. It is suitable for new construction and retrofit applications and available in five-gallon and 55-gallon sizes.

STEPHEN LUCY , from page 3

MORE ON OWNERSHIP TRANSITION There are several means by which firm leaders can transition out of

does not necessarily make the best leader, and a failure to recognize the difference between leadership and ownership will invariably lead to firm performance problems. At some point, successful firms put people into posi- tions that take best advantage of their strengths and will most likely result in success. Choose a leader who understands how to run a business and grow it. Choose a leader who epitomizes your culture and cares about preserving those core values that have enabled your firm to succeed. Choose a leader who values your best asset, your employees, and has their respect and sup- port. “While flying by the seat of your pants might have worked when your firm was smaller, growing and perpetuating a firm requires organizational planning and division of duties that tap the business skills of your existing team or those skills that you have identified as essential to your firm’s success.” 7)When it is time to leave, let go. Possibly the single most important step, but also possibly the most difficult especially for those current leaders who may also be founders. A firm must have a clear leadership team under which to operate and creating confusion by vacillating on who is in charge or when leadership transition occurs can be both inefficient and demoralizing. For- mer leaders can still advise when called upon, but they must give up the reins so that the firm’s new leaders can act independently and confidently. CHANGE CAN BE A GOOD THING. If you have organized your firm so that there is a transparent path for assuming managerial and leadership responsi- bilities, then leadership transitions will be welcomed. When properly ex- ecuted, everyone should embrace the change in command, support the firm’s goals for the future, and enjoy the successes that lie ahead because of good planning and foresight. STEPHEN LUCY is managing principal at JQ in Dallas. Contact him at slucy@jqeng.com.

company ownership, including employee stock ownership plans, mergers and acquisitions, and selling to a private equity firm. Each of these options is addressed in Zweig Group’s forthcoming

publication, A Guide to Mergers & Acquisitions for A/E/P and Environmental Firms , an updated revision of the M&A Cookbook (2003). Use A Guide to Mergers & Acquisitions to: Learn how to prepare your A/E/P or environmental firm for a merger or acquisition Find appropriate targets and get tips for drafting a letter of intent Get strategies for conducting thorough due diligence Learn about standard transaction documents and structuring the deal Prepare for closing the deal, and learn the post- closing integration issues to look out for Read case studies of real-life mergers and acquisitions in the A/E/P and environmental industry Preorder A Guide to Mergers & Acquisitions now at ZweigGroup.com for $100 off the cover price.

THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 21, 2015, ISSUE 1120

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