Third party assessments can provide crucial insights. Peter Wilmarth, RA, an architect at SSOE Group with over 35 years of experience, offers his thoughts as to how those of us in the chemical industry can gain insight from the West Fertilizer plant explosion in his recent Chemical Processing Magazine publication. The tragic blast occurred in 2013 in West, Texas — killing 15 people and injuring over 160 — and elevated the issue of safety in relation to hazardous industrial processes. Continue Reading →

David Young and Jim Swope, PMP, senior project managers at SSOE Group, wrote a newly published article in Food Manufacturing Magazine discussing the advantages of pre-owned manufacturing equipment and some of the challenges related to its utilization. Between food and personnel safety, operational productivity, and overall integrity, there is a lot to think about in relation to equipment. Choosing the right used equipment can significantly cut costs while also shortening lead time—a winning combination serving to improve the bottom line without sacrificing quality. Continue Reading →

Senior Project Manager Jens Ebert is featured in a two-part article series on front-end loading (FEL) in a recent edition of ChemInfo Magazine. Part I of Jens' article examines the process of FEL that involves developing sufficient project definition so that owners can make investment decisions, minimize risk and maximize the potential for success, and how to begin the process. Part II continues the discussion of FEL II and III as well as a cost-benefit analysis for this project management process. Continue Reading →

Three of SSOE’s chemical experts, Rick Beaman, Eric Hopkins, and Cliff Reese are featured in the June 2013 issue of Chemical Processing Magazine. Within, they discuss effective measures to remove complexities Continue Reading →

SSOE’s Rick Beaman, PE and Cliff Reese, PE are featured in Chemical Engineering magazine’s December 2012 issue. Numerous cost and processing challenges surround coal gasification, but the technology is becoming more prevalent in petroleum-poor areas. Continue Reading →

SSOE’s Cliff Reese, PE and Bruce Taylor of Midland Engineering are featured in Hydrocarbon Processing magazine’s November 2012 issue. The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is implementing special initiative programs that target companies in the petroleum and chemical industries Continue Reading →