Correct design basis requires deep understanding of raw material characteristics and facility conditions. Mark Hoffman, PE, PMP, Department Manager in Food and Consumer Products at SSOE Group, was recently published in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Magazine. Hoffman has over 30 years of experience in project and engineering management in the pharmaceutical processing, food processing, nutraceutical processing, bio-processing, renewable energy, ammonia refrigeration, and food ingredient industries. In his article, he explains how a consistently dependable environment for raw material storage and conveyance is imperative to practical and profitable production flow in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Continue Reading →

A roundup of tools and services that architects are using to break free from company servers and physical boundaries. Lauren Collier, Assoc. AIA, design technology section manager at SSOE Group, is featured in this article recently published in ARCHITECT Magazine. The article reviews recent industry trends related to cloud-based system use, going beyond file sharing and backup. Companies are beginning to incorporate the cloud into schematic design, project management, energy performance analysis, renderings, and other outsourced tasks. The cloud offers adept speed that releases us from our dependency on less-efficient company servers, and generating productive collaboration. Continue Reading →

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 →

The article “Selecting, Retrofitting, and Integrating Used Equipment” in Food Quality & Safety Magazine’s August/September 2014 issue serves as an informative overview on how to better choose pre-owned food processing equipment and the significant savings in capital and time it yields. Continue Reading →

The article "Effective Manufacturing Construction Project Management: On Site, and On It” in Area Development Magazine’s 3rd Quarter issue discusses how an on site owner’s representative solves problems and adds value by assuring coordination of trades and maintaining project focus. In addition, John Hernandez, Section Manager at SSOE discusses how hiring the right person for the job, whether a current employee, member of a consulting engineering firm on the project, or a member of a firm with no other project contract will save the client time, trouble, and money while completing their project. 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 →