|
|
|
MESSAGE FROM RICK
 It's been a long, cold winter for all of us. As the days get longer and warmer, there seems to be a renewed sense of optimism in all aspects of our lives. At RPA we are very optimistic about what lies ahead for 2011. We are seeing many signs of an improved economy - with new projects being initiated in different sectors and an increasing interest in Commissioning and Validation/Qualification services, as reported later in this update.
Over the past year, we have devoted resources to drive our capabilities and competencies. We've invested in new technology and software, including MEP AutoCAD Revit 2011 and PIPE-FLO Professional, allowing us to deliver the latest in design and analysis flexibility. RPA is currently in a hiring mode, adding skilled professionals to the RPA team to take advantage of the opportunities ahead.
I hope 2011 is a terrific year for you and your organization. Thanks for your friendship and business.
Richard P. Aulenbach, P.E.
President
|
INTEREST IN COMMISSIONING AND VALIDATION/QUALIFICATION CONTINUES TO GROW
Commissioning and Qualification has been viewed as sound engineering practice by the bio-tech and pharmaceutical industries for many years. Because of the business value, commissioning and qualification is seeing increased interest across many industries.
Commissioning is the systematic process of ensuring that all building systems perform interactively in a safe and functional environment according to the design intent and the owner's operational needs. The process runs collaboratively with the actual project, but is independent in its perspective. As an objective party, commissioning agents represent the owner's interest through planning, documenting user requirements, design reviews, installation or construction checks, start-up, performance testing, training, project documentation and turn-over.
Validation/Qualification is the process of documenting and testing equipment or processes that fall under the cGMP umbrella to provide a high degree of assurance that they will actually perform as intended while achieving identified criteria.
Commissioning and Validation/Qualification initiatives consistently prove to deliver a return on investment through more efficient operations, higher quality environments, timely identification of design and construction errors/misses, improved equipment on-time availability, and efficient system turn-over.
At RPA, our approach to managing Commissioning and Validation/Qualification assignments utilizes the years of experience our team possesses and combines widely accepted project management practices and tools with practical, real-world application. For more information about how RPA can help with your project, call Doug Schwab at 1-800-RPA-6053. |
 RPA ENGINEERING AWARDED SIX NEW HEALTHCARE RELATED PROJECTS
RPA Engineering today announced that it was selected to provide engineering and design services for six new healthcare-related projects in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Louisiana. The projects are for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Bayonne Medical Center and the Ochsner Health Center. RPA Engineering, one of Inc. 5000's top 100 Engineering Firms, is a leading engineering and design firm that specializes in services for the Healthcare Industry.
"We're excited to lend our expertise to these new projects," said Rick Aulenbach, president of RPA Engineering. "Healthcare and healthcare related-industries such as pharmaceutical and biotech have special requirements and considerations when it comes to their engineering needs. Understanding these issues allows us to provide innovative solutions and be a proactive engineering partner."
The projects awarded were:
· Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)
o 7NE Inpatient Unit Renovation, Philadelphia, PA
o High Point CHOP Care Network, Chalfont, PA
· Bayonne Medical Center, Bayonne, NJ
o Schematic Design for MicroTurbine Cogeneration Installation
· Ochsner Health Center, New Orleans, LA
o Ochsner Baton Rouge Campus
o Ochsner Summa Campus
o Ochsner Kenner Campus
"Work for all projects is expected to commence in 2011," concluded Aulenbach. |
|
RPA EMPLOYEE HIGHLIGHT - MARSHALL KLINGENSMITH
|
|
|
FRANK DECESARE JOINS RPA
Frank DeCesare joins RPA as a Project Manager. Frank has over 30 years of project management experience in manufacturing, maintenance, and facilities engineering. Frank gained his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University. His past employers include Brush Engineered Products and Florida Steel Corporation. Frank will be based in RPA's Wyomissing, Pennsylvania office. |
BRYAN FLUKE JOINS RPA
Bryan Fluke has joined the company as Commissioning Manager. He brings more than 10 years of proven biotechnology and pharmaceutical experience managing engineering and compliance processes. Bryan has extensive experience in project management, vendor management, engineering and validation, investigations, risk analysis, 3rd party management, antibody manufacturing, cell therapy manufacturing, and cGMP and cGTP compliance. Earning his chemical engineering degree from Drexel University, Bryan has worked at Merck, Valsource, and Johnson & Johnson prior to joining RPA. He is a member of the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AICHE). Bryan will be based in RPA's Valley Forge, Pennsylvania office. |
 ALEX LEE JOINS RPA
Alex Lee joins RPA as a Structural Engineer working in the Wyomissing office. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a Masters Degree in Structural Engineering. He previously held the position of Structural Engineer for Elmore Engineering Service, Inc. Alex will be based in RPA's Wyomissing, Pennsylvania office. |
|
DID YOU KNOW...
The country celebrated National Engineers Week a few weeks ago (February 20 - 26). National Engineers week was started in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers in conjunction with President George Washington's Birthday. Washington is considered the nation's first engineer. |
|
VISIT US
RPA's Chet Longenecker will be presenting jointly with Kutztown University's Tom Green, Director of Campus Energy Services, at the Spring 2011 Meeting of the Keystone Chapter of the Eastern Region of APPA (KAPPA). Longenecker will present his Kutztown University Study, "The Development of a Master Plan for Building Automation System (BAS) at Kutztown University" during the first education session on April 27. The event will take place at the Toftrees Resort in State College, Pennsylvania.
For more information on this event, visit: http://www.erappa.org/KAPPA/ |
|
|
