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Hargrove Controls & Automation to Present at 2024 Mary Kay O’Connor Safety & Risk Conference

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Hargrove Controls & Automation will participate in the 2024 Mary Kay O’Connor Safety & Risk Conference, which will take place October 22-24 in College Station, Texas. Process safety specialists Chet Barton and Karen Morton will represent Hargrove Controls & Automation and share insights on modern safety standards and risk assessments in industrial processes.

MOBILE, Ala., Sept. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Hargrove Controls & Automation, a leading industrial automation system integrator and a subsidiary of global EPC firm Hargrove Engineers & Constructors, announces today its participation in the 2024 Mary Kay O’Connor Safety & Risk Conference, held in association with IChemE. The event, taking place from October 22-24, 2024, in College Station, Texas, will focus on this year’s theme “Safe and Sustainable Energy Transition: Making Safety Second Nature.”

“This conference is one of the largest gatherings of safety professionals and facility owners. It provides a unique platform to engage in deep discussions about critical topics that shape our industry.”

This year, Hargrove will be represented by two of its top process safety specialists: Chet Barton, PE, FS Expert (TÜV Rheinland), Process Safety Leader, and Karen Morton, PE, FS Eng (TÜV Rheinland), SIS Technical Consultant.

Returning for a second consecutive year, Chet Barton will deliver a presentation titled, “This Isn’t Your Grandfather’s SIS (It’s Time to Retire the Grandfather Clause).” With his extensive expertise in process safety, Barton will explore the evolving role of the Grandfather Clause within the framework of modern safety standards and regulations.

“This conference is one of the largest gatherings of safety professionals and facility owners,” said Barton. “It provides a unique platform to engage in deep discussions about critical topics that shape our industry. The Grandfather Clause is often a point of confusion, as many professionals are uncertain about its relevance in today’s regulatory environment. I’m eager to share why it’s imperative to move beyond outdated standards and focus on continuous safety improvements.”

Making her debut at the conference, Karen Morton will present “Crediting Fired Equipment Protection Systems in Process Hazard Analysis.” Her presentation will focus on the importance of accurately crediting safeguards in Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), particularly those aligned with NFPA standards, to ensure accurate risk assessments and regulatory compliance.

“In my experience, understanding the relationship between burner management systems and Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) often poses significant challenges for industry professionals,” said Morton. “Properly crediting these systems in applicable PHA scenarios is one key to obtaining a comprehensive risk assessment. My presentation will examine three NFPA fired equipment standards to understand how compliant systems may reduce the residual risk in a scenario.”

Morton’s presentation will focus on the key considerations for crediting fired equipment protection systems, including those compliant with NFPA 85, NFPA 86, and NFPA 87 standards. She will discuss the benefits of accurate risk assessment, the importance of analyzing system effectiveness, and the critical need for maintaining system integrity through rigorous maintenance and testing procedures.

About Hargrove Controls & Automation

Hargrove Controls & Automation, a CSIA Certified system integrator, is a subsidiary of Hargrove Engineers & Constructors, a global EPC firm. The company is one of few multi-service automation groups in the country for plant automation, safety systems, industrial internet of things and industrial digitalization. Since its inception in 2012, the Hargrove Controls & Automation’s team has grown to over 130 control systems engineers and specialists across 18 offices. The team consists of panel builders, instrumentation designers, programmers, certified process safety engineers and process control engineers specializing in DCS/PLC/SIS system integration, IT/OT, Industry 4.0, and cybersecurity. Client satisfaction and project success earned the company placement as Control Engineering Magazine’s 2022 System Integrator of the Year. For more information, visit Hargrove Controls & Automation’s website and LinkedIn.

Founded in Mobile, Alabama in 1995, Hargrove Engineers & Constructors is a full-service EPC, automation, life sciences, and technical services firm whose success stems from building the most talented engineers and construction professionals while maintaining long-term client relationships. For more information about Hargrove, please visit hargrove-epc.com.

Media Contact

Kalyn Andrews, Hargrove Controls & Automation, 251.375.5948, Kandrews@hargrove-epc.com, https://hargrove-epc.com/ 

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SOURCE Hargrove Controls & Automation

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Crab2B Makes AsiaWorld-Expo Debut, Connecting Hong Kong’s Mobile Wholesalers with Global Buyers

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HONG KONG, Oct. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Crab2B, a pioneering B2B trading platform dedicated to mobile devices and digital products, will make its debut at the HKICEC Global Mobile Exchange Pavilion during the Global Sources Hong Kong Shows, opening at AsiaWorld-Expo on October 18, 2026.

Hong Kong has long been a major hub for electronics wholesale trade, but buyers still often rely on fragmented channels to identify suppliers. Crab2B was created to bridge this gap, bringing Hong Kong-based mobile and digital product wholesalers together on one dedicated B2B platform. Headquartered in Hong Kong, Crab2B combines the manufacturing strength of mainland China and the Greater Bay Area’s extensive supply chain capabilities with Hong Kong’s established global trading network. Together, these strengths enable Crab2B to simplify cross-border sourcing, connect buyers directly with suppliers and make international trade more accessible and efficient.

For its first appearance at a major industry trade show, Crab2B is bringing together more than 200 merchants already registered on the platform, marking a significant milestone in its development. The Crab2B booth is expected to attract electronics traders from Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East and beyond. Visitors will be able to discover the app’s capabilities through live demonstrations, register on the platform and connect directly with participating merchants to explore business opportunities.

A buyer who experienced the Crab2B app shared: “With Crab2B, we no longer have to search far and wide for reliable suppliers. The platform brings Hong Kong’s mobile phone wholesalers together in one place, giving us greater visibility into available products and sourcing opportunities. Whether I’m at my desk or on the move, I can find products and connect with suppliers whenever I need to. For businesses like ours that source across borders, that kind of access makes a real difference. It saves time, reduces transaction costs and helps us do business more efficiently.”

Crab2B CEO Luo Yaohong said, “We want to be pioneers in cross-border B2B trading for digital products, creating new opportunities for Hong Kong’s wholesale industry. As Hong Kong places greater emphasis on developing digital trade, we’re addressing a longstanding gap in the market with a dedicated digital platform that connects Hong Kong’s electronics suppliers directly with buyers around the world. Our ambition is to make cross-border trading easier, faster and more accessible, while helping Hong Kong businesses reach new markets.”

The platform’s trade show debut is also attracting attention from international merchants, with exhibitors expressing interest in joining Crab2B to expand their reach into overseas markets. Meanwhile, merchants already registered on the platform are looking forward to the launch of its planned online marketplace, which will create further opportunities for sustained collaboration and business growth.

Building on this debut, Crab2B will remain firmly rooted in Hong Kong while expanding its connections with businesses around the world. The company will continue to enhance its platform with smarter sourcing tools, more comprehensive trading capabilities and an increasingly connected network of suppliers and buyers. By making it easier to discover products, establish business relationships and conduct cross-border transactions, Crab2B aims to open new opportunities for merchants of all sizes and help shape the next chapter of Hong Kong’s digital trade industry.

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Canton Fair Buyers Alliance Launched as the 140th Edition Opens

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GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On October 15, the Canton Fair Buyers Alliance was officially launched at the Canton Fair Complex, marking a significant milestone as the fair celebrates the 70th anniversary of its founding.

More than 140 overseas buyers attended the launch ceremony, highlighting the fair’s enduring role as a bridge connecting global commerce with China’s export sector.

Speaking at the ceremony, Luís Vilariça, CEO of Joinco, Import & Export, Ltd., discussed his company’s long-standing relationship with the Canton Fair. Drawing on years of participation, he reflected on the growth opportunities created through cooperation with Chinese suppliers and highlighted the fair’s role in supporting international business development and global trade exchanges.

The ceremony also featured a joint declaration by alliance members. Representatives from five member companies read the statement in their respective native languages, underscoring the international character of the new organization. Additional members sent video congratulatory messages, joining the celebration and witnessing the official launch of the alliance.

The Canton Fair Buyers Alliance represents one of the fair’s key service innovations. Designed primarily for Fortune Global 500 companies, buyers from the world’s top 250 retailers and leading sourcing enterprises across a diverse range of markets, the alliance aims to offer members a platform for information sharing and resource coordination. The first cohort of alliance members includes 58 companies from 32 countries and regions across 5 continents. Through the alliance, members will gain access to a range of priority benefits spanning four major areas: services, events, resources and information.

 For more convenient attendance, please click here for pre-registration:

https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16

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SOURCE Canton Fair

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Bioethanol from human hair – Indian start-up’s solution to rising prices of grains and sugar

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GUJARAT, India, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In what could be called the beginning of the 5G (fifth-generation) of bioethanol or non-cellulosic bioethanol or non-sugar-based biofuels, an Indian start-up, Techofest Global, based out of Gujarat, has developed its own, indigenous, and patented technology for the production of bioethanol from waste human hair. Such processes would significantly reduce the employment of sugars, grains, and agricultural residues, which form the classical first- and second-generation bioethanol feedstocks. As a result, the rising fuel-vs.-food/fodder debate is anticipated to reduce, and instead, ethanol produced from municipal/industrial waste, after trials, can supplement the current supply being used as blends with presently retailed fossil fuels (E20, E27, etc.). 

As stated by Dr. Ravi, the founder-CEO of Techofest Global, the strategic priority and the USP of the start-up is industrial symbiosis, which, typically, involves an ecosystem of up-cycling/valorising the effluents of an industry, thereby creating a value-chain for residues often lacking an end-of-life. With more than three decades of experience in designing customized nuclear fusion reactors for international programmes, such as ITER, JET/UKAEA and SST-1, Dr. Ravi, a seasoned mechanical engineer, spearheads the start-up’s patented technologies’ scale-up and commercialization.

Two biochemical engineers, Dr. Navnit – the former CTO, and Dr. Kabilan – the former CEO of Biomakerz, Chennai, are the brains behind the current technology/process portfolio of the joint-venture between Techofest Global and Biomakerz. They have been working on biorefineries’ process intensification for more than a decade. “Having foreseen the fuel-vs-fodder/food competition as early as the year 2015, we began developing techno-economically feasible and viable in-vitro metabolically-engineered bioprocesses for scaling-up ethanol production from municipal waste streams between 2019–2021”, says Navnit. After developing operational technologies for international biofuel organizations, serving process engineer roles with certain biorefineries-related OMC R&D’s of India, Dr. Navnit, presently works for a premier academic institution.

An on-going fermentation trial at the Techofest Global-Biomakerz JV’s R&D facility

Techofest Global has developed and tested, in its R&D JV’s pilot-facility of ~100-L, 3 innovative and cost-effective technologies, such as 5G ethanol production using human hair, used cooking oil (UCO), and enriched bio-methane production from disposed sanitary napkins.

“With massive CapEx and OpEx, 2G ethanol technology is facing a major commercialization bottleneck, owing to competition with food/livestock fodder, requirement of a cost-intensive pre-treatment procedure, and the requirement of cellulolytic cocktails, which have a poor recycle efficiency. The proprietary 5G SAFE process developed for the start-up circumvents the mentioned constraints, and instead, utilizes a single-stage saccharification followed by fermentation, and records over 85–90% biocatalyst recovery. Likewise, the proprietary SIM process for bio-methane production, exclusively developed for the start-up, is 2x faster with improved intermittent feeding cycles and continuous gas harvest”, says Navnit.

“With on-going pre-commercialization trials, the proprietary ethanol and bio-methane processes of ours are soon being commercialized”, says Ms. Bhumika, the co-founder and the corporate advisor of the start-up. Furthermore, Mr. Ronak pilots the organization’s global market entry and commercialization frontier.

Techofest Global’s veteran Principal Technology Advisors include: Dr VS Tripathi, former Joint Director, DRDE Gwalior, Dr B S Munjal, former Director, Structures and Thermal group, SAC/ISRO, Academician and Advisor CIKS-Dharohar, GTU, and Dr AV Santhanababu, former Scientist at Satish Dhawan Space Centre. With on-going R&D activities, Dr. Munjal says, “the start-up is striving to provide a unique solution along the lines of the Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat Vision 2047”.

Media Contact: www.techofestglobal.com; e-mail: info@techofestglobal.com; contact person: The PR team of Techofest Global.

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