Author Archives: Meredith Portman

About Meredith Portman

Meredith Portman is a freelance writer who specializes in heavy industry, healthcare and education.

THE POWER TO CHOOSE

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Meredith Portman

Yesterday was election day, but since it was an off-year, there were few races across the country. Therefore, those few in New Jersey, Virginia, Alabama and New York City garnered plenty of attention. Elections underscore our freedom of choice. We … Continue reading →

Posted in Chemical, Refinery | Tagged Crawler cranes, innovative engineering, Modular Tailing Tower, petrochemical | Leave a comment

THE VALUE OF RECOGNITION

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Meredith Portman

Recently, Barnhart made the Engineering News-Record’s list of Top 600 Specialty Contractors for 2013 ranked at number 45. That honor means it was a good year for Barnhart. Companies are ranked according to revenue from 2012. That good news seems to … Continue reading →

Posted in Awards, Nuclear Power | Tagged Entergy Grand Gulf, nuclear power, safety, SCRA Job of the Year, Top 600 Specialty Contractors | Leave a comment

AGING WIND TURBINES: PAY NOW OR PAY MORE LATER

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Meredith Portman

In a recent article on website North American Wind Power, author John Clark cites statistics from the American Wind Energy Association that nearly $40 billion worth of wind installations in the U.S. came out of warranty in 2011. Another 50% of … Continue reading →

Posted in News, Power | Tagged maintenance, North American Wind Power, renewable energy, Wind turbine | Leave a comment

HEAVY HAUL MAKES NEWS IN TENNESSEE

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Meredith Portman

An ambitious hauling project was big news in Tennessee in August. Barnhart was involved in transporting a mammoth absorption column, 14 feet in diameter and 140 feet long, from Knoxville to the U.S. Nitrogen plant site in Greenville, Tenn. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Chemical, Heavy Haul, News | Tagged Barnhart Crane, gantry system, Heavy Haul, heavy transport, Knoxille, TN., U.S. Nitrogen | Leave a comment

FIELD OF GLORY

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Meredith Portman

Today marks the 12th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States that took 3,000 innocent lives. While the impact of that horrific event has lessened over the years, the images and accounts are unforgettable. Of the many … Continue reading →

Posted in Featured | Tagged Flight 93, PA, Shanksville | 1 Comment

FACT OR FICTION?

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Meredith Portman

A recent article on thoughtcatalog.com, describes the “23 Things Everyone Believes that Have Been Disproven by MythBusters.” Here are just a few goodies. Dropping a penny off the side of the Empire State Building could kill someone. No, it couldn’t. … Continue reading →

Posted in Educational, Featured | Tagged goldhofer trailer, heavy lift, MythBusters, SC&RA Rigging Job of the Year, specialty rigging, thoughtcatalog.com | 1 Comment

PROGRAM HELPS BARNHART ADD JOBS IN MEMPHIS

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Meredith Portman

Barnhart, based in Memphis, was awarded an 11-year Payment-in-Lieu-of-Tax (PILOT) tax incentive in June that will add 20 new jobs and expand the company’s presence in that city. The PILOT was awarded by the Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged Barnart Crane Memphis, Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and Shelby County, EDGE, PILOT | 1 Comment

BARNHART EFFICIENCY AT WORK IN KENTUCKY

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Meredith Portman

Barnhart’s new team in the Ohio Valley is in the middle of a major project for a chemical plant in Calvert City, Kentucky. The team was hired to offload, move and set three chemical columns weighing up to 200,000 lbs. … Continue reading →

Posted in Chemical, News | Tagged Calvert City, chemical plant, gantries, goldhofer trailer, heavy lift, Kentucky | Leave a comment

BARNHART MOVES BERTHA IN AN “ENGINEERING MARVEL”

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Meredith Portman

A mammoth project is underway in Seattle to replace the Alaska Way Viaduct with a new State Route 99. To dig the tunnel that goes beneath the city, the contractor brought in the world’s largest Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) ever … Continue reading →

Posted in Commercial, News | Tagged Alaska Way Viaduct, Bertha, goldhofer trailer, heavy lift, Heavy Lift Cranes, modular lift tower | 1 Comment

MOVING HISTORY

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Meredith Portman

When the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis started a major renovation in November 2012, they were looking for a company that had experience moving sculptures and fragile and delicate items. They turned to Barnhart because we not only successfully … Continue reading →

Posted in Featured | Tagged forklift, heavy lift, moving historical items, moving sculptures, National Civil Rights Museum | Leave a comment