Forefathers

Roger Bissonnette

Roger Bissonnette, a civil engineer and trenchless rehabilitation contractor, founded Logiball, Inc. in the early 1980s. Roger was searching for equipment suited for his needs and after attending various trade shows and consulting specialized magazines, he still had not found what he was looking for. Therefore, he decided to design and build the equipment he required himself. Roger was a long-time member of NASSCO, NASTT & WEF – some of his innovations have been recognized by NASTT & WEF. Roger worked tirelessly for many years as a contractor and manufacturer. In 2002, he retired as President of Logiball and kept close ties with the team in place. His greatest contribution to the industry is the development of different grouting packers and refinement of the Lateral Test & Seal Grouting Packers used worldwide.

Pete Fleetwood

Pete Fleetwood began his career in the sewer industry in January 1971 working for Video Pipe Grouting in Exton, Pennsylvania. Starting out as a laborer, Fleetwood worked as a grouter for seven years. He returned to the industry in 1980 to work for Video Industrial Services in Birmingham, Alabama. After five years, Fleetwood moved to California to work for National Plant Services. After Carylon Corp. purchased Bio-nomic in 1990, he moved to North Carolina to run the new company. In 1999, Fleetwood began grouting service work with the west coast company and was instrumental in the development of Logiball’s Longitudinal Packer. Developed to seal pipe fractures, Bio-nomic was the first company to try the new design in Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina.

Fleetwood led the construction and development of the Grouting Test Cell in 2016 – a unit that allowed for a full-size reconstruction of a sewer trench and pipe installation using various bedding medium.

In 2022, Pete Fleetwood became the first recipient of the Harold Kosova Lifetime Achievement Aware announced by the NASSCO Infiltration Control Grouting Committee (ICGC).

Ken Guthrie

Under Ken Guthrie’s tenure as General Manager of CUES, the company pioneered the initial equipment developments of the trenchless technology industry. He was instrumental in manufacturing and expanding the first closed circuit television lateral inspection system (LIS). Ken then prototyped the first Lateral Sealing System (LSS) as a packer, enabling municipalities to successfully grout the lateral service connection to the mainline up to the first joint of the lateral. He was also involved in building the first solid state mainline sewer inspection cameras, improving upon the fragile and saticon tube cameras. These new cameras were a major advancement and became the standard for durability and reliability.

Ken has been active in NASSCO from its early years.  He has truly made a difference in the sewer grouting industry.

Harold Kosova

Harold Kosova began his career in the sewer industry in March 1960. He trained in the field during the daytime and in the evenings worked on building the first sewer camera and CCTV studio. In 1962, he worked side-by-side in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas with Ken Guthrie (Penetryn Systems, now CUES) to develop the first combined grouting packer and CCTV system. This was the first time that acrylamide grout was injected through open joints within a sewer system. The grout then gelled, creating a seal on the exterior of the pipe and stopped the active infiltration. Shortly afterward, Kosova began building grout rigs for the company that he would eventually become president of – Video Pipe Grouting.

In 2022, the Harold Kosova Lifetime Achievement Award was introduced. Named after one of the pioneers of our industry, the intent of the award is to respect and honor those whose lifelong career accomplishments have changed the grouting industry.

David Magill

David Magill was a pioneer in the chemical grout industry and was the first president of Avanti International – established in 1978 – that he championed for more than 30 years. David had a passion for grouting and infrastructure rehabilitation, making significant contributions that have impacted the trenchless technology industry. David was instrumental in fighting the EPA to lift the proposed ban on acrylamide from 1990 through the early 2000s along with other industry partners and associations. Through hard work and determination, the ban was lifted – a win for the grouting industry!

Magill was one of the seven Charter Members of North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT) and was included into the NASTT Hall of Fame in 2015 and was named a NASSCO Standard Bearer in 2014. David always believed education and training to be heart of the company – a motto that still rings true today.

Dick Schantz

Dick Schantz, a civil engineer, began his journey in 1990 with Aries Industries, Inc. Dick was a strong advocate for grouting and was an active participant in the development of ASTM standards related to grouting in municipal sewers. Dick was a longtime member of NASSCO and its Infiltration Control Grouting Association and was inducted into the Select Society of Sanitary Sewer Slueths. Dick was a managing partner, the creator of the grout schools we know today, the inspiration for the FOMG video series, and an author of numerous articles on injection grouting.  Dick enjoyed sharing his knowledge and experience that he had developed over the years while working in this industry.   Dick also wanted to raise the knowledge and the confidence in the grout truck technician, from engineer and collections system owner all who work as a team in this industry. He will be remembered for his contributions to the industry, his integrity, dedication, and passion.