About George Vernon, P.E.:
Education
BS Mechanical Engineering - Univ. of Calif., Berkeley 1968
MBA Management Sciences - Calif. State Univ., Hayward 1976
Professional Engineering Licenses - State of Calif 1977, Washington, 1996 and Oregon (2001)
Background and Qualifications
Worked for five years as an Applications Engineer for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. Joined the pulp and paper industry in 1973
as a senior design engineer for Crown Zellerbach in Antioch, CA. Assignments during the thirteen year association with
Crown included mill project design, specification and installation, field project management on major capital projects
(including three secondary effluent treatment plants and a 100% recycled corrugated fiber plant) and special assignments
connected with recovery and recycling of water, primary sludge, chemicals, steam condensate, building waste heat, fiber and
energy. First applied trenchless pipe rehab technology in 1978 on a 24" water line replacement at Port Angeles, WA, reducing
project cost by 60% ($160,000).
In 1982 designed and specified a hydraulic brake technique (now an industry standard) that allowed cured-in-place
rehabilitation of 1000 ft of 48" dia and 2300 ft of 30" dia raw water pipe (100psi) at a total cost of $1.3 million and an
estimated savings of $2.3 million. In 1983 used trenchless pipe rehab technology to repair on the run a leaking 30" x 15 psi
rubber-lined stainless steel spent acid pipe located 20 ft under the Columbia River. In 1984 assumed position of Engineering
Manager at Crown's largest mill (Camas, WA). In 1985 as Corporate Resource was instrumental in influencing decisions to
use trenchless pipe rehab technologies at substantial savings on a 24" dia effluent line at St. Francisville, LA, and 400 ft of 48"
dia effluent pipe at Bogalusa, LA.
In 1986 joined Gelco Insituform West, a trenchless pipe rehab company, as General Manager of a new California division and
helped create a successful multi-million dollar operation. Between 1986 and 1990 installed many challenging trenchless
technology projects in municipal, military, academic and industrial facilities including a number of pulp and paper mills,
reducing estimated open cut project costs by millions of dollars. Uncovered and analyzed symptoms of failing pipes that
prevented catastrophic collapses of a chlorine dioxide generator building in a bleach plant, the main staging area at a steel coil
plant, the operating floor under a milk products plant, a winery warehouse floor and marine piling around an outfall line under
an industrial warehouse dock. As manager of a trenchless pipe rehab construction company installed numerous cured-in-place
projects for major federally funded city I/I control programs throughout the Bay Area (California).
In 1990 joined Scott Paper in Everett, WA, as Environmental Project Manager in charge of special projects connected with
pollution abatement, chemical recovery and preparing a master plan to rehabilitate mill process pipes and gravity sewers. In
1992, as the Corporate Resource with expertise in trenchless pipe rehab technologies, recommended a trenchless rehab
method for the Scott-Mobile, AL, mill effluent line (72" dia x 15 psi) that saved the mill $4.5 million out of a planned $5
million pipe replacement project. In 1993 correctly predicted incipient sinkhole formation in two places (under a vital
warehouse and under an occupied building) along an 18" dia storm drain at the Scott-Everett, WA mill. In 1994 recommended
a trenchless pipe rehab technology solution that reduced by $500,000 the estimated $1.5 million cost of replacing one of the
mill's 36" dia effluent force main lines.
Between 1980 and 1994 taught classes at several community colleges in Washington State on various technical subjects
including basic Mathematics, Fluid Transfer, Hydraulics, Pneumatics, and Drive Components. For several years worked as a
Lecturer and Advisor in Washington Business Week, a program designed to introduce high school students to the business
and industrial workplace.
Currently specialize in workshops and consulting engineering services in the field of trenchless pipe rehab and new pipeline
installation technologies. Since 1994 have designed, specified and overseen installation for many trenchless pipe and sewer
projects ranging from on-the-run emergency robotic outfall repairs using external grouting technologies, to sophisticated large
diameter new pipe installations using pipe ramming, horizontal pile driving, microtunnelling and directional drilling
technologies. Since 1978 have saved employers and clients over $130 million in avoided capital and maintenance costs on
trenchless pipe rehab and installation projects throughout North America.