Miller Products creates local ‘connection’ to oil cleanup
By TYLER ELLYSON — OST news editor
When British Petroleum’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico April 21, it became immediately obvious the tragedy would have an impact on residents living along the southern coast.
What wasn’t realized was that Osceola, sitting about 1,000 miles from the gulf, would also feel the impact — albeit a little more positive one.
As the black crude creeped toward the coastline, officials began instituting a plan to block its path with more than 900 miles of oil booms. The problem was these booms — 50- or 100-feet sections of material used to soak up oil — were being produced without universal specifications.
“There was lots of oil boom in the world, but when they brought them here to the United States to start putting them out, nothing fit together,” said Kerry Richardson, sales manager at Miller Products Company.
The solution, new specifications requiring each boom to have the same connector meeting ASTM standards. And with new connectors came new pins to hold them in place.
Production
On May 13, Miller Products Company received a call from an oil boom producer asking if they could design and manufacture a pin for the job, and they only had seven days to do it.
“We jumped on it,” said Richardson. “We sold him on our pins. It exploded for us.”
Richardson said it was an easy commitment knowing how the oil spill was affecting Gulf Coast residents — but, there was still work to be done.
• Read more of this story in the July 8 edition of the Osceola Sentinel-Tribune.
