Archives: Blogs

Photo courtesy of Brooks Manufacturing  Expanding broadband access to more rural areas is supported by a number of govenment and utility initiatives. The areas in need are in, but not limited to, less populated counties, in timber and farmlands, along lakes and rivers, and in the mountains. Most of us who have lived or visited these areas have experienced the lack of…

Comparative Gaff and Pilodyn Testing of DCOI-A and Penta Treated Pole SectionsArticle authored by Dr. Andy Zahora, Senior Research Scientist with Viance, LLC. ABSTRACT In many regions of the United States and Canada utility companies are making increasing use of boom/bucket trucks for above ground line/equipment maintenance, but physical climbing of poles by lineman is still…

What is significant about UltraPole NXT poles and crossarms with DCOI? They provide long-term efficacy with low environmental impact. They are the first major innovation in years for utility infrastructure, with 28 years of performance data for treated wood pole and crossarm protection. What preservative is used in UltraPole NXT poles and crossarms? The active…

The 2022 Power and Equipment Show was held on July 27th, hosted by Northeast Community College in Norfolk, NE. Bob Baeppler, a featured speaker, presented highlights on the history of wood preserving in Europe and the US with comparisons of current industrial pole preservatives including the newest and fastest growing wood preservative, DCOI. See excerpts from his presentation….

Charlotte, N.C. (July 12, 2022) – Viance, a leading innovator in the wood preservation industry, announces Baldwin Pole & Piling Company has begun production of UltraPole® NXT with DCOI in their Wiggins, Mississippi plant. The Baldwin plant in Bay Minette, Alabama continues to produce DCOI-treated UltraPole NXT wood poles and has since August 2021. Baldwin Pole and…

“Our success depends largely on the frankly heroic efforts of our technical committees that develop and promulgate the wood protection standards … a fundamental precept of our organization.” Dr. Kevin Archer, Director of Research and Development for Viance, was elected President of the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) at the AWPA’s 118th Annual Meeting, held…

The link to this document is the compliance certification letter that the Viance treated wood products listed below meet the requirements of the Buy America Act and the Buy American Act that are manufactured in the United States with American sourced timber. 1. UltraPole® NXT treated poles for infrastructure and industrial use (utility and communications) 2. DCOI treated crossarms for…

Viance hires Dr. Rufai Ibrahim as Sr. Formulation Chemist Charlotte, N.C. (April 27, 2022) – Viance is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Rufai Ibrahim, an experienced formulation chemist with a history of working in biotechnology and the coatings industry. Dr. Ibrahim earned his doctorate in Philosophy (PhD) in Polymer Chemistry from the University…

Bellingham, WA company produces wood crossarms for utilities with environmentally advanced preservative. Charlotte, N.C. (March 22, 2022) – Viance, a leading innovator in the wood preservation industry, announces Brooks Manufacturing has begun production of crossarms with UltraArm™ NXT at their manufacturing facility in Bellingham, Washington. Serving utilities across the country, Douglas fir crossarms will now be…

Designed to support pole producers, utilities, and communication companies Charlotte, N.C. (November 3, 2021) – Viance, an innovation leader in the wood preservation industry, announces the website launch of UltraPoleNXT.com focused on the newest innovation in preservatives for the wood utility pole market. UltraPolenxt.com is the go-to site for information on UltraPole® NXT and UltraArm®…

On October 14, 2021, RUS revised Bulletin 1728F-700 for RUS Specification for Wood Poles, Stubs and Anchor Logs to add DCOI. DCOI (4,5-Dichloro-2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one) is standardized by the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA). DCOI is sold under the brand names, UltraPole® NXT and UltraArm® NXT developed by Viance, LLC. DCOI is also now in the RUS…

At the fall technical committee meeting of the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) held in Santa Fe, NM Sept 27-30, Bob Baeppler, Viance Business Development Manager for the Industrial Division, presented proposals to three different technical committees. The proposals were: In Committee “P-5 Methods for Chemical Analysis of Preservatives,” a proposal to modify Standard A71…

Discover how wood utility poles treated with UltraPole NXT with DCOI benefit wood treaters, utilities, linemen and the environment. With penta production ending in December, we believe UltraPole NXT is the best option, a tested and environmentally advanced system. Easy to climb Low to no odor The active ingredient is: not a Restricted Use Pesticide not persistent…

Utilities wanting to convert to DCOI can contact RUS directly until the new Wood Bulletin is published in the Federal Register. The approval to use non-standard or unlisted materials for wood pole preservatives, waivers may be obtained from RUS under authority of 7 CFR 1728.20 according to a recent memo from Rural Utilities Service (RUS)….

This one-day conference held on August 11th in Memphis was packed with the latest innovations in wood pole systems, preservatives, performance of pole remediation treatments, an overview of national standards and sustainable design. Bob Baeppler, Business Development Manager with Viance, has a career-long history in the wood pole industry. Bob spoke on the environmental benefits of…

Charlotte, N.C. (Aug. 12, 2021) – Viance, a leading innovator in the wood preservation industry, announces Baldwin Pole & Piling Company will begin production of UltraPole™ NXT with DCOI in September at their manufacturing plant in Bay Minette, Alabama. Their Wiggins, Mississippi plant will follow with all operations converted by year-end. Founded in 1945, Baldwin Pole and Piling…

“Spring is in the air. The squirrels are dancing and the Earth is smiling. With a lower environmental impact, UltraPole NXT is the first major innovation in treated wood protection in decades. Its environmentally advanced preservative means less chemicals in the environment. If you liked penta, you’ll love UltraPole NXT.” Thought you’d like to see…

Bob Baeppler, Industrial Business Development Manager for Viance, spoke at NRECA’s Tech Advantage on the benefits of DCOI utility pole treatment. With penta no longer being produced in the United States as of December 2021, DCOI offers an environmentally advanced choice with added benefits for utilities, linemen, treaters and homeowners. The DCOI treatment is branded…

Visit the Viance booth, check out the new UltraPole NXT with DCOI and register for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card! UltraPole NXT, treated with DCOI is a rigorously tested, environmentally advanced preservative system, that offers utilities an alternative to penta and other preservative systems currently in use. “UltraPole NXT is the…

UltraPoleTM NXT with DCOI available to electric utilities from Pineville, LA plant. Charlotte, N.C. (Dec.23, 2020) – Viance, a leading innovator in the wood preservation industry announces production of UltraPoleTM NXT with DCOI at the Stella-Jones Pineville, LA plant for southern yellow pine utility poles. UltraPole NXT, treated with DCOI is a rigorously tested, environmentally advanced preservation system that offers…

UltraPoleTM NXT replacement for Penta available to co-ops under the WQC program. Charlotte, N.C. (Dec.18, 2020) – Viance, a leading innovator in the wood preservation industry announces Wood Quality Control (WCQ) has qualified A Meredith Schneider Company (AMS) and William C. Meredith Company (WCM), for production of UltraPole NXT with DCOI. UltraPole NXT, treated with DCOI is…

UltraPole™ NXT recognized as one of the top 100 innovations in 2020, achieving additional distinction with a Silver R&D 100 Special Category Award for Corporate Social Responsibility WILMINGTON, Del, October 13, 2020 – The 2020 R&D 100 Awards have recognized a technology from DuPont Microbial Control and Viance with two prestigious honors, R&D World announced last week. UltraPole™ NXT – an…

With the launch of the first major innovation in 50 years for the wood utility pole preservation industry, Viance is unveiling an ad campaign in October to feature this next generation utility pole preservative, UltraPole NXT.  With Penta production ending in December 2021, utilities are faced with a choice for wood pole treatments. UltraPole NXT provides treaters the transition to a preservative…

The 2020 R&D 100 Awards competition on September 30 announced UltraPole NXT as Silver Award winner in the Mechanical/Materials category for a special recognition category: Corporate Social Responsibility. UltraPole NXT is an environmentally advanced wood utility pole preservative that offers low-impact environmental benefits. On September 21, 2020, R&D World magazine announced the finalists from 19 countries/regions. Winners were named in three categories: Analytical/Test, Mechanical/Materials…

UltraPole NXT is a finalist for the 2020 R&D 100 Awards, a renowned worldwide competition since 1962. UltraPole NXT is in the Materials category and is an environmentally advanced wood utility pole preservative that offers low-impact environmental benefits. On September 21, 2020, R&D World magazine announced the finalists from 19 countries/regions. Finalists were named in three categories: Analytical/Test, Mechanical/Materials…

UltraPole NXT is an Environmentally Advanced Alternative to Penta for Wood Utility Poles Charlotte, N.C. (Sept. 3, 2020) – Viance, a leading innovator in the wood preservation industry, announces an agreement with A Meredith Schneider Company (AMS) and William C. Meredith Company (WCM), a soon to be 100 year old company and a leading, fifth…

Small-scale Fire Testing of DCOI-A Treated Utility Poles Xing Yang* and Kevin Archer Viance LLC Charlotte, North Carolina, USA Abstract The frequency and severity of wildfires has been increasing in the western United States over the past several years. Several electric utilities have significant financial investment in distribution and transmission pole infrastructure in fire prone…

Co-op Tech: Power Poles, ‘The Key Component’ via @NRECANews “The idea is you put this smaller cell site lower, closer to people, and make it less power. You’ll have fewer people on it, so they’ll each have more bandwidth.” Click below for complete article. https://www.cooperative.com/re…

Article authored by Dr. Andy Zahora, Senior Research Scientist with Viance, LLC. ABSTRACT In many regions of the United States and Canada utility companies are making increasing use of boom/bucket trucks for above ground line/equipment maintenance, but physical climbing of poles by lineman is still necessary and indeed preferred in some circumstances. It is well…

Utilities will have a choice to make when penta production ceases December 2021. UltraPole NXT and UltraArm NXT with DCOI will make the switch easy. This technology is the next generation in utility pole treatment and is backed by a 50-year warranty. The active ingredient, DCOI, won the President’s Green Chemistry Challenge Award in 1996 for use in marine…

Viance has introduced another game-changer with it’s innovation of UltraPole NXT. The article below mentions DCOI, the active ingredient UltraPole NXT, whose “time has come now that the environment is such a big consideration.“ I think you will find it difficult to find anything better than DCOI in that respect,” Bob Baeppler, Viance’s business development…

Charlotte, N.C. (Dec. 17, 2019) – Viance, a leading innovator in the wood preservation industry, announced the introduction of UltraPole™ NXT in 2018. UltraPole NXT is a rigorously tested, environmentally advanced preservative that offers utilities an alternative to penta and other preservative systems currently in use. Given recent market developments regarding the long-term supply of…

UltraPoleTMNXT active ingredient is added to the 2018 American Wood Protection Association Book of Standards for utility poles and crossarms Charlotte, N.C. (August 30, 2018) – The American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) has established minimum retentions for DCOI for use in utility poles and crossarms. The new retentions were recently published in the 2018 AWPA…

Viance offers utilities an effective industrial wood preservative system Charlotte, N.C. (May 10, 2018) – The U.S. EPA has approved the registration of a new oil-borne wood preservative system (UP-23) based on the active ingredient DCOI. UP-23 is designed to protect utility poles, cross arms and transportation bridge timbers from fungi and subterranean termites. The…