“Production of this new valve required a Herculean effort, and that’s what we got,” says John James, a Houston-based Enbridge procurement and supply chain manager.

The 101,000 pound valve prepares to leave Valvitalia's production facility in Italy. This past spring, to meet Valley Crossing project construction timelines, Enbridge staff actively managed production of the additional valve, working with Valivitalia and its North American distributor, Quarter Turn Resources.

“Valvitalia created two daily 12-hour shifts, and added weekend shifts, to make this happen,” remarks Jack Owens of Quarter Turn Resources, Valvitalia's North American distributor. “Everything was machined in their shop, not outsourced, and the expedited delivery was only possible because of the longstanding relationship between Enbridge, Valvitalia and QTR.”

The mammoth valve was transported by air freight to Houston from Italy, arrived at the South Texas construction site in early June, and has since been installed.

“We really leaned on our strategic partnerships with Valvitalia and Quarter Turn. They understood the needs of this project, and they moved us to the front of the line," says Enbridge's John James.