The Florida Ground Water Association staged another productive meeting at its most recent annual convention and trade show. Nearly 1,000 drilling contractors and water professionals saddled up for the big roundup May 10-12, at the International Plaza Resort & Spa, in Orlando.

The association’s executive director, David Boozer, reports that there were 64 display booths on the floor of the exhibit hall, which was open a total of seven hours over the course of the show, and let visitors get up close with the industry’s current state-of-the-art equipment, products and services. In addition, a dozen or so rigs were on display outdoors.

The Florida Ground Water Association’s continuing education program boasts about “promoting professionalism through education,” and it certainly delivered the goods at this event. Seven educational sessions were offered, covering topics such as drilling fluids, septic systems and wells, increasing profits, water treatment and DOT issues, as well as the McEllhiney lecture, “Oil and Water – They Really Should Mix,” presented by Johnson Screen’s Edd Schofield. Nearly 16 hours of educational programming was available to the information-hungry attendees who packed the sessions.

As is customary at the show, newly elected officer were chosen to lead the association during the current term:

• President – Pat Partridge, Partridge Well Drilling, Jacksonville
  
  
• Vice President – Wayne Smith, Custom Drilling, Mulberry
  
  
• Secretary/Treasurer – Griffin Crosby Jr., Crosby Well Drilling, Lake Wales.

And a well-deserved nod to the contributions and efforts of the 2007 convention sponsors – Coastal Pump Water Technologies, Baroid Industrial Drilling Products, Franklin Electric, Pentair Water and Cycle Stop Valves.

Looking ahead to next year, the Sunshine State bunch will be heading right back to the same venue in Orlando, Mar. 8-10, 2008, where we expect the FGWA to put on another top-shelf experience for ground water professionals.
ND