Penta News

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Industry Leader selects PENTA to unify management of Procurement, Costs, Documents and Processes for worldwide LNG projects

Milwaukee, WI - Penta Technologies, Inc., a leading developer of enterprise software for the construction industry, today announced that Excelerate Energy LP has selected PENTA Software for unified management of its Document and Project Management processes. Excelerate serves a wide segment of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry by providing special regasification vessels called Energy Bridge Regasification Vessels (EBRVs®), developing onshore and offshore regasified LNG receiving terminals, transporting LNG, and is now moving toward production of an Energy Bridge Liquefaction Vessel (EBLV™) capable of producing LNG.

Excelerate Energy continues to push the boundaries of the LNG value chain, and has experienced rapid growth since its inception in 2003. As Excelerate Energy has matured, it outgrew its current software and needed a combined suite of project management capabilities that could tie together all of its project development activities into a single system.

“Adding Penta to our project management toolbox will help us consolidate and streamline oversight of the EPCIC process and the O & M of the facilities we construct,” said Mickey Watzak, Director – Projects for Excelerate Energy.

Excelerate also sought to improve processes and streamline data entry while eliminating duplication of effort. By implementing a system that can be accessed remotely, Excelerate can optimize efficiency and collaboration between project managers in the field and the home office.

“With Penta we found an easily accessible central repository for engineering specifications and drawings that facilitates managing the document control process,” said Watzak. “The procurement and document management features within Penta are a good fit with Excelerate’s established business practices. Additionally, the flexibility of management reports, available as part of the dashboard, provide useful project snapshots.”

“Team Penta is excited to welcome Excelerate Energy, an innovator in the LNG industry worldwide,” said Karl Koenig, Penta President. “PENTA Software will provide Excelerate Energy with the enterprise-class document and project management platform it needs to automate low-value, time-intensive tasks and maintain continual management visibility to key performance indicators. Excelerate Energy’s choice of Penta underscores our commitment to providing the most robust platform for engineering and construction industry project management.”

Engineering and Construction firms are seeking systems that:

Project Managers can use to effectively manage and deliver multiple construction projects to their customers meeting the highest standards of budget, schedule, quality and safety.
Simplify multi-location, multi-company and inter-company accounting.
Eliminate paper and manual process inefficiencies with enterprise content management.
Support the decentralized and mobile nature of engineering and construction by being available anywhere, anytime though use of Web, mobile and other advanced technologies.
Analyze historical performance for planning, identify exceptions for action, and trend current performance for forecasting, while "drilling down" to critical supporting detail.

About Excelerate Energy®
Excelerate Energy, L.P, based in The Woodlands, Texas, is a liquefied natural gas (LNG) importer and marketer that is redefining the way LNG moves around the globe. With the proven ability to apply its proprietary regasification technology to a growing network of market access points worldwide, Excelerate Energy can connect LNG suppliers and customers in a way that minimizes costs for both while maximizing the value of each delivery. Excelerate Energy’s fleet of state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly, Energy Bridge Regasification Vessels (EBRVs®) compliment the company’s downstream investments in dockside GasPorts® and deepwater port Gateways™. To further enhance the capabilities of the existing vessels and their cargoes, Excelerate Energy has developed and implemented the first commercially viable program of LNG transshipment via ship-to-ship transfer. This combination of expertise, innovation, and strategic physical assets give the company the equivalent of a flexible, global “pipeline” that can transport LNG from virtually any point to any other point – facilitating delivery to the highest value markets around the world. For more information please visit www.excelerateenergy.com.

W-Industries Selects PENTA Software for Unified Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management

Leading Provider of Energy Industry Instrumentation and Controls EPC Services selects PENTA to unify Engineering, Procurement, Project Management, Field Service and Construction Accounting processes in a single database

Milwaukee, WI – Penta Technologies, Inc., a leading developer of enterprise software for the construction industry, today announced that W-Industries selected PENTA Software for unified Project Management, Field Service, Mobile Field Reporting and Construction Accounting. W-Industries has grown rapidly in recent years, becoming a leading provider of Instrumentation and Control systems and services to the Energy industry, with over 450 employees and annual revenues exceeding $100 million.

As W-Industries’ business has expanded, so too have data entry time, errors and omissions when manually entering data into multiple financial and operational systems spanning three legal entities.

“We needed a new enterprise system which would provide us with a single source of entry for financial and operations information in one database,” said Salil Gopinath, Chief Operating Officer for W-Industries. “PENTA Software will help us reduce manual inputs, reduce transaction closing time, improve billing cycles and provide audit trails for our customers.”

W-Industries also sought a proven software vendor with a track record of success in the engineering and construction industry, and a flexible system capable of managing its multi-company environment, labor and material tickets and mobile construction workforce.

“Penta has been in this business a long time and works with many similar companies, so they understand the nature of our business as well as our unique requirements,” said Gopinath. “All companies operate differently, so the PENTA system architecture, flexible setup options and mobile field reporting solution were particularly attractive to us.”

Diverse, geographically dispersed and multi-trade engineering and construction companies are increasingly turning to PENTA Software to improve business performance and simplify management of complex operations.

“We are proud to have been chosen by W-Industries - a proven leader in providing instrumentation and control systems and services to the energy industry,” said Karl Koenig, Penta President. “PENTA Software will give W-Industries the platform for future growth and expansion as its single source of real-time financial, project and service business information, driving consistent business process execution and continual management visibility to key performance indicators. This partnership is a strong endorsement of Penta’s ongoing commitment to the EPC market.”

Engineering and Construction firms are seeking systems that:

Project Managers can use to effectively manage and deliver multiple construction projects to their customers meeting the highest standards of budget, schedule, quality and safety.
Unify management financials and operations across engineering, procurement and construction operations.
Simplify multi-location, multi-company and inter-company accounting.
Eliminate paper and manual process inefficiencies with enterprise content management.
Support the decentralized and mobile nature of engineering and construction by being available anywhere, anytime though use of Web, mobile and other advanced technologies.
Analyze historical performance for planning, identify exceptions for action, and trend current performance for forecasting, while "drilling down" to critical supporting detail.

About W-Industries
W-Industries offers solutions based on state-of-the-art technology to the energy industry in instrumentation, control, safety and information applications, as well as a host of services, such as Project Management, Design and Engineering, Construction and Commissioning, and Training and Maintenance, either as part of a lump sum turnkey project or as a part of your project team. For more information, please visit www.w-industries.com.

Lorneville Mechanical Contractors Select PENTA Software for Integrated Construction Accounting, Project Management and Canadian Union Payroll

Eastern Canada’s Premier Provider of Mechanical Construction and Maintenance Services to Simply Financial Reporting, Project Management and Union Payroll Processing with PENTA

Milwaukee, WI – Penta Technologies, Inc., a leading developer of enterprise software for the construction industry, today announced today that Lorneville Mechanical Contractors have selected PENTA Software for unified Project Management, Canadian Union Payroll and Construction Accounting. Lorneville Mechanical has experienced rapid growth over the last five years, and has grown to become Eastern Canada’s premier provider of mechanical field construction and maintenance services to the Hydro, Pulp & Paper, Petrochemical and Utilities industries.

As Lorneville Mechanical expanded its service offerings, geographical reach and employee base, use of isolated, disparate management systems grew within the company as well.

“Our rapid growth over the last five years has exposed the need to consolidate operational information currently being managed in non-integrated systems,” said John Warrington, Chief Financial Officer of Lorneville Mechanical. “PENTA will bridge the gap between Lorneville Mechanical’s Project Managers and the rest of our back office operations.”

Lorneville Mechanical, a union contractor, also needed proven Canadian Union Payroll software capable of handling its large payroll of specialty trade workers, which reached 1,600 total workers in 2009.

“The biggest benefit of PENTA software for us is its ability to manage a Canadian unionized payroll environment, including our union agreements,” said Warrington. “Lorneville will also benefit from PENTA’s document management, powerful business analytics capabilities, and broad range of functional modules for mechanical contractors, which will help us continue to expand our services into new markets.”

Diverse, geographically dispersed and multi-trade contractors are increasingly turning to PENTA Software to improve business performance and simplify management of complex operations.

“Lorneville Mechanical Contractors are proven leaders in mechanical field construction and maintenance services,” said Karl Koenig, Penta President. “Everyone here at Penta is excited to help Lorneville prepare for their next wave of growth with software that injects best practices into their construction accounting, payroll and field operations. PENTA will help Lorneville improve business performance through integration, consistent business process execution and continual performance analysis.”

Mechanical and other Specialty Contractors are seeking systems that:

Project Managers can use to effectively manage and deliver multiple construction projects to their customers meeting the highest standards of budget, schedule, quality and safety.
Unify management of construction jobs, work orders, and maintenance contracts.
Simplify multi-location, multi-company and inter-company accounting.
Eliminate paper and manual process inefficiencies with enterprise content management.
Support the decentralized and mobile nature of engineering and construction by being available anywhere, anytime though use of Web, mobile and other advanced technologies.
Analyze historical performance for planning, identify exceptions for action, and trend current performance for forecasting, while "drilling down" to critical supporting detail.

About Lorneville Mechanical Contractors
Lorneville Mechanical is a professional, experienced mechanical service and engineering company. We specialize in construction, maintenance, installation, and fabrication of industrial equipment. Since 1977, LMC/QUALMEC has competently executed a wide variety of projects for many heavy industry clients. For more information, please visit www.lmc-ltd.ca.

Penta Presents Mechanical 360° - A Day in the Life Productivity Webinar for Mechanical Contractors

Learn how North America’s leading Mechanical Contractors Reduce Redundant Work, Speed Capture of Costs and Billable Activity, and Empower Decision-Makers with Daily Management Information

Milwaukee, WI - Penta Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise software for the construction and mechanical service industries, today announced that it will be presenting “Mechanical 360 – a Day in the Life Webinar.” Whether installing new building systems, performing energy saving retro-fits or responding to an emergency service call, North America's top mechanical contractors are managing with less effort, executing more consistently and improving productivity with 360° management of their business:

When: Wednesday, October 14th, 2009, 1:00-1:30 p.m. CDT Where: To Register, visit http://www.penta.com/mechanical-360-webinar.html What: Mechanical 360° - A Day in the Life Webinar. Mechanical contractors will learn how they can speed capture of costs and billable activity, accelerate service to cash cycle, reduce redundant work and enhance management visibility of field activity.

Unified Construction Accounting, Project and Field Service Management
Simplified multi-location, multi-company and inter-company accounting
Empowered decision-makers with daily management information in an analytical format and intuitive user interface
Facilitated payrolls, including extensive capabilities to accurately pay employees and fund union benefits

Why: With the challenging credit environment, Mechanical Contractors are looking for new ways to optimize and grow their service and maintenance businesses, as well as streamlining the otherwise very time-intensive business processes in time for the next up-swing in new construction work.

Experience a 360° day in the life of a mechanical contractor by joining Penta on October 14th for Mechanical 360°, a FREE, live 30 minute webinar specifically for Mechanical Contractors. Register now and discover how your business would perform with a 360° view. This event is free for mechanical contractors on a first come, first served basis.

ITAC Engineers and Constructors Select PENTA Software for Unified Engineering and Construction Management

Leading Mid-Atlantic Industrial Engineering and Construction Firm will boost time, process and cost control productivity and performance

Milwaukee, WI – Penta Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise software for the engineering and construction industries, announces today that ITAC Engineers and Constructors have selected PENTA as their new engineering and construction management software. Ranked in 2008 as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America by Inc. Magazine, ITAC Engineers and Constructors is one of the Mid-Atlantic’s premier providers of quality design and build services to the industrial plant engineering and maintenance markets.

ITAC (Industrial TurnAround Corporation) Engineers and Constructors’ diverse family of industrial services have historically required the internal development and use of custom software programs to manage critical financial and operational functions.

“One of the most important considerations in our system search was that we would no longer need to build and maintain custom systems outside the business financial system,” said Jon Loftis, President of ITAC Engineers and Constructors. “We needed software that could manage engineering, design-build and self-perform construction work, all in one database.”

After a system search and evaluation process which spanned 18 months, ITAC selected PENTA Software for its ability to provide unified management of all the types of work ITAC performed, including fee-based, lump sum and time and material jobs.

“Penta’s staff was quick to understand our language, demonstrate how PENTA Software could meet our needs, and accommodate requirements that are unique to ITAC,” said Loftis. “The PENTA system will envelop everything we do.”

Integrated PENTA management applications will allow ITAC Engineers and Constructors to eliminate duplicate work required in using multiple management systems, and with PENTA Business Analytics, analyze past performance for planning, trend current performance for forecasting and continually measure performance against key indicators.

“We see PENTA as an investment that will deliver improved performance, productivity and accuracy in managing our project cost control, purchasing and time tracking processes.” Loftis added.

Diverse, geographically dispersed and multi-trade contractors are increasingly turning to PENTA Software to simplify management of complex operations and improve business performance.

“To continue to be agile and opportunistic in the marketplace, expanding Engineering and Construction firms need to manage office and field operations with less effort, consistently execute business processes and continually analyze performance,” said Karl Koenig, Penta President. “We’re excited to help ITAC drive continued growth with integrated PENTA Software for financials, project cost management, field data collection and business process management. PENTA Software, and our construction and EPC market experience, will be valuable resources supporting ITAC’s strategic initiatives.”

Engineering and construction firms are seeking systems that:

Project Managers can use to effectively manage and deliver multiple construction projects to their customers meeting the highest standards of budget, schedule, quality and safety.
Support the decentralized and mobile nature of engineering and construction by being available anywhere, anytime though use of Web, mobile and other advanced technologies.
Analyze historical performance for planning, identify exceptions for action, and trend current performance for forecasting, while "drilling down" to critical supporting detail.
Integrate customer, vendor and employee data throughout engineering and construction operations.

About ITAC Engineers and Constructors
Industrial TurnAround Corporation is a full service, multi-discipline engineering and construction firm headquartered in Richmond, VA. ITAC’s Chester office is home to a full complement of professional engineers, designers, project managers, and a self-perform construction workforce – comprising an unequaled industrial design/build resource. ITAC has proudly served the Central Virginia and broader mid-Atlantic regions for over 20 years. For more information, please visit www.itac.us.com.

Penta Extends Construction and Service Software to Field Technicians with Launch of PENTA Mobile Field Service at the 2009 AHR Expo

Mobile Construction Software Application Eliminates Paper, Optimizes Field Service Operations for Mechanical, Electrical and other Specialty Service Contractors

Milwaukee, WI - Penta Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise software for the construction industry, today announces the release of PENTA Mobile Field Service, a mobile construction software application designed to help mechanical, electrical and other specialty service contractors optimize their field service operations. The application, being introduced at the 2009 AHR Expo® in Chicago, reduces paperwork, eliminates duplicate data entry, expedites approval processes and provides real-time management visibility to field activity.

PENTA Mobile Field Service software keeps contractors’ service management staff and field service technicians, and the mission critical information they exchange, seamlessly connected throughout the work day. Dispatchers have real-time status visibility of all field service technicians, and send prioritized assignments for work orders, jobs or other non-billable activities, which are automatically received on the field service technician’s mobile device.

When a task is complete, field service technicians transmit their labor time, material inventory and customer equipment information directly into approval queues, expediting the customer billing and employee payroll processes. PENTA Mobile Field Service is fully integrated to PENTA Construction ERP Software, providing contractors with a comprehensive solution for managing their construction and service lines of business together.

“Contractors are looking for new ways to optimize and grow their service businesses,” said Harvey Shovers, Penta Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “PENTA Mobile Field Service underscores our commitment to helping the construction industry’s leading contractors better manage diverse service operations.”

Penta selected the Dexterra Concert™ mobility platform as the underlying technology to build and run the PENTA Mobile Field Service. Dexterra Concert lets Penta quickly build mobile applications for the construction industry based on Penta’s existing suite of engineering and construction enterprise software. PENTA Mobile Field Reporting, also built on the Dexterra Concert platform gives crew foremen instant access to daily crew assignments, the ability to quickly send critical paperwork to home offices or agencies, and faster workflow on accounting such as receivables and payroll.

“Engineering and construction firms across the U.S. are seeking ways to improve productivity and reduce operational costs through the deployment of mobile solutions that are tailored to their specific needs and how their field staff work,” said Rob O’Farrell, general manager of Mobile Platform and Applications, Dexterra. “Through its partnership with Dexterra, Penta is able to deliver a cost-effective integrated mobile solution that functions as a seamless extension to their PENTA Construction ERP software, and is fully optimized for use on their customer’s choice of mobile device.”

“Penta’s legacy of providing engineering and construction firms with the tools they need to work better and faster is already well-known in the industry,” said Rob O’Farrell, general manager of Mobile Platform and Tools, Dexterra. “By offering their customers an easier way to implement a mobile solution that gives them a sophisticated and mobilized workforce, their customers can work smarter and stay more competitive in the market.”

Mechanical, Electrical and Specialty Service Contractors are seeking systems that:

Support the decentralized and mobile nature of construction and service by being available anywhere, anytime though use of Web, mobile and other advanced technologies.
Integrate customer, vendor and employee data throughout construction and service operations.
Analyze historical performance for planning, identify exceptions for action, and trend current performance for forecasting, while "drilling down" to critical supporting detail.
Project Managers can use to effectively manage and deliver multiple construction projects to their customers meeting the highest standards of budget, schedule, quality and safety.

Penta Mobilizes its Engineering and Construction Software with Dexterra Concert™

Penta offers mobile construction software applications to streamline workflow, manage crews, labor and equipment, and complete reports right from the worksite.

BOTHELL, Wash. and BROOKFIELD, Wis. – Dexterra, Inc., a leading provider of software to automate and manage mobile workforces, and Penta Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise software for the engineering and construction industries, announced today the successful rollout of its Mobile Field Reporting software that lets construction firms record and transmit labor, equipment and production data instantly and directly from the job site. The mobile solution enables better communication, saves substantial time by drastically reducing paperwork and creates quicker billing and payroll cycles.

Penta Mobile Construction Software applications, including Field Reporting and Field Service, were built using the Dexterra Concert mobile development platform. Dexterra also provided Penta access to training, tools, mentoring and documentation through its Partner Enablement Program, giving Penta the tools needed to build their own solution using the Concert platform. To date, more than 20 developers have successfully deployed Dexterra-based mobility applications.

“Our customers are primarily commercial and industrial contractors whose union reporting, customer billing and employee payroll demands place tremendous importance on the process of reporting production information between the field and the office,” said Cam Smith, Vice President of Development for Penta Technologies. “Penta Mobile Field Reporting software helps the contractors’ field and the office teams to work in unison and more efficiently by removing costly, redundant administrative efforts from planning, scheduling, capturing, reviewing, approving and reporting on work performed in the field.”

Commercial and industrial contractors each have a unique set of field to office hurdles to overcome such as filing massive amounts of paperwork ranging from union job site requirements to daily payroll and the management of the different equipment and material needed for each specific job. Penta’s new mobile software, built using the acclaimed Dexterra Concert mobile development platform, also helps workers submit information much quicker, in hours instead of days, as was the case with previous solutions.

Penta selected Dexterra’s Concert mobility platform to build its Mobile Field Software Solutions for Construction. Dexterra Concert let Penta quickly build mobile applications for the construction industry based on Penta’s existing suite of engineering and construction enterprise software. Penta Mobile Field Reporting, which has been in use since this summer, gives job site workers instant access to daily crew assignments, the ability to quickly send critical paperwork to home offices or agencies, and faster workflow on accounting such as receivables and payroll.

“With Penta Mobile Field Reporting software, we enter job data only once into PENTA Construction ERP, which allows the field foremen to select jobs, cost codes, personnel, and equipment from pick lists rather than relying on data entry in the field.” said Lance Rosenmayer, Executive Vice President for INTREN, Inc, an early customer of Penta’s mobile application. “Since the software provides immediate field access to all job information including new jobs, scope changes, updates, budgets, etc., the foremen are not required to repeatedly return to the office. It also allows us to apply controls which prevent errors in billing and employee pay, enabling us to administer approximately 450 people with a single payroll clerk. This software definitely allows us to operate at higher level than was previously possible.”

“Penta’s legacy of providing engineering and construction firms with the tools they need to work better and faster is already well-known in the industry,” said Rob O’Farrell, general manager of Mobile Platform and Tools, Dexterra. “By offering their customers an easier way to implement a mobile solution that gives them a sophisticated and mobilized workforce, their customers can work smarter and stay more competitive in the market.”

About Dexterra

The business mobility company™. Dexterra provides a broad portfolio of mobile applications built on its open mobility platform, Dexterra Concert™, that enables businesses worldwide to manage and optimize their mobile workforces. Dexterra supports the largest selection of mobile devices and integrates with the widest range of enterprise back-office systems in use today. Dexterra’s end-to-end solutions help companies large and small experience rapid deployments, greater returns, higher customer and user satisfaction, and a longer lifespan over any other competing solution.

Dexterra has operations in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific and a vast network of global partners including AT&T, IBM, Motorola, RIM and Telstra. For more information, visit www.dexterra.com.

Penta and e-Builder to Perform First Cross-application Information Exchange Utilizing agcXML at buildingSMART Conference

Construction Software vendors to Demonstrate how agcXML will Automate Information Exchange

Milwaukee, WI – On December 10th, Penta and e-Builder will demonstrate the capabilities of agcXML at the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) buildingSMART alliance National Conference, co-located with Ecobuild / AEC-ST Fall at the Washington Convention Center. agcXML, a buildingSMART™ initiative led and funded by The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and managed by NIBS, will enable efficient, reliable exchange of electronic project information among all design and construction professionals.

agcXML Review and Validation Committee members Kurt Koenig and Ron Antevy will perform the first live information (RFI) exchange utilizing agcXML between their respective companies’ software applications. The PENTA Project Management Workbench will represent the contractor system, and e-Builder Enterprise will represent the owner system.

Construction professionals know the frustration of working with peers and clients who use dissimilar software, where project data has to be entered twice. These challenges were enumerated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s 2004 report, the “Cost Analysis of Inadequate Interoperability in the U.S. Capital Facilities Industry,” which highlighted how interoperability cost the industry $15.8 billion in 2002.

agcXML establishes a common, non-proprietary data format and classification system to reliably exchange project information among dissimilar and proprietary software applications without requiring the re-engineering or redesign of those applications.

"It's well known that projects that use a common, shared collaborative management system are better for everyone, but contractors should have the freedom to select construction software systems that work best for all of their projects instead of having to use a different system for every project," said John Nabholz, Chair of the agcXML Task Force.

“The PENTA and e-Builder demo utilizing agcXML will be the very first real document exchanged between two totally different construction software systems,” said Nabholz. “In the future, people will wonder why it took us so long to replace cumbersome and slow paper documents with electronic transfers.”

“Using technology to improve project delivery by expediting the exchange of information, especially the information contained in the documents addressed by agcXML, was a hot topic when I joined AGC’s Electronic Information Systems (“EIS”) committee 8 years ago and it has remained at the top of the agenda ever since,” said Kurt Koenig, Penta Vice President. “It is very gratifying to see and participate in the first use of a real, practical standard that achieves these objectives.”

About e-Builder

e-Builder is a leading provider of web-based, capital program and project management and collaboration software. The company’s flagship product, e-Builder Enterprise, provides owners of large capital development projects with a way to reduce contingency expenditures and control schedule and scope across their entire portfolio to ensure timely, on-budget project completion. Since 1995 e-Builder’s technology and industry focus has provided thousands of owners, architects, engineers, contractors and suppliers with solutions that enhance development and construction processes. The company is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For more information, www.e-builder.net.

Penta Forms Strategic Partnership with Trade Service

TRA-SER® Premier integration with PENTA Construction ERP Software Injects Automation into Billing & Purchasing Processes for Electrical and Mechanical Specialty Contractors

Milwaukee, WI – Penta Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise software for the construction industry, announces today that it has formed a strategic partnership with Trade Service, developers of TRASER®, the most complete and current material and pricing database to the Electrical and Plumbing/HVACR specialty contracting industries.

The TRA-SER® Premier material pricing database has been integrated with PENTA Construction ERP Software, providing electrical and mechanical contractors with accurate and up-to-date material pricing at the time their business needs call for it.

“Penta’s TRA-SER® integration provides Westphal with substantial cost savings in maintaining our inventory, and managing our job cost, purchasing and billing processes,” said Mark McCluskey, CFO of Westphal & Company, Inc. “The TRA-SER® integration within PENTA ensures the appropriate cost code application for job cost reporting and purchase order generation.”

Penta customers have a variety of options for customizing how materials from TRA-SER® Premier interact with inventory products, catalogs, update processing and cost codes in PENTA.

“With this partnership, Penta customers gain the benefit of the TRA-SER® Premier’s material pricing database without deviating from the way they perform their purchasing, billing and cost control processes in PENTA. We’re also excited to extend an excellent new link option to our electrical, HVACR and plumbing TRA-SER® Premier customers in the market for construction ERP software.” said Tod Moore, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Trade Service.

“Electrical and mechanical contractors deal with a great volume of material inventory,” said Harvey Shovers, Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “PENTA’s ability to tie in the industry’s leading material pricing database presents electrical and mechanical specialty contractors with a powerful combination for streamlining the otherwise very time-intensive business processes relying on accurate and up to date material pricing data.”

About Trade Service

Trade Service is the leading provider of standardized product and price information to the electrical, plumbing/PVF, HVACR, industrial MRO, and office products industries. Since 1931 the company has been the leader in content acquisition, aggregation, management, publishing, and distribution, offering a variety of products, services, and systems to meet the content needs of over 20,000 dealers, distributors, contractors, and government agencies. The range of solutions provided includes printed directories, electronic catalogs, pricing data for business system updating, and robust attributed content to fuel full-functioning Internet storefronts. For more information, www.tradeservice.com, or call (800) 854-1527.

Industrial EPC Contractor Holloman Selects PENTA Construction ERP Software

Holloman Corporation chooses Penta Construction ERP Software for Unified Management of Engineering, Procurement and Construction Operations

Milwaukee, WI – Penta Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise software for the construction industry, announces today that Holloman Corporation has selected PENTA as its new corporate ERP software. Holloman's 1,500 employees operate out of five locations to provide engineering, procurement and construction services to industrial and commercial markets.

Key to Holloman's selection of PENTA was the need for a single system to unify the financials and operations of their diverse engineering, procurement and construction businesses. “With our rapid growth in the past 4 years, we were searching for a software provider capable of providing a complete solution for our core business, as well as other business ventures,” said Tom Johnston, Engineering Director.

By implementing PENTA, Holloman plans to make available and analyze daily production information necessary for planning and capital management purposes by eliminating duplicate work required in using multiple systems to manage the field labor, equipment and material reporting through to analytical review cycle.

“Penta offers the whole package including payroll, project management, billing and business analytics. With five division locations, the time savings gained alone with entering data from each location, one time, will be incredible,” said Johnston.

Large, geographically dispersed and multi-trade contractors are increasingly turning to PENTA Construction ERP Software to simplify management of complex operations and improve business performance.

“Engineering and Construction firms need to be agile and opportunistic in the marketplace, and are seeking out ways to do what they do...better,” said Harvey Shovers, Penta Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “We are excited to help Holloman improve their business processes with the mobile software they need to streamline field data collection, workflow to automate best practices, and analytics to monitor production against key performance indicators. These productivity tools, combined with our excellent track record in the engineering, procurement and construction market, will be an asset for Holloman Corporation as they expand.”

About Holloman Corporation

Holloman Corporation is one of the largest totally employee owned engineering, procurement and construction companies in the United States. Holloman provides engineering, procurement and construction services to the oil & gas, utilities and minerals industries. For more information, visit www.hollomancorp.com.

Penta wins 2008 Constructech Top Products award for Commercial Construction

Penta Recognized in New Product Category for Construction Business Intelligence and Reporting Software, PENTA Business Analytics

Milwaukee, WI – Penta Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of construction enterprise software, announces today that is has been designated a 2008 Constructech Top Product award winner for the Commercial Construction industry. Penta was recognized in the New Product Category for PENTA Business Analytics, which allows construction firms to analyze past performance for planning, trend current performance for forecasting, and identify exceptions to key performance indicators that may require immediate action.

The Constructech Top Products honor the best products tailored for the construction market. Winning entries were chosen based on product description, the product’s overall usefulness and uniqueness to the industry, and the customer growth rate for the particular product throughout the past few years.

"The nearly 100 entries submitted for the first Constructech Top Products awards demonstrated what strides the construction industry has taken during the past few years," says Peggy Smedley, editorial director of Constructech. "I would like to congratulate the winners in the commercial sector for the steps they have taken to continue delivering quality solutions to builders and contractors.”

“The highly competitive, high risk nature of construction is causing contractors to make useful and accurate analysis and reporting a top priority,” says Harvey Shovers, Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “Demand for PENTA Business Analytics has been very strong since its launch in early 2007. This award underscores the critical need for contractors to be more aware of all business issues and trends identified through measurement of key performance indicators.”

PENTA Business Analytics automatically builds and distributes packages of information to designated users within a construction firm. Whether pre-built or customized, PENTA Business Analytics information packages are designed for analysis, and include graphical, flexible information views that can include data from non-PENTA applications as well. These personalized information packages, often containing Dashboards, can be automatically delivered by e-mail or posted to a server location on a scheduled basis. Publishing the information packages allows analysis work to be done anywhere, completely disconnected from your network, and without the cost of building and maintaining a data warehouse. PENTA Business Analytics also provides report-writing, drill-to-detail capability, user-specific dashboards, OLAP graphing and analysis, offline access and automated redistribution.

“The products chosen as the 2008 Constructech Top Products are innovative, successful, and some of the best of what can be utilized today. Constructech’s readers are eagerly adopting the available technology solutions in the commercial construction space,” said Mike Carrozzo, editor of Constructech magazine.

Cupertino Electric Selects PENTA for Integrated Management of Electrical Construction and Service Operations

Functional Depth and Industry-Leading Technology best meets Cupertino’s Specialty Contracting needs

Milwaukee, WI – Penta Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise software for the construction industry, announces today that San Jose, California-based Cupertino Electric, Inc., one of the ten largest Electrical Contractors in the United States according to the 2006 ENR (Engineering News Record) Top 600 Specialty Contractors list, has selected PENTA for integrated management of its construction and service operations.

Cupertino Electric required a single, integrated solution which would address the needs of each major operating department, including Payroll, Service and Maintenance, Project Management, Job Costing, Billing, Financial Controls and Business Analytics. Cupertino’s vendor-selection process determined that PENTA had the best vision and most complete solution for large specialty contractors, citing PENTA’s integration of Construction and Service Management, TRA-SER® interface, productivity tools for Project Managers and graphical Business Analytics. “Penta has done an excellent job of developing the features that labor-intensive contractors need,” said Alex Tanasescu, Cupertino Electric CIO.

Also important to Cupertino’s selection of PENTA was its underlying technology. By taking full advantage of the market share-leading Oracle relational database, PENTA’s ability to scale with a contracting organization as it expands has made it the leading enterprise system for large specialty contractors. “The software’s design and technology foundation give us confidence that PENTA will be a centerpiece in Cupertino Electric’s growth for years to come,” said Tanasescu.

“PENTA offers the broad range of functionality, deep, industry-specific feature set and forward-looking technology today’s sophisticated specialty contractors require to manage and grow their businesses in a competitive marketplace,” says Karl Koenig, Penta CEO. ”Cupertino Electric’s decision is a strong endorsement of our ability to meet those needs with PENTA.”

About Cupertino Electric, Inc.

For over 50 years, Cupertino Electric, Inc. has established itself as premier provider of electrical turnkey solutions. We have become a leading force at all levels of project design, development, management, installation and commissioning. From constructing electrical systems for the first large-scale microchip fabrication factory and sophisticated biotech plants to delivering “high nine” power reliability for mission critical facilities, this corporation has developed an unyielding reputation as a pioneer within its industry. And at the heart of Cupertino Electric, Inc., a company considered a model for the evolution and development of a positive company culture, exists an experienced and passionate management team that focuses on the industry’s “best practices.” For more information, visit www.cei.com.

Penta’s New Business Analytics Application Bridges the Gap Between Enterprise Data and Business Results

Penta Vice President to Chair Construction Financial Management Association’s New Information Technology Council

Milwaukee, WI – Penta Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise software for the construction industry, is pleased to announce that the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA), the only professional association for construction financial executives, has appointed Kurt Koenig to the Chairmanship of its newly formed Information Technology (IT) Council. The mission of the IT Council is to advise CFMA on all matters affecting information technology in the construction industry, to the benefit of the Membership and Chapters of CFMA.

Kurt Koenig is the co-founder and Executive Vice President of Penta Technologies, a post he has held since 1991. Kurt also previously served as co-chairman of CFMA’s National Information Technology Committee.

”CFMA and the IT Council are a great opportunity to learn from thought leaders in construction financial management, and to give back to the industry by helping the IT Council develop and share information on IT-related topics with CFMA’s membership,” said Kurt Koenig.

In addition to his new role with the CFMA IT Council, Koenig has long been active in construction association boards and committees, including the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) Electronic Information System Committee and its agcXML Data Exchange Standards and Building Information Modeling task forces.

"Kurt's experience and background will play an integral part in CFMA offering unbiased and effective advice on the most pressing IT issues facing the construction financial professional," said Bill Schwab, President & CEO of CFMA.

Most construction financial professionals are responsible for or play and prominent role in their companies’ IT strategy and execution, so the CFMA IT Council is a natural and relevant source of information for these members. In addition to ROI calculation, costs, management, software, data, and integration issues, the IT Council will also focus on best practices within the construction industry, as well as provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and information among members. The IT Council provides information and addresses, when appropriate, technology issues impacting the industry or its members.

About CFMA

CFMA, the source and resource for construction financial professionals, was founded 25 years ago to serve the unique needs of financial professionals in the construction industry. It has 7,000 members thorughout the United States and is recognized as the only organization representing the particular needs and knowledge for a unique group of professionals. For more information, please visit www.cfma.org.
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Penta Names New Head of Product Development

Appointment of Cameron Smith, an Innovator in Application Development for the Construction Industry, Strengthens Penta’s Product Development Team

Milwaukee, WI – Penta Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise software for the construction industry, announces today that it has named Cameron Smith as Vice President of Product Development. He will be responsible for overseeing all software development initiatives for the company, including its web-based and mobile applications.

Smith joins Penta from Tririga®, where he advanced over the past five years from Vice President Planning and Strategy to VP Application Development and ultimately VP Operations. Smith has also held key positions with Meridian Systems®, where as VP of Development he oversaw Program Management, Software Engineering, Quality Assurance and Documentation for the industry-leading project management application, Prolog®. Prior to joining Meridian, Smith had extensive experience developing and deploying project information systems with companies including O’Brien-Kreitzberg, Sony, Hatch Associates and others, working on significant projects including Seattle’s $5 billion Sound Move program, Santa Clara’s Tasman Corridor project, Toronto Rapid Transit Extension and others.

Smith’s addition to the Penta team supports the company’s ongoing expansion of its solutions to meet the needs of all project stakeholders. Construction and engineering firms seek systems that:

Project Managers can use to effectively manage and deliver multiple construction projects to their customers meeting the highest standards of budget, schedule, quality and safety
Support the decentralized and mobile nature of construction and service by being available anywhere, any time though use of Web, mobile and other advanced technologies.

Smith’s broad experience with project information systems bolsters Penta’s leadership position as the premier source for enterprise project solutions for the construction marketplace.

“Cam Smith brings an exceptional set of skills and experience to our software development group,” said Karl Koenig, Penta Technologies, Inc. President. “We’re confident that with his stellar track record in managing Construction Project Systems from a user’s perspective, as well as leadership of large software development projects, Cam will help us make PENTA software even stronger.” Smith said, “I am thrilled to be joining a company whose market position, customer base, product suite, and strategic vision are so closely aligned with my personal experience and my goals looking forward. I believe we have a rare opportunity to take construction project and enterprise software to the next level and set a new standard for the industry.”
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Penta and Dexterra to provide flexible Mobile Construction Workforce Software Solutions

Partnership enables contractors to run Penta Mobile Construction Software on any device and integrate with any enterprise system

Milwaukee, WI – Penta Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise software to the construction industry, announces today that it has entered into a partnership agreement with Dexterra, of Bothell, WA, to provide mobile software solutions to the construction industry.

Via this partnership, Penta and Dexterra will deliver complete mobile enterprise solutions to construction firms seeking to improve communication, reduce paperwork and increase efficiency and accuracy by automating field tasks. Penta Mobile Construction Software applications; Field Service, Field Reporting and Tool Management will be deployed alongside the Dexterra Concert Platform. By leveraging the Dexterra Concert Platform, construction firms choosing a mobile solution will no longer need to make their choice based on device preference or limitations caused by integration requirements.

“Dexterra’s Concert Platform technology enables us to present construction firms with the most options, allowing them to implement a mobile solution which fits their budget and existing enterprise environment,” said Doug Peters, Penta Vice President of Mobile Products. Supported enterprise environments include Oracle, SAP, JD Edwards and other leading ERP solutions, along with Penta’s ERP solution for construction management.

According to Harvey Shovers, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Penta Technologies, “The solution-driven focus and partner network Dexterra has built is the best in the industry. We’re confident that we can collectively deliver mobile construction solutions with the most value now and in the long term.”

Key components of Penta Mobile Construction Software for Field Service and Field Reporting include:

The ability to automate tasks while obtaining data from a variety of corporate and web based systems
Visibility to contracts and warranty information
Mapping and driving directions
Capture of labor and materials usage
Customer signature at point of service
Service history
Inventory management
Parts ordering
Preventative Maintenance checklists
Capture of time and attendance information
Complete user authentication and security
Recording of employee’s hours to multiple jobs in a day / pay period
Enter employee hours to non-job activities

"Penta Mobile Construction's expertise in providing construction firms with applications that zero in on their specific needs is second-to-none," said David Schreffler, Dexterra VP Worldwide Sales. "Penta's selection of Dexterra as their mobile platform of choice validates our strategy to provide the world's most adaptable mobile environment, and confirms our intent to work with the leading solution providers in industries with large mobile work forces."

About Dexterra, Inc.

Dexterra offers the leading mobile platform available today, Dexterra Concert, to enterprises across the globe in industries such as construction, manufacturing, transportation, real estate, utilities, IT consulting, government, facilities management and consumer packaged goods. Dexterra delivers competitive advantage with applications that address unique business needs quickly, efficiently and economically, and integrates with the largest selection of wireless devices and enterprise back office systems. With offices in Seattle, Toronto, London, Dubai, and Melbourne, Dexterra also partners with technology leaders Microsoft, IBM, Motorola, EDS, CapGemini, Itronix, Symbol, and Cingular. For more information, visit www.dexterra.com.

Premier Mechanical Contractors Implement PENTA, Leave Behind Fragmented Information Systems, Out-dated Technology

Wins Endorse Penta’s commitment to deliver the market’s most complete and innovative software for large specialty and service contractors

Milwaukee, WI – Penta Technologies, Inc. announces today that two of North America’s largest and most well-respected mechanical contractors, The Waldinger Corporation and ColonialWebb Contractors, went live on PENTA software beginning January 1^st.

The Waldinger Corporation and ColonialWebb Contractors are market leaders in their respective regions with more than 2,200 employees and combined annual revenues exceeding $350 million. With significant footholds in construction and service, both Waldinger and ColonialWebb sought an enterprise system which could provide valuable business insight by managing both businesses as one. With PENTA, customer, vendor and employee data can be integrated between construction and service lines of business, as well as across all locations and organizational units.

“PENTA does just what we needed – construction and service management in a fully integrated package,” said Dave Miller, Senior VP of Operations for The Waldinger Corporation. “With PENTA’s focus on our industry and strong construction functionality, we’re optimistic about the efficiencies we can gain.”

Waldinger and ColonialWebb are two of five leading contractors whose businesses went live on PENTA on January 1^st, the largest group of one-time implementations in the company’s history.

“We’re excited to welcome The Waldinger Corporation and ColonialWebb Contractors to Penta. PENTA offers the broad functionality, industry-specific feature set and forward-looking technology today’s sophisticated specialty and service contractors require,” says Karl Koenig, Penta CEO.

About the Waldinger Corporation

The Waldinger Corporation is a full-service mechanical, electrical and sheet metal contractor operating primarily in the Midwestern and Southeastern regions of the United States. Their work includes design, fabrication, installation, maintenance and repair heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, electrical, plumbing and piping for commercial, institutional and industrial projects. For more information, please visit www.waldinger.com.

About ColonialWebb Contractors

ColonialWebb is the Mid-Atlantic Region’s premier source for Construction, Service and Manufacturing with a focus on HVAC, plumbing, electrical, process piping, refrigeration, controls, and water treatment. Over 1200 employees, located in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina are committed to providing the finest service and customer support. For more information about ColonialWebb Contractors, please visit www.colonialwebb.com

Penta Announces Five Simultaneous Construction Enterprise Software Implementations

Solidifies software leadership position for large contractors with five new customers representing over half a billion in combined construction revenues and more than 5,000 employees.

Milwaukee, WI – Penta Technologies, Inc. announces today that five leading construction enterprises have gone live on PENTA beginning January 1^st. Large, diverse construction, service and engineering firms are choosing PENTA to integrate operations, gain valuable insights into their business, and move forward with flexible, standards-based software.

Customers who implemented PENTA on January 1^st include Townsend, The Waldinger Corporation, ColonialWebb Contractors, Setzer Corporation and the Canadian division of Aker Kvaerner Songer.

“PENTA offers the broad range of functionality, deep, industry-specific feature set and forward-looking technology today’s sophisticated contractors need to manage and grow their businesses in today’s competitive environment,” says Karl Koenig, Penta CEO. ”These new implementations endorse our ability to meet those needs with PENTA.”

For more information, please contact Harvey Shovers at hds@penta.com, or 262-780-2427.

PENTA 11 Ships, Highlighted by Service Management Release 2

Expanded Service Management capabilities designed for Specialty Contractors.

Milwaukee, WI – Penta Technologies, Inc. announces that the latest version of its Project Service System, PENTA 11, is now available. Highlighted by the second major update to PENTA Service Management, this release underscores Penta Technologies, Inc.’s commitment to providing best-in-class Construction and Service Management for Specialty Contractors.

Penta Technologies, Inc. has recently been chosen by two large, multi-disciplined and geographically dispersed specialty contractors to bridge the diverse needs of their construction and service lines of business, and is furthering their commitment to bolstering service management capabilities with PENTA 11 and Penta Mobile Field Service.

“Our customers are very good about detailing the specific information needs of their service businesses,“ says Kurt Koenig, Vice President. “We take those as opportunities to meet the needs of our clients, while at the same time strengthening our Service Management offering. The vast majority of this release was driven by service requirements articulated to us by our customers.”

PENTA 11 Service Management additions include: