Hewlett High School raises a ruckus over robotics

In Room 234 of Hewlett High school - and occasionally on the floor outside of Room 234 - more than 60 students and Robotics Club coach Janine Torresson spend six hours every Friday thinking, building and tinkering.
Torresson oversees three teams - Bionica, Innovo, and Roboboogie - that compete in For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, or FIRST, Tech Challenge competitions for middle school and high school students. Each team has 15 members. FIRST is a nonprofit organization based in Manchester, N.H., that supports science-oriented educational competitions for kindergarten through 12th-grade students.
Following strict rules and under a six-week time limit, the teams raise money, design team brands and build and program industrial-sized robots to accomplish specific tasks in competition. The FIRST competition mission for 2019 is the space-themed Rover Ruckus, in which robots will land on Mars and be required to collect assorted items.

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Comfort Systems USA Announces Acquisition

Business Wire | February 01, 2024

Comfort Systems USA, Inc. today announced that it has closed its previously announced transaction to acquire Summit Industrial Construction, LLC (“Summit”) headquartered in Houston, Texas. As previously disclosed, Summit is a specialty industrial mechanical contractor offering engineering, design-assist and turnkey, direct hire construction services of modular systems serving the advanced technology, power, and industrial sectors. Summit’s capabilities encompass a wide range of modular and site-based construction, including process piping, equipment setting, large pipe rack trestles, and related steel erection and specialty concrete work. Summit is a trusted supplier to some of the world’s largest advanced technology, power and industrial companies and is currently deployed on several major chip fabrication projects. Initially, Summit is expected to contribute annualized revenues of approximately $375 million to $400 million, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization of $35 million to $40 million. In light of the amortization expense, Summit is expected to make a neutral to slightly accretive contribution to earnings per share in 2024 and 2025. Brian Lane, Comfort Systems USA’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are delighted to announce the closing of our agreement to acquire Summit, an extremely capable provider of modular and other complex mechanical services. Summit brings a stellar reputation as a modular technology leader in growing end markets, including multiple ongoing and large semiconductor projects. We are happy to welcome Summit’s wonderful leadership team and excellent production and craft workers across many states, and we are confident Summit will continue to innovate and grow as a part of our network of world-class contracting companies. We are grateful that Summit has chosen to become part of Comfort Systems USA.”

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