Pictured left to right: Robert Francki, global managing director of energy, Hatch; Amar Jolly, managing director of power, Hatch; Jim Diodati, mayor of Niagara Falls; Jim Sarvinis, global managing director of energy, Hatch; John Bianchini, chair and CEO, Hatch; Rudy Cuzzetto, parliamentary secretary to Ontario’s minister of energy; Beth Dennahower, representing the office of Tony Baldinelli, MP for Niagara Falls; Jim Law, global director of hydropower and dams, Hatch; and David Adames, CEO of the Niagara Parks Commission. Photo courtesy Hatch.
To commemorate a milestone 100 years in the hydropower field, consulting engineering firm Hatch hosted a celebration earlier this week at the historic Niagara Parks Power Station in Niagara Falls, Ont.
The occasion marked 100 years since Henry Acres—known for helping build the Queenston-Chippawa Hydroelectric Plant, later named Sir Adam Beck Generating Station I, the world’s largest hydropower generation station of his time—founded his own consulting engineering firm, H.G. Acres and Company, in 1924. The company grew across nationally and internationally and, by the early 1970s, had designed more than 50% of Canada’s hydropower facilities.
Hatch acquired the firm in 2004 and established its global hydropower centre of excellence in downtown Niagara Falls, continuing to use many of Acres’ ideas and procedures.
The celebration took place on Apr. 29, with the falls illuminated in orange, Hatch’s corporate colour. The Niagara Parks Power Station itself is more than 115 years old, having recently been transformed into an immersive facility for visitors.
Hatch was joined by Jim Diodati, mayor of Niagara Falls; Rudy Cuzzetto, parliamentary assistant to Ontario’s minister of energy; Beth Dennahower, representing the office of Tony Baldinelli, member of Parliament (MP) for Niagara Falls; and David Adames, CEO of the Niagara Parks Commission.
“We are incredibly proud to reach this significant milestone,” said John Bianchini, CEO of Hatch. “For 100 years, Hatch and its predecessors have been instrumental in shaping the hydropower industry. We look forward to a future where sustainable energy continues to play a vital role.”
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