ESI supports instrumentation

ESI president Mark E. Watson, Mayor Paul Finley, Felecia McInnish and Tessy Cabrera at the Engineered Solutions Ribbon cutting.

BY GREGG L. PARKER

Innovation and problem solving for nuclear plants are strengths for Engineered Solutions Inc. (ESI), now open at 300 Research Blvd.

“ESI is proud to be based in the Tennessee Valley,” president Mark E. Watson said.

ESI was formed in 1987 as a consortium of nuclear engineering experts. During the 1990s, ESI grew from a small ‘mom-and-pop’ company to a full-service engineering firm.

The company emphasizes installation and upgrade of digital instrumentation and controls for nuclear power plants.

ESI has supported TVA nuclear plants in both Alabama and Tennessee since 1991. ESI accessed the highly educated workforce, airport proximity and technological expertise in Huntsville and Madison to support work at TVA’s Watts Bar, Bellefonte and Browns Ferry.

ESI primarily provides design engineering services, field support, outage construction, start-up and operational testing. “Troubleshooting and problem solving have always been ESI’s strengths,” Watson said.

ESI has developed several patented technologies. A one-way data diode protects vital system networks for plant control from intrusion of lower priority networks. A motor-operated overload monitor gives valve operability status. “The Retro-Fitz method of control panel repair has saved utilities millions of dollars,” Watson said.

ESI currently employs 65 employees, mainly engineers, in Alabama, Georgia, Iowa and Tennessee. About half are based in North Alabama.

“ESI has always treated and compensated employees as crucial pieces of the ESI team,” he said. “Retirement and health benefits far exceed benefits offered by large companies.” ESI has retained “top-notch talent and motivated employees to continually develop their ‘human capital.’”

“We thrive on the ‘David vs. Goliath’ theme for businesses where the playing field is level,” he said. He hopes smaller companies will see increased opportunity in an industry dominated by multinational billion-dollar companies.

Watson earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Tennessee in nuclear engineering and completed Navy nuclear training. He and wife Debra L. Goad, ESI’s first human resources manager, have two daughters: Jessica, 27, and Jennifer, 25, both UT graduates.

For more information, call 256-327-7208, send email to info@esinuclear.com or visit esinuclear.com or Facebook/Engineered-Solutions-Inc.