Northwest Pipe Company's Innovative Radial Bending Joint Makes its Florida Debut in Water Pipeline Project

Rhea-AI Summary

Northwest Pipe Company (Nasdaq: NWPX) announced the first commercial use of its patent-pending Permalok Radial Bending Joint (RBJ) in the South Hillsborough Pipeline project. Northwest Pipe is supplying 5,764 linear feet of Permalok steel casing pipe for 18 underground crossings. The RBJ enables curved trenchless microtunneling so steel casing can follow curved alignments, allowing shafts to remain within easements and rights-of-way. Reported benefits include a smaller jobsite footprint, fewer shafts, more precise long-distance tunneling, and reduced construction impacts. The project, managed by Tampa Bay Water with Garney and Huxted Trenchless, will deliver up to 65 million gallons per day to treatment facilities near Lithia and Balm.

Positive

• First commercial deployment of patent-pending Permalok RBJ
• Supply order of 5,764 linear feet of Permalok steel casing
• 18 underground crossings in the South Hillsborough Pipeline project
• Project will deliver up to 65 million gallons per day
• RBJ enables curved trenchless installs, reducing shafts and jobsite footprint

Negative

• None.

Key Figures

Pipeline supply length 5,764 linear feet Permalok steel casing pipe for South Hillsborough Pipeline project

Underground crossings 18 underground crossings South Hillsborough Pipeline project scope

Water delivery capacity 65 million gallons per day Additional water per day delivered by project

Market Reality Check

$65.94 Last Close

Volume Volume 43,953 is 0.68x the 20-day average of 64,988 shares ahead of this news. low

Technical Shares at $63.29 are trading above the $48.75 200-day MA and 3.87% below the $65.84 52-week high.

Peers on Argus

NWPX was down 1.13% while key peers were mixed: ASTL +2.17%, LUD +4.09%, ZEUS +0.87%, MTUS -0.53%, MSB -1.14%, suggesting stock-specific factors rather than a unified sector move.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 02	Operational award	Positive	+2.2%	Utah Geneva unit named Utah Manufacturer of the Year for large companies.
Nov 25	Product certification	Positive	+0.8%	Achieved UL 508A certification for control panel systems across water products.
Oct 29	Earnings results	Positive	+0.5%	Reported record Q3 2025 net sales, gross profit, and strong segment performance.
Oct 15	Sustainability disclosure	Positive	-1.1%	Published verified Environmental Product Declaration for water transmission pipe.
Oct 15	Earnings notice	Neutral	-1.1%	Announced timing and access details for upcoming Q3 2025 earnings release.

Pattern Detected

Recent news and earnings have usually seen modestly positive price reactions, with one notable divergence on sustainability-related news.

Recent Company History

Over the last few months, NWPX has highlighted operational recognition, product certifications, and strong financial performance. Awards such as Utah Manufacturer of the Year on Dec 02, 2025 and UL 508A certification on Nov 25, 2025 both coincided with small share gains. Record Q3 2025 results on Oct 29, 2025 also saw a positive reaction. An environmental product declaration release on Oct 15, 2025 drew a negative move, showing that not all positive operational updates translate into immediate price strength. Today’s technology deployment fits this stream of infrastructure-focused developments.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement showcases commercial deployment of NWPX’s Permalok Radial Bending Joint on a major Florida water pipeline, supporting curved, trenchless microtunneling and potentially lowering project costs and disruption. In recent months the company has emphasized product innovation, sustainability disclosures, and record Q3 2025 results. Investors may watch how frequently RBJ technology appears in future project awards, how it contributes to backlog, and how these developments interact with ongoing capital return and insider trading disclosures.

Key Terms

microtunneling technical

"The patent-pending RBJ technology allows steel casing pipe to be installed along a curved path in microtunneling applications."

A trenchless construction method that installs underground pipes by pushing preassembled pipe sections through soil from a remote machine that bores and removes earth ahead of the pipe, similar to sliding a hollow tube through a cake while cutting a path in front. It matters to investors because it can reduce surface disruption, speed schedules, lower long‑term maintenance and permitting risks, and affect project costs and contractor revenue in infrastructure and utility contracts.

trenchless technical

"For the first time, steel casing pipe can be installed along a curved path in trenchless applications with ease."

Trenchless describes construction methods that install, repair, or replace underground pipes, cables and tunnels without digging long open trenches, using approaches like boring, pipe lining or directional drilling — imagine threading a new pipe under a street instead of tearing the road up. It matters to investors because trenchless work often lowers project costs and timelines, reduces community and regulatory disruption, and creates steady, repeatable service demand that can improve margins and reduce operational risk for companies in infrastructure and utilities.

steel casing pipe technical

"The patent-pending RBJ technology allows steel casing pipe to be installed along a curved path in microtunneling applications."

A steel casing pipe is a heavy, hollow metal tube used to line and protect holes, wells, or buried pipelines—think of it as a tough sleeve that keeps earth, water, or pressure from collapsing or contaminating the interior line. Investors care because demand and pricing for these pipes track activity in construction, oil and gas drilling, water infrastructure and manufacturing, and they are sensitive to steel costs, supply-chain constraints and capital spending cycles.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Patent-pending Permalok^® technology enables curved trenchless installations, reducing costs and construction impacts

VANCOUVER, Wash., Jan. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- NWPX Infrastructure (Nasdaq: NWPX), a leading manufacturer of water-related infrastructure products, today announced the first commercial use of its Permalok^® Radial Bending Joint (RBJ) in a major water pipeline project.

The patent-pending RBJ technology allows steel casing pipe to be installed along a curved path in microtunneling applications. This engineered advancement creates more opportunities for maneuverability in congested tunnel alignments, allowing the pipe path to bend and adapt to specific site conditions which could include existing utility lines, monuments, and building foundations. Additional benefits include a smaller jobsite footprint, fewer shafts, and more precise execution of tunneling over longer distances.

Northwest Pipe Company is supplying 5,764 linear feet of Permalok^® steel casing pipe for the South Hillsborough Pipeline project, which includes 18 underground crossings. The project, managed by Tampa Bay Water, will deliver up to an additional 65 million gallons of water per day from a regional treatment facility east of Tampa to a water treatment plant in Lithia and a future drinking water facility near Balm. Garney serves as the project's construction manager, and Huxted Trenchless is the microtunneling contractor.

The curved RBJ segment allows Tampa Bay Water to install microtunneling shafts within their prescribed bore path alignments, which are along easements and rights of ways. This eliminates additional shafts that would be required if the pipe were to be installed in straight segments.

"The RBJ is revolutionizing microtunneling," said Scott Montross, President and CEO of NWPX Infrastructure. "For the first time, steel casing pipe can be installed along a curved path in trenchless applications with ease. In this case, the RBJ's curved segments allow microtunneling shafts to be constructed within utility easements, avoiding the need for extra shafts and tunnels, and reducing overall project costs."

To learn more about Permalok RBJ and trenchless systems, please visit www.nwpipe.com.

About NWPX Infrastructure – Founded in 1966, NWPX Infrastructure, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of water-related infrastructure products. Under the Northwest Pipe Company brand, the Company is the largest manufacturer of engineered water transmission systems in North America and produces steel casing pipe, bar-wrapped concrete cylinder pipe, and pipeline system joints and fittings. The Company also provides solution-based products for a wide range of markets including high-quality reinforced precast concrete products and lined precast sanitary sewer system components, which are manufactured under the NWPX Geneva brand, as well as water distribution and management equipment including pump lift stations, wastewater pretreatment, and stormwater quality products through the NWPX Park brand. Strategically positioned to meet growing water and wastewater infrastructure needs, the Company's skilled team is committed to quality and innovation while upholding its core values of accountability, commitment, and teamwork. Headquartered in Vancouver, Washington, NWPX Infrastructure operates 13 manufacturing facilities across North America. For more information, please visit www.nwpx.com.

Contact:
Aaron Wilkins
Chief Financial Officer
NWPX Infrastructure, Inc.
360-397-6294 • awilkins@nwpx.com

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SOURCE NWPX Infrastructure, Inc.

FAQ

What did Northwest Pipe (NWPX) announce on January 8, 2026?

Northwest Pipe announced the first commercial use of its patent-pending Permalok Radial Bending Joint (RBJ) in a major Florida pipeline project.

How much Permalok pipe is Northwest Pipe (NWPX) supplying for the South Hillsborough project?

Northwest Pipe is supplying 5,764 linear feet of Permalok steel casing pipe for the project.

What are the claimed benefits of the Permalok RBJ for microtunneling?

The RBJ allows curved trenchless installation, enabling shafts within easements, fewer shafts, a smaller jobsite footprint, and more precise tunneling.

Who are the project partners for the South Hillsborough Pipeline using NWPX products?

Tampa Bay Water manages the project; Garney is construction manager and Huxted Trenchless is the microtunneling contractor.

What water delivery capacity is associated with the South Hillsborough Pipeline?

The project will deliver up to 65 million gallons per day to regional water treatment facilities near Lithia and Balm.

Does the Permalok RBJ have issued patents for NWPX?

The company describes the Permalok RBJ as patent-pending, indicating patent applications are filed but not necessarily granted.