Anawati and Associates
Based in Hawaii, Anawati & Associates’ QA/QC Division is a locally owned full-service nondestructive testing (NDT) company. A small operation, Anawati & Associates strives to maintain its ability to provide quality services to all of its customers. Whether a project is large or small, Anawati & Associates has built a reputation for its timely and efficient service.
Alfred Anawati is the owner of Anawati & Associates. He is also the owner and founder of Marisco, a provider of marine and industrial services for the governmental and commercial sectors in Hawaii and throughout the Pacific region. Although Anawati is the name behind both organizations, Anawati & Associates is a separate company and not a Marisco subsidiary. The company consists of Vice President Jack Laws, an office administrator and four technicians.
“We are a third-party, independent inspection services company,” Laws says. “We are part of the Anawati umbrella, as he owns us and Marisco. They have some wholly owned subsidiaries, but we are separate. Most of our work is in Hawaii, but we’ve done work on a couple other islands. Personally, I’ve worked for other Anawati companies in other parts of the Pacific, too.”
Vast Offerings
Anawati & Associates is certified to provide services for the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), the military and commercial jobs. Its technicians have work experience in marine, new construction, industrial, aerospace and other industries, and they are certified in accordance with the American Society for Nondestructive Testing’s (ASNT) SNT-TC-1A and NAVSEA guidelines.
The company puts a great deal of emphasis on conducting its operations in a professional manner and with a great deal of integrity. It has a wide array of services. Its welding and materials inspection services include visual inspections, penetrant testing, magnetic particle inspection, ultrasonic testing, digital and film radiography. Its quality-assurance services include welding program audits, NDT surveillance, and welder/brazer workmanship training. Certification services include welding procedure qualifications and welder qualifications.
“Our status as a third-party, independent inspection services company has allowed us to become recognized by government agencies and the ASNT national society,” Laws says. “What we do is different from destructive testing, which destroys the part that you are testing. Nondestructive testing allows you to inspect a part without damaging it. There are various methods of carrying out the inspection. We offer services like magnetic particle and penetrant liquid dye inspections. Visual weld inspections are a large part of what we do.”
The primary focus for Anawati & Associates is the maritime industry. That is where most of its work comes from, and its clients include the U.S. Navy and commercial shippers. The company often provides its services during ship repair. In addition, it is an authorized ABS surveyor, which allows it to provide inspections that can determine whether vessels need to address thinning caused by corrosion.
Outside of the maritime world, Anawati & Associates has worked in a number of other settings. It has worked on power plants, refineries, pipelines, storage tanks and petrochemical plants, as well as in new construction.
“We can do most any kind of weld inspection, and we also offer X-ray service,” Laws says.
Key Ingredients
Anawati & Associates has needed to invest in technology and people. Laws says the ultrasonic inspection business has gone to phased array and highly computed ultrasonic techniques, which require a well-trained inspector. He also says X-ray inspections have gone from hand processing to digital X-rays. That is why the company has invested in digital capabilities.
Another area that the company has to keep up with is the ever-changing nature of rules and regulations. Laws says they continue to tighten, which opens opportunities in areas such as pipeline inspections.
“What drives the need for our service is insurance companies or government requirements,” Laws says. “Often times, there isn’t a call until a catastrophic failure happens that costs big money and causes major damage. Companies like ours are brought in because there is a higher demand for inspection services.”
The most important investment area for Anawati & Associates is the skill of its technicians. The company has a small staff, so each individual needs to be trained to the highest level. That way, its technicians are qualified to conduct any and all inspection processes.
“Ultrasonic inspection is the most difficult,” Laws says. “Looking ahead, we have to keep up with the industry, purchase new ultrasonic equipment and upgrade digital X-ray capabilities.”
In the future, the company hopes to develop more opportunities on the new construction side. The refinery business in Hawaii is contracting, but Laws sees the aboveground storage tank business in Hawaii and other Pacific islands as a potential growth area. Although it can be difficult to be a nondestructive testing company in Hawaii, Laws is confident that Anawati & Associates will continue to carve out a successful path.
“One of the primary ingredients of success for a company like ours is qualified employees,” he says. “We must always be able to keep a staff that is certified according to national standards and can follow procedures that are approved by our clients.”