Suit filed over equipment for Johnson Space Center

GALVESTON - Alleging Arkansas-Oregon Pneumatics failed to provide equipment pursuant to its specifications and industry standards, Alltec Lifting Systems LLC is pursuing legal action.

According to a lawsuit filed March 23 in Galveston County District Court, Alltec placed a purchase order for the materials on behalf of CSC Applied Technology Group to AOP last year only to learn they were full of multiple welding failures.

The suit shows the plaintiff and CSC entered into a contract in April 2011 to which the former would provide a custom lifting device and cradle designed for the Johnson Space Center to use in a large vacuum chamber.

Alltec made the transaction with AOP about six months later in September. Inspections were conducted at the respondent's facilities, and one of the reviews revealed that work was being done on the ring but not the cradle, the original petition states.

The plaintiff received an invoice for additional materials and labor for the cradle in the amount of $9,163 in October 2011.

Court papers further explain that AOP delivered the ring, booming and trolley beams and additional components of the project as well as the cradle to the complainant in late October and early November 2011, however, the latter uncovered numerous structural and welding problems.

Alltec would learn the defendant did not have its own weld procedure for aluminum and even reportedly plagiarized that of another company's.

More tests on the fully assembled ring and cradle throughout the end of last year ultimately determined that AOP's "poor" fabrication created structural deficiencies which CSC came across and brought to Alltec's attention, the suit says.

The original petition states Alltec requested that the defendant reduce its cost because of supposed problems to no avail as additional payment was demanded.

The plaintiff offered AOP a settlement offer which included attorney's fees in correspondence dated Feb. 23 only to have it rejected in favor of a counter-offer, the suit says.

Attorney Jason B. Keith of Houston is representing Alltec, and Galveston County 212th District Court Judge Susan Criss is presiding over the case.

Case No. 12-cv-573