Fort Sherman Dam | On the border of Titus and Camp counties, Lake Bob Sandlin is on Big Cypress Creek about six miles southwest of Mount Pleasant and six miles northwest of Pittsburg.

Contractor Sues Sub Over Spillway Gates For Dam At Lake Bob Sandlin

MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas–A contractor hired to construct new spillway gates for the Fort Sherman Dam at Lake Bob Sandlin in Titus County claims it has suffered hundreds of thousands in damages because of defective bearings supplied by sub-contractors.

Alltech Engineering Corp. has accused Johnson Machine Works Inc. and Lubron Bearing Systems Inc. of breach of contract, breach of warranty, negligence and negligent misrepresentation in a lawsuit filed recently in the Eastern District of Texas.

Alltech was hired in 2021 by Titus County Fresh Water Supply District No. 1 after submitting a winning bid for roughly $7.3 million, according to Alltech’s complaint. Alltech hired JMW to perform certain work, including the manufacture of self-lubricating bearings for the spillway gates, according to Alltech’s complaint. 

JMW turned to Lubron to manufacture the bearings at specifications provided by Alltech.

Alltech took delivery of eight bearings contained within trunnion housing from JMW that were fabricated by Lubron for the project in August 2022. In 2024, when representatives of Titus County did a “substantial completion walkthrough” of the project, they observed abnormal ping noises and vibration in one of the gates, according to the complaint.

After further investigation, “intermittent movement of the spherical bearings in all four gates” was discovered. Alltech was issued a “formal defective work notice” in February 2025.

Alltech alleges that an engineering inspection determined that the bearings were “defectively manufactured” and do not comply with the specifications provided by Alltech to the sub-contractors.

Alltech alleges that JMW and Lubron have denied any liability.

Titus County has not accepted the project as “substantially complete or finally complete,” subjecting Alltech to a $1,500 per day penalty beginning on the date the contract required for substantial and final completion, according to Alltech’s complaint.

Alltech said it is incurring damages at the rate of $40,844 per month.

“As of June 2026, those damages totaled over $458,400.00 for certain equipment and materials that remain onsite at the project due to the defective bearings,” Alltech said in the complaint. “Alltech also has exposure to liquidated damages, engineering costs, replacement costs, delay damages, consultant fees, and future repair costs as a direct result of the conduct of JMW and Lubron described herein.”

Alltech faults JMW and Lubron for supplying defective bearings that could “result in future operational problems under normal functioning of the project and the dam.”

Alltech wants JMW and Lubron to pay for the damages it has already accrued at more than $450,000, additional damages as they accrue, and attorney fees.

Alltech is represented by Jared Pace of Condon Tobin Sladek Sparks Nerenberg PLLC and Matthew T. Collins of Fabyanske Westra Hart & Thompson PA.

The subcontractors have not yet filed responses to Alltech’s complaint. Counsel information for the subcontractors was not available Monday.