You may have heard of the ancient parables of the blind and the elephant. Everyone can feel a specific part of a creature and immediately "know" what it is: a snake, a tree, a wall, a rope, or a spear.

This is a bit similar to Victaulic, a plumbing solution provider. "A lot of people will say,'I know Victaulic'-but they have only seen one thing we do, such as our pipe joints or our fire protection system," explains Eric Luftig, the company's vice president and head of marketing Said. "People in chemical plants may know us because of the small diameter compressed air pipe system, and people in municipal water supply facilities may know us because of our large diameter pipe connection solutions. But we are a bit like "Intel Inside" ——We have things that people don’t know in many places. We like to say, “From the tallest tower to the deepest mine.” Once you see it and understand who we are, you can’t help but discover our technology Everywhere."

Victaulic's global headquarters is located in Easton, Pennsylvania.

However, most people outside of the industry have never heard of Victaulic. That's because all major categories of their products focus on piping system solutions. They include pipe connection components, accessories, flow control valves, equipment modules and tools for various liquid and gas applications, as well as sprinklers and professional versions of all pipe products dedicated to fire extinguishing systems. The company also provides overall piping system design solutions, engineering and installation services, and training.

Victaulic has a proud history. "We just celebrated the 100th anniversary of our first patent," said John F. Malloy, their chairman, president and chief executive officer. The patent was filed on April 4, 1919 for the world's first slotted mechanical bolt joint and its most iconic product, the Victaulic joint. The Victaulic coupling is a simple and almost foolproof system for connecting pipes together. It was developed by a British soldier, a Royal Engineer Ernest Tribe Lieutenant, and Edison-style inventor Henry Selby He Dr. Le Shaw. This prompted the company to be established in the United Kingdom in 1919, and Victaulic couplings are still one of the company's most widely used products.

Around 1927, Victaulic fittings used by the British Newport Gas Company

Of course, since then, Victaulic has added many products to its product portfolio. Over the decades, many of their piping system solutions have been used in industrial and commercial construction fields, and are now widely used in large utility applications, oil and gas systems, skyscrapers and stadiums. Their system has long been an integral part of large-scale construction projects such as the Hoover Dam, and played an important role in fueling troops during World War II.

"We have installed more than 1 billion products worldwide," Luftig said. "Although our products are still in great demand in the construction industry, they have also received widespread attention and follow in atypical applications." They have a steampunk mystery that promotes the popularity of non-industrial uses. "You will find that bars all over the world use our products for their tap systems-they like their appearance," Luftig explains. "A certain industrial art perspective is there to help us."

Owning those popular traditional products is a big advantage, but the company does not see them as the key to past or future success. Regarding the importance of the 100th anniversary celebration, Malloy said: “One of the questions we ask ourselves is,'Who does this make sense?' Our answer is, first and foremost, our customers. It is up to us to win their loyalty every day. Degree. Therefore, we have been committed to exceeding the expectations of our customers and the industry. In addition, we rely on our customers to help us drive new innovations."

Victaulic customers have always been able to uphold the company's commitment to quality and... [] excellence.

Employees are the second part of the answer. "Especially we have many, many second- and third-generation employees who want to recognize the efforts of them and our retirees," Malloy commented. "Our employees have developed unconventional solutions and continue to motivate and guide the organization to success."

Part of this innovation is one thing the company depends on in the future. "Innovation keeps us relevant," Malloy said. We now have more than 2,000 patents, and we will add about 100 more each year. Luftiger agreed. "In the past 20 years, our patents have quadrupled every year," he added.

They believe that this situation will not slow down anytime soon. "An engineer who installed a Victaulic piping system on a Boeing 747 SuperTanker (an aircraft designed to extinguish wildfires) told me,'It's like an engineer's Lego bricks! Luftig said: "I haven't realized something like this. Various other unique uses. "

Victaulic provides virtual design and construction software solutions for commercial, industrial... [] and pipeline construction industries.

Technology and artificial intelligence are fundamentally changing the manufacturing industry, and the collaboration of humans and robots is at the forefront. "Manufacturing technology is also changing," Malloy said. "This is as exciting as the business itself. For example, we are increasingly using robots in the finishing process, and we have new optical technology to'observe' the chemical composition of castings." He believes this is Victaulic in the world. An advantage in industry recruitment issues. "Especially for young people, we think we have an advantage in building a predictable future," he said.

Investment is another part of the company's future strategy. Here, they will be a private company as an advantage. "We have the ability to focus on the long-term, not just the next quarter or a specific set of financial conditions," Malloy said. Luftig added: "We have pledged to expand the size of Victaulic's global manufacturing footprint by 43%, thereby enhancing our ability to better serve our customers in the coming years.

"We are a construction productivity company," Luftig said. "We continue to invest and bring value to owners, engineers and contractors in the construction industry. But in the final analysis, it comes down to customers making decisions based on trust. It comes down to the people behind the product-human interaction.

"We are a '100 years new' company," he explained. "We have 4,250 employees and serve customers in 128 countries around the world, but our thinking and actions are flexible. Large listed companies cannot respond to customer needs in real time. We focus on our customers and do the right thing."

"We hope to be here for a long time," Malloy added.

For clarity and correctness, this article has been updated with some minor edits.