Blog Archives

Join Us in Celebrating World Water Day!

Every year, March 22 is dedicated to focusing attention on the importance of water. This year’s theme is “Nature for Water,” and explores nature-based solutions to water challenges we face in the 21st century.

McWane, Inc. is proud of the role our safe, strong and sustainable products play in bringing water to the world.

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Another AB&I Product Sighting!

On a recent family trip to Southern California, AB&I team member of 39 years Isaac Beltran spotted AB&I pipe in the parking garage of a Holiday Inn Express.  Isaac works in the Pipe Finishing Department at AB&I.

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If you spot McWane products and would like to share a picture with the rest of the team, just email a picture and a description of where you spotted the products to Mickie Coggin at mcoggin@mcwane.com.

McWane Ductile Adds New Calculator to the Pocket Engineer

McWane Ductile has added a new calculator to the Ductile Iron Pipe Industry leading Pocket Engineer. The new HDD (Horizontal Directional Drill calculator will help utilities and engineers specify McWane Ductile Iron Pipe for the HDD applications.  Check it out today.

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The calculator can be viewed at: http://pe.mcwane.com/groups/ductile-iron-pipe/mcwane-ductile/calculators/hdd-profile-calculator

Special thanks to Ken Rickvalsky for all his work on this project.

City of Hayward Chooses Ductile Iron Pipe to Replace Aging AC Transmission Main

Christine Michaelidis, Sales Rep for McWane Ductile-Utah recently presented this framed copy of the Fall 2017 feature article from Modern McWane to Bert Weiss, Operations and Maintenance Manager, for the City of Hayward, California.  Mr. Weiss (pictured left) actually wrote the article detailing the City’s efforts to replace an aging 30” AC transmission main with a new 30” ductile iron line supplied by McWane Ductile and sold through Ferguson Waterworks.  Scott Silverthorn (pictured right) with Ferguson was instrumental in coordinating this project between McWane Ductile and the City of Hayward.

Due to the strength and durability of the material, the relative ease in which the pipe could be assembled, and the long term resiliency it will provide in an earthquake prone area, ductile iron pipe was without question the material of choice for the City of Hayward, and we thank Bert for sharing his story with us.

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Our nation’s infrastructure matters

DSCN1117This week (May 16-23) kicks off Infrastructure Week which is designed to educate the public about the critical issues facing us today with regard to our nation’s failing infrastructure. Infrastructure includes water, roads, bridges, rails, ports, airports, the power grid, and broadband which we all rely on every single day. Whether we’re turning on the lights or the faucet, we are depending on our infrastructure to be there when we need it.

At McWane, the products we manufacture are critical to the nation’s water infrastructure system, and we play a critical role in bringing water to the entire world.  Water is vital to every other infrastructure system including the power grid, public health, fighting fires, etc. Have you ever considered what you would do if you turned on the faucet to get a drink of water and nothing came out? This could happen if we as a nation don’t reinvest in our water infrastructure in a big way.

We are proud of the fact that many of the ductile iron pipes produced by McWane since 1921, even longer for McWane Ductile-New Jersey, are still in service today. But it’s time to replace those reliable pipes with new pipes that will last for another 100 years or more. Congress has recognized the need for water infrastructure improvements and, through the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), has funded eligible infrastructure projects using State Revolving Funds (SRFs). SRFs provide low-interest loans to be used for water and sanitation projects.

We are competing with plastic pipe makers and foreign producers on those projects. It’s critical that we educate the public and those who make decisions about funding water infrastructure projects about the benefits of using ductile iron pipe so local policy makers will make the wise, strong and sustainable choice ─ ductile iron pipe and fittings.

An article recently appeared in the Huffington Post discussing the water challenges we face. You can read the article at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-deane/solving-complex-water-cha_b_9906068.html

McWane Ductile Iron Pipe Companies Join Together to Form McWane Ductile

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Today marks an exciting and historic change for the McWane ductile iron pipe companies. Effective immediately, McWane Cast Iron Pipe Company, Pacific States Cast Iron Pipe Company, Atlantic States Cast Iron Pipe Company, and Clow Water Systems will operate unified under the new name McWane Ductile. This consolidation reflects a united company focused on providing excellent service and quality products to our customers, while making all of the divisions recognizable as part of the McWane family of companies.

In a letter to the team, McWane Ductile Sr. Vice President, Jeff Otterstedt said,

“We will make a public announcement later today; however, it’s important to us to first share it with our valued team members — the people who work so hard each and every day to make our company successful.”

This decision wasn’t made lightly. After lengthy consideration, it became clear that while we have many significant and rich traditions that are unique to each of our divisions, we become stronger collectively as one distinct brand. And, although our name has changed, our promise to our team members, customers, and partners remains the same as we build on our nearly 100-year history of creating iron-strong utilities.

There are many good reasons for this change. Not only does it provide our North American and international customers with a uniform business experience across our operations by standardizing purchase orders and acknowledgements, terms and conditions, invoicing, RMA procedures, quotations, submittals, and most other customer service processes, but it also aligns the best practices and cultures from all of our operations under one vision. We should note that Canada Pipe, also a member of the McWane ductile iron pipe companies, will retain its name, which best reflects its unique position as the leading ductile iron pipe provider in Canada.

With this unification, we are fully committed to maintaining and continually investing in our three plants, located in Phillipsburg, New Jersey; Coshocton, Ohio; and Provo, Utah. While we’re excited to forge ahead as McWane Ductile, we understand that it can be difficult to embrace change while saying goodbye to old traditions. We hope that you’ll consider this an opportunity to bring the very best parts of your current culture to this new brand that we can all be proud to call our own.

You’ll find more information on our new website at http://www.mcwaneductile.com.

McWane Pipe Used to Replace Bridge

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Recently, McWane’s ductile iron pipe was installed to replace a 300-foot-long bridge near Hanceville, Alabama (Cullman County). For the job, the types of pipe used were 695 feet of 10-inch Tyton Joint Class 350 – Cement Lined, and 636 feet of 12-inch TR Flex Class 350 – Cement Lined.

Ironically, the bridge that was being replaced also used McWane Tyton pipe and had been lain over 20 years ago!

The bridge approaches on State Route 91 at the Broglen River, northeast of Hanceville. So, if you are ever in that area, think of McWane and remember that our pipes successful helped make that bridge possible!

America’s Drinking Water: McWane Delivers

Not only on today because of Earth Day, but every day McWane delivers water that is sustainable and safe. Made in America, for America. Water World 1As America’s water and wastewater infrastructure begins to show its age — and in places it’s well over a century old — it’s important we do what’s right for our families, our communities and our planet. At McWane, we’re committed to doing right, the right way.

Billions of dollars worth of new infrastructure is needed. It’s needed soon. And best of all, it can create thousands of American jobs and pump new life into our economy. The McWane Way has helped lead us to the front of our industry. We’ve spent hundreds of millions of dollars to improve safety, efficiency and environmental sustainability and we’re ready to help rebuild America. Our country deserves nothing less than the finest, most durable and safest infrastructure—manufactured right here at home.

There are some who argue for PVC pipe in our water and wastewater infrastructures. But toxic chemicals andour drinking water don’t mix. Dozens of cities and jurisdictions are now suing the largest manufacturer of PVC pipes because of the broken promises, cracked products and limited durability of those pipes.

Every city, and every American family, deserves better.McWane’s ductile iron pipes are made from recycled materials, not toxic chemicals. We turn hundreds of thousands of tons of old cars that would otherwise fill landfills and junkyards into durable, safe, efficient water pipes and fittings. And we’ve been perfecting this for generations.

“We’re about more than compliance with environmental,health and safety regulations,” said Ruffner Page, Jr., McWane president. “We want our initiatives to become a benchmark for the foundry industry, and to lead our industry toward more sustainable practices. We aim to be the best by continuing to do our best.”

Our country deserves the best water infrastructure. It will help create jobs here at home, boost our economy and safeguard our health—all while protecting our environment and communities.