A photo from the 1976 groundbreaking of the Victaulic headquarters in Forks Township. (photo courtesy Victaulic)

Victaulic, a Forks Township-based manufacturer of mechanical pipe joining solutions and grooved pipe joining systems and one of Lehigh Valley’s top manufacturers, is celebrating a full century of operation and innovation.

It’s been 100 years since the company was granted its first industry patent for mechanical pipe joining solutions. On April 4, 1919, Lieutenant Ernest Tribe filed the first patent for The Victory Joint, the first mechanical bolted coupling to join grooved pipe ends.

Now known as the Victaulic coupling, the invention enabled critical piping infrastructure to be installed more quickly, safely, and cost effectively than traditional methods. While first devised for military applications, the coupling went on to revolutionize the construction industry.

Today, as the company reflects on its centennial, Victaulic continues to develop and patent groundbreaking technologies, with a current portfolio of more than 2,000 patented solutions that transform the building and industrial construction industries, while driving new industry standards in performance and safety.

“For 100 years, Victaulic’s reputation has been built on customer collaboration, delivering new technologies that enable productivity, and reducing risk across the construction lifecycle,” said John F. Malloy, Victaulic’s Chairman, President & CEO.

“Our Centennial ‘Innoversary’ is not only an opportunity to look back on our achievements, it’s also great motivation to make our next century even more valuable for our customers and rewarding for our employees,” Malloy said.

One billion Victaulic solutions have been installed worldwide, Malloy said, in some of the world’s most important, iconic and ground-breaking construction projects, including the Hoover Dam, Eiffel Tower, Beijing Olympic Stadium, Petronas Towers, and Hudson Yards.

Victaulic has been part of Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley business community for almost 40 years. In 2020, the company expects to open a new, 400,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing center in Lower Nazareth Township, which is the result of increased domestic demand for the company’s products.

Malloy said the project reflects company’s commitment to the Lehigh Valley, and the region’s central location in the Northeast will allow Victaulic to manufacture its products in close proximity to its customers.

“Our next 100 years will include more customer-centric innovation as technology grows more rapidly than ever before and we continue to make strategic R&D investments,” he said. “Our company is an exceptional place to work because of the dedication of our employees and a shared passion for customer excellence across the entire global Victaulic family.”

Victaulic was the featured company at the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) Fall Signature Event in 2017, during which Malloy first announced plans to increase its manufacturing operations, creating up to 50 new jobs.

Malloy said Victaulic’s 100th annivesary coincides with current global expansions and investments that will add close to one million square feet to Victaulic’s manufacturing operations, expanding manufacturing capacity to serve customers around the globe. This includes the company’s facilities in Dalian, China; Drezdenko, Poland; and Ontario, Canada.

“Our next 100 years will include more customer-centric innovation as technology grows more rapidly than ever before and we continue to make strategic R&D investments,” Malloy said. “Our company is an exceptional place to work because of the dedication of our employees and a shared passion for customer excellence across the entire global Victaulic family.”

Victaulic’s 4,000 employees are spread among 37 branches, 13 manufacturing facilities and five foundries around the world. They serve customers in 120 countries with a variety of application solutions across diverse industries, such as commercial buildings, oil, gas and chemical facilities, power generation facilities, mining operations, and municipal and clean water operations.