Innovative ideas since 1975 - CertainTeed PVC Pipe

History of Certa-Lok™

Certa-Lok™ was developed by CertainTeed in the mid-1970s. It was first presented to the PVC pipe industry around 1975 with the introduction of CertainTeed's Yelomine™ product line, which was designed to transport fluid into and out of iron ore mines. Certa-Lok proved invaluable in this application thanks to its speedy pipe joint assembly, portability and ease of re-deployment.

Over time, with the addition of different diameters, wall thicknesses and pressure classes, the Yelomine product line has expanded into a much wider array of applications, including agricultural and turf irrigation, water and sewer systems, and temporary water bypass lines – all of which benefit from the unique advantages of Certa-Lok technology.

In 1980 CertainTeed expanded its portfolio of water well PVC pipe products with the introduction of Certa-Lok water well casings. The ability to assemble and install these well casings much faster than conventional pipe materials fueled their popularity in this market.

By 1985 CertainTeed had again expanded Certa-Lok's product reach, this time into the municipal water and sewer market with the introduction of C900/RJ™. Initially sought after because it eliminated the need for “thrust blocks” in open-cut municipal system installations, by the early 1990s C900/RJ was also recognized as an outstanding option for trenchless pipe system installations involving horizontal directional drilling and static pipe-bursting.

The following decade was a busy one for CertainTeed's Certa-Lok product development team. As the decade transitioned to the new millennium CertainTeed released a line of Certa-Lok Integral Bell well casing products, quickly followed by Certa-Com™, a product used in trenchless electrical and conduit systems, in 2001. Yelomine Integral Bell products came soon after in 2002, followed by large diameter C905/RJ™ (up to 16") using a fiberglass Certa-Lok coupling in 2004, CertaFlo™ for gravity and force main systems in 2008 and 24" Certa-Lok well casing, the largest PVC pipe product ever offered to the water well industry, in 2009.

More Certa-Lok products are on their way as CertainTeed continues to expand its product offering to meet growing industry and consumer needs. Stay tuned!

About CertainTeed

CertainTeed Corporation is a leading North American manufacturer of building materials and a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, one of the top 100 industrial companies in the world. CertainTeed has been a recognized and trusted name in the building industry for more than 100 years.

CertainTeed and the PVC pipe industry

CertainTeed's history in the pipe business dates back to 1962, when the company acquired the pipe division of Keasby & Mattison. With the acquisition of Plains Plastic in 1965, CertainTeed entered the PVC marketplace. In 1969, CertainTeed grew again with the addition of two more pipe companies, Bowles & Eden and Rohan. CertainTeed opened its Lake Charles, Louisiana polymer plant in 1975; this facility provides high quality PVC resin to CertainTeed's pipe business.

Today CertainTeed PVC pipe is produced in the United States in Lodi, California and McPherson, Kansas. It is available in all 50 states and routinely exported to more than 25 countries.

McPherson, Kansas

Lodi, California

With a proud 40-year heritage in the PVC pipe industry, the support of a parent company of worldwide stature and significant pipe manufacturing capacity in the United States, CertainTeed is uniquely positioned among the leaders in the PVC pipe industry. The company offers a diverse portfolio of field-proven, high-quality PVC pipe products specifically designed for use in municipal water and sewer, mining/fluid transfer, water well, agricultural and turf irrigation, industrial and other applications. CertainTeed offers solutions to meet a wide variety of industry needs and specialty requirements.

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