Vacuworx Celebrates 15 Years in Vacuum Lifting Business
May 28, 2014 – Vacuworx reports it is celebrating 15 years in business this month as a provider of vacuum lifting technology and heavy-duty material-handling equipment. Additionally, the company said it is poised for future growth as the demand increases in pipeline, utility, construction and trenchless horizontal directional drilling applications.
Vacuworx began doing business in May 1999, and the following year, it introduced its first RC Series lifter with a compact design that ultimately revolutionized the way pipe is handled in the field. In 2008, the company launched the MC 3 Series “mini lifter” to serve the utility and compact-equipment host markets. Since the turn of the millennium, the ingenuity of Vacuworx has expanded alongside both the versatility and lifting capacities of its machines, and in the mid-2000s, it released a series of vacuum pad systems designed to safely handle all diameters of coated and non-coated pipe, as well as steel plate, still piling, concrete slabs and concrete road barriers, among other applications.
Today, Vacuworx engineers machines and vacuum pad systems to handle an array of heavy-duty materials in a variety of pipeline, construction or utility related applications, with the lifting capacities of its MC Series and RC Series lifters ranging from 6,600 to 44,000 lbs or more, depending on the series of lifter and vacuum pad configuration. Last year, the company officially unveiled the Vacuworx Concrete Road Barrier System to serve road construction and defense contractors, as well municipalities and the US military. Vacuworx earlier this month launched its new lightweight HDD Pipe Handling System, which utilizes wireless remote control operation and the latest vacuum lifting technology to tilt and place drill stem at angles between 0 and 30 degrees without the use of ropes or slings.
Over past four years, Vacuworx has tripled its inventories and more than doubled the size of its workforce.
“Regardless of whether the material is round, flat or of another shape, our focus has always been on engineering safety first into our vacuum pad systems while responsibly managing growth instead of just seeing how many products we can sell or get out the door," said Vacuworx President Bill Soloman. "We’re committed to our ideals, and after 15 years in the vacuum lifting equipment business, our No. 1 priority is still to offer the most innovative and reliable solutions based on our experience with the application of proven heavy-duty material handling techniques in the field.”
The 15th anniversary of Vacuworx coincides with other recent milestones in the company’s history, including the launch of a new mobile-friendly website, the opening of a dedicated office in Australia, plans to further expand the footprint of its manufacturing capabilities in Tulsa, Okla., and reception of an export award presented on behalf of Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin. Additionally, Vacuworx Quality Management System has been recommended by registrar Det Norske Veritas to the International Standards Organization for certification to the ISO Standard 9001:2008 for Quality Management Systems.
