McElroy, the world’s leading manufacturer of thermoplastic pipe fusion equipment, is celebrating its 70th anniversary with a year of innovations, a new campus and more.

The company’s roots stretch all the way back to March 1954, when Art and Panny McElroy launched their new business, McElroy Manufacturing, in their garage in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was the couple’s dream – Art, an engineer and inventor at heart, had an entrepreneurial spirit that propelled him to always look for a better way to make things work.

McElroy has since grown into the most-trusted name in the world for pipe fusion equipment, with machines designed to tackle both the largest and smallest fusion jobs in the world. And that momentum shows no signs of stopping, as company leadership continues to keep McElroy at the forefront of fusion equipment, technology and training.

An Expanding Footprint

In early-2024, McElroy officially opened its fourth campus in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, metropolitan area. Located in Broken Arrow, this new facility provides an additional 193,000 square feet of combined office and warehouse space. 

Eventually, this new facility will serve as McElroy’s “front door” while also providing much-needed space for the company’s ever-expanding equipment line. McElroy’s three Tulsa metro legacy facilities will, in turn, be able to increase capacity to account for the growth expected in the coming years.

“We’re humbled by our growth over the years, and at the same time we’re thrilled to be in the position that we’re in,” says McElroy President and CEO Chip McElroy. “As a company, McElroy is constantly looking for new opportunities, and we’re excited to incorporate this new space into our plans for the future.”

In the last decade, polypropylene pipe has become an important component in the mechanical, HVAC and plumbing sectors. Like polyethylene, heat-fused polypropylene provides a leak-free and durable solution for some of the world’s most complex piping systems. But unlike polyethylene, many polypropylene job sites are in cramped spaces, at an angle or even high overhead. 

In 2013, McElroy realized that customers working in tight spaces or on overhead socket fusions needed a machine that was lightweight and durable. 

After gathering feedback from those customers, McElroy produced the Spider 125, which was easily maneuvered into overhead configurations for polypropylene fusion. 

Today, McElroy offers a full lineup of fusion equipment for mechanical, HVAC and plumbing applications. The company has designed its polypropylene fusion equipment specifically to meet the needs of the market. This includes machines like the Acrobat QuikFit, which allows operators to assemble the carriage’s upper and lower jaws around the pipe by hand to create a full-featured fusion carriage. 

This innovative solution to the challenges of fusing large-diameter polypropylene in tight spaces allows pipe fusion to happen in places that are nearly impossible with heavy, bulkier fusion equipment. 

And the company’s polypropylene line is constantly expanding. In 2023, McElroy debuted the latest in its Polygon line: the Polygon LT. The Polygon line of machines are the first manual butt fusion machines that are DataLogger compatible, and they provide a lightweight, simple solution to the jobsite. The Polygon offers miter and butt fusion for pipe ranging from two inches to six inches and can fuse at zero- to 45-degree angles, along with socket fusions. The Polygon LT can be used to fuse pipe between 20 millimeters and 110 millimeters, with a fast open/close time and shortened parts to maximize its compact design.

In the Classroom

A fusion machine is only as good as its operator. In 1981, McElroy created McElroy University to train fusion operators in the techniques, standards and skills necessary for optimal jobsite performance.

Because proper training is such a critical component to the fusion process, McElroy University has grown throughout the decades and now encompasses classes for technicians, inspectors and engineers. Students who successfully pass operations, maintenance, or inspector courses receive industry-recognized, manufacturer-backed training credentials that are readily accepted around the world. 

McElroy is constantly tailoring its class lineup to the current needs of the industry, and it offers classes both online and in-person. Courses are designed and facilitated by McElroy certified instructors in Tulsa and around the world, all of whom have been specially trained and authorized to provide McElroy University training. 

McElroy University is expected to relocate to the company’s newest campus, with a state-of-the-art training facility that will help provide operators and trainers with all the skills and tools they need to succeed. 

“There is so much to be excited about when it comes to the new McElroy University training space,” says McElroy University Manager Paul Brodsky. “With the increasing need and desire for quality training and education, the new facility will allow us to easily host simultaneous events and more advanced training to better meet customer needs.”

Brodsky continues: “McElroy University is widely recognized as the premier developer and provider of training and education for the fusible plastic pipe industry, this new facility will allow McElroy to showcase its training programs, and McElroy as a whole, in ways never before possible.”

The Next Generation

In late April, McElroy began shipping one of its latest innovations: the Tritan 560. 

The Tritan 560 combines features of three of McElroy’s most innovative machines: the rugged portability and technology of the TracStar iSeries, the bottom-loading capabilities of the Talon 2000, and the Acrobat QuikFit carriage’s ability to meet the pipe where it lays on the job. 

The result is a machine that greatly increases operator efficiency and safety in the jobsite. Because the Tritan is wirelessly controlled via McElroy’s DataLogger tablet, operators have better visibility when moving and positioning the machine, ensuring there’s nothing – and no one – in the way. 

“Because the design of the Tritan allows so much freedom of movement, wireless controls were developed so the operator can move wherever is needed for the best visibility,” says McElroy Product Innovation Manager Mike Pacheco.

Plus, the Tritan’s bottom-loading carriage, along with its full 360-degree rotation and boom arm that can raise, extend, and curl the carriage to approach and lift pipe, means there’s no need to lift pipe overhead. 

McElroy has a longstanding relationship with its channel partners and distributors. In May, trainers and operators from multiple companies traveled to Tulsa for hands-on training with the Tritan 560. 

“It’s been fantastic to watch people that have never even seen the Tritan personally get that first exposure, and they really do get enthusiastic and engaged,” says TracStar Product Manager Chris Greggs. “By the end of two or three days, they don’t need (a trainer) anymore – they can just take over and do the job.”

Later this year, the company will also ship its first medium-diameter TracStar iSeries machines. 

Announced in late 2023, the TracStar 412i and TracStar 618i build off the strong legacy of McElroy’s three existing TracStar iSeries machines. The TracStar 412i is designed to fuse pipe sizes from 4-inch IPS to 12-inch DIPS (110mm to 340mm), and the TracStar 618i fuses pipe from 6-inch IPS to 18-inch OD (180mm to 450mm). 

These latest machines include a few key differences from their Series 2 counterparts. The TracStar 412i and 618i will incorporate the FusionGuide Control system seen on other TracStar iSeries models, providing operators with three levels of control during the fusion process. Each level has varying degrees of assistance, from manual control to fully automatic fusion. 

“We are always looking for ways to increase operator productivity,” says Geoff Koch, McElroy’s vice president of product development. “These new machines incorporate the added technology of our existing TracStar iSeries line into the proven success of our TracStar 412 and 618 Series 2 units.”

A new indexer keeps the heater and facer attached to the four-jaw carriage, condensing the heater, facer, and jaws into a single unit. Operators will be able to move the indexer side to side, allowing them to position the heater and facer between the carriage’s movable jaws as needed.

Like McElroy’s current TracStar lineup, the TracStar 412i and 618i will be controlled via the DataLogger. All required fusion operations, including machine pressures, carriage open/close, and shift sequence will be controlled on the tablet. 

Looking Ahead

Seventy years after Art and Panny McElroy founded McElroy Manufacturing, the company continues to look to the future. For the past 35 years, Art and Panny’s children Donna Dutton, Peggy Tanner and Chip McElroy – have not only taken the reins but have also grown McElroy to meet the needs of the industry. 

McElroy is recognized worldwide as the producer of the most reliable, efficient, rugged, and technically advanced equipment in the world. From its beginnings as a two-person startup in a Tulsa garage to today’s four campuses and 400-plus employees, McElroy has forever made its mark on the world’s infrastructure and will continue to remain at the forefront of machinery, training, and technology for years to come. 

The McElroy Museum 

McElroy’s new campus will also house the McElroy Museum. 

The museum will consist of a series of vignettes, each one showcasing a milestone in McElroy’s history. This includes moments like McElroy’s founding, its foray into fintube equipment and the evolution of its fusion line. Other vignettes will show different marketing collateral and promotional items from decades past, such as vintage shirts and hats. 

A walkway will guide visitors through the exhibits, beginning with McElroy’s founding in 1954 and culminating with the advent of the TracStar and machines for the polypropylene market. In the middle of the space, a nook with seating will showcase some of the different videos produced by McElroy over the years.

Larissa Copeland is public relations Specialist for McElroy Manufacturing in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She can be reached at lcopeland@mcelroy.com.