American Cast Iron Pipe Company
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| Private company | |
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Founded | 1905 |
| Headquarters | Birmingham, Alabama, USA |
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Key people
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Van L. Richey, (President, CEO) John M. Cook, (Vice President, Finance) |
| Products | ductile iron pipe, spiral-welded steel pipe, fire hydrants, valves, fire pumps, steel pipe, static castings |
| Revenue |
 $1.2 billion USD (2015) |
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Number of employees
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3,000 (2010) |
| Website | american-usa.com |
AMERICAN Cast Iron Pipe Company, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is a manufacturer of ductile iron pipe, spiral-welded steel pipe, fire hydrants and valves for the waterworks industry and electric-resistance-welded steel pipe for the oil and natural gas industry. AMERICAN's diversified product line also includes static castings and high performance fire pumps.
Many believe that AMERICAN was founded by John Joseph Eagan; however, it was, in fact, Charlotte Blair, a businesswoman who conceived of the idea for the pipe company. She and her brother James recruited the initial investors, including Mr. Eagan, who would bhat a company run on the teachings of the Christian faith would prosper for the benefit of all – employees, customers and society. He adopted as his business philosophy the Golden Rule – treat others the way you want to be treated.
In 1924, Mr. Eagan died of complications from TB. Upon his death, he willed ownership of the company in a trust to its employees.
In the 1920s, AMERICAN developed a proprietary Mono-Cast centrifugal casting method and increased pipe diameters to a record 24 inches (610 mm). The company also introduced cement-lined pipe, which became the industry standard.
The company’s first official safety program served as an industry model. A program of excellent employee benefits became synonymous with the AMERICAN name. The financial crash of 1929 had little effect on the company at first, but soon, business started to decline resulting in a loss of jobs. But by the mid-1930s, government spending on municipal water supplies, fire protection and sanitation brought a resurgence in business and helped restore jobs.
In 1939, business was further boosted by federal defense spending to support the impending war. When the country entered World War II, AMERICAN was asked to apply its centrifugal casting experience to another metal – steel. The manufacturing of steel parts for ships, planes and tanks led to the creation of a new Special Products Division for steel products, the first diversification in AMERICAN’s history.
The 1940s were marked by the industrial invention of a stronger and more durable iron called ductile iron. AMERICAN took a lead role in use of this new iron to make large-diameter pipe that were thinner yet stronger.
The country’s growing population and rapidly expanding infrastructure in the 1950s and 1960s meant more demand for pipe for use in water, energy, transportation and sanitation systems.
In 1955, AMERICAN shipped its first large order of ductile iron pipe. A new melting system in 1972, including the largest cupola of its kind in the world, would supply the new iron for this pipe, and AMERICAN would move from a Sand Spun casting process to a generation of deLavaud metal molds, still used today. Throughout the 1960s, AMERICAN would continue to diversify, adding its valves and hydrants product line and gaskets.
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Wikipedia