Victaulic is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its first industry patent for mechanical pipe joining solutions.

On its centennial “Innoversary,” the company now has a current portfolio of more than 2,000 patented solutions for the building and industrial construction industries.

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 piping infrastructure to be installed more quickly, safely and cost effectively than previous methods, according to a press release from Victaulic. While first devised for military applications, the coupling went on to prominent use in the construction industry.

“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 Victaulic Chairman, President and CEO John F. Malloy. “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.”

Today, one billion Victaulic solutions have been installed worldwide in historic construction projects including the Hoover Dam, Eiffel Tower, Beijing Olympic Stadium, Petronas Towers and Hudson Yards. The company’s 4,000 employees are spread among 37 branches, 13 manufacturing facilities and five foundries around the world. They proudly 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.

Victaulic has been part of Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley business community for almost 40 years, having first been headquartered in New York City. Victaulic’s “Innoversary” coincides with current 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. Set to open in 2020, the new, state-of-the-art manufacturing center in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, a 400,000 square-foot facility, is the result of increased domestic demand for the company’s products and the company’s desire to manufacture its products in close proximity to its customers. Additional global expansions include 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,” said Malloy. “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.”