When Jim Kirchdorfer founded Kirchdorfer Irrigation Company and Irrigation Supply Company in 1962, he combined two of his passions – his entrepreneurial spirit and his love for the game of golf. At the time, golf was growing in popularity in the United States, and Jim quickly realized the need for high-quality irrigation systems to keep the courses themselves in top condition.
It was through the irrigation world that Jim came across high-density polyethylene pipe. He oversaw the installation of Kentucky’s first automatic underground golf irrigation system, and as demand grew, he began to see polyethylene pipe as a revolutionary way forward. HDPE is more flexible than PVC, and HDPE’s freeze and thaw capabilities mean it can survive all four seasons outdoors.
Jim partnered with Driscopipe in the 1970s as a way to broaden his business’s horizons, and it’s through that partnership that he was introduced to McElroy machinery and the emerging world of HDPE butt fusion.
Jim was a master of innovation, and like any good businessman he knew an opportunity when he saw it. Where other early adopters of HDPE focused on the mining or municipal sectors, Jim dedicated himself to the world of irrigation. At the same time, he realized that there were countless other industrial or municipal applications for the relatively new concept of butt-fused HDPE.
Jim knew he had to be an advocate for the material if the industry was going to grow. So, like any other pioneer, he set about making that happen.
Jim didn’t just want to be a salesman or spokesman. He wanted to add value to the industry, and as such he was devoted to preaching the concept of pipe fusion. As Irrigation Supply Company – now known as ISCO – grew, Jim spent much of his time traveling and promoting HDPE to engineers and municipalities. Before a project could be sold, Jim would first travel to the contractors and explain the concept of HDPE.
A golfer at heart, Jim was very influential in that market and stayed very involved with the development of golf courses throughout the United States. Thanks to his efforts, HDPE pipe is the standard piping material for golf courses, and countless other industries can trace their success with HDPE back to Jim’s efforts.
Jim was a master of innovation, and many of his techniques are now considered industry standard. He was often one of the first people to try different fittings, equipment, or technologies. He never wanted to be a follower or copy another person’s work, which paved the way for ISCO’s reputation as an innovative company that consistently delivers the highest-quality solutions to its customers.
In the decades since its founding, ISCO has grown into a global piping solutions provider. Jim’s sons, Jimmy and Mark Kirchdorfer, have taken their father’s work and used it as a platform to launch the company to even greater heights. ISCO is still headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, but it boasts 25 locations and more than 800 employees and, for nine straight years, was listed as one of the city’s 50 fastest-growing companies. The future of ISCO is bright thanks to the spark lit by Jim’s tenacity and dedication, and through his and his sons’ leadership the company is poised to continue to thrive.
Click here to read the rest of the storyIn 1983, Ian Powell took on the task of managing McElroy’s first-ever international subsidiary, AH McElroy, located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He tackled the task with enthusiasm – whether he was training operators or working with customers, he developed a reputation for being straightforward and honest in his work.
Those who worked with Ian knew him as someone who was fun to be around, whether he was taking customers salmon fishing near Seattle or sharing his passion for ice hockey. Anyone who traveled with Ian knew that if one of his hockey teams happened to play during a trip, Ian would find a way to follow the game.
Three years after forming the subsidiary, AH McElroy, company founder Art McElroy decided it was time to pass the reins. Art knew Ian was the perfect person to take the helm. With the help of a handful of investors, Ian purchased the subsidiary as a distributorship while retaining the AH McElroy name.
For years, AH McElroy was McElroy’s lone Canadian distributor. As the company’s presence grew, Ian ensured that his distributorship remained at the forefront of fusion technology. He was a member of McElroy’s Distributor Advisory Council – now known as the Channel Partner Conference (CPC) – and was a great contributor to that organization.
Ian focused on promoting, selling, and renting McElroy equipment, along with the training required for operation. By using rent-to-own programs for his customers, he was able to constantly refresh his own fleet and keep it in top working condition. He advocated for the ways McElroy machines could be tailored to fit any job and embraced the concept of swapping carriages with different vehicles.
Even while running AH McElroy, Ian made time to get into the field and work with the machines that he promoted and sold. He embraced each new technology that was developed, from the UltraMc® to the McSnapper®.
A natural teacher, Ian developed a reputation for his ability to train fusion operators at the same level of quality as they ’d get in McElroy’s own classrooms. When hosting training programs, Ian wouldn’t leave until he was satisfied that everyone there could go into the field and consistently fuse pipe at the highest standards.
Today, Canada remains one of McElroy’s top international markets, largely thanks to Ian’s tireless work promoting HDPE and fusion training.
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