80 Years of Reliable Performance

The Independent Concrete Pipe Company has been manufacturing reinforced concrete pipe for storm and sanitary sewers across the United States since 1912. The company was founded by Howard Schurmann in Indianapolis. It started as a family owned and operated company, and remains so today.

Efficiency never gets old, just more efficient

Although there was a manufacturing facility during the early years located on North West Street in Indianapolis, the majority of work was done at the site where the pipe would eventually be used. Independent would send a superintendent to a project site where the concrete pipe would be manufactured.

The superintendent was responsible for setting up accounts with the local suppliers of rock, sand, and cement, and hiring laborers among other things. Once a temporary manufacturing plant was set up, production of the pipe and manholes would take place right next to the trench.Traveling supervisors from the Indianapolis office would make periodic visits to consult the superintendent in charge and institute any corrective measures.

This method of production continued until a new corporate headquarters and manufacturing plant were established in 1932, at its current location on South Harding Street in Indianapolis.

You are what you make

The success of Independent Concrete Pipe Company in the 1920's was based, in part, on pipe that was called "Independent Concrete Pipe".

Independent Concrete Pipe was common reinforced concrete pipe which contained a patented joint allowing the contractor to grout at much greater speeds. The joint was formed in such a way that the bottom half of the Independent pipe joint was made on the inside of the pipe, and the upper half on the outside, once the pipe was in place. Due to Independent owning the patent on this widely popular joint, they were the largest manufacturer of reinforced concrete pipe in the country at this time.

The next 20 years brought a big change to Independent Concrete Pipe Company, with the introduction of manufacturing facilities, pipe machines, and automatic mixers.

Our heritage is reinforced today

Today Independent Concrete Pipe Corp. produces precast items such as inlets, catch basins, grated box end sections, flared end sections, box culverts, special box manholes, median barriers, oil/water separators and grease traps.

The product, reinforced concrete pipe, has not changed much in 80 years. Strength and reliability of the product remains constant, although joints and pipe lengths have improved. The four main components in reinforced concrete products continue to be cement, aggregates, steel and water, which together provide unsurpassed structural integrity.

Officials at Independent Concrete Pipe Corp. say their success in the highly competitive business has been the result of being very aggressive in the company's approach to meet the changing demands of the contractors and the tougher specifications set by the engineering field.