Alabama News Center is continuing its video series titled “On the Line” focusing on manufacturers across the state who design and create products that people use in their everyday lives. In this episode, we are heading to Tuscaloosa to look at Valmont Utility and its various career opportunities in the realm of manufacturing.

Valmont Industries was founded in 1946 in Nebraska and primarily served the irrigation business. Now, almost 80 years later, the company has expanded to cover seven markets: utility, lighting and transportation, telecom, solar, coatings, irrigation and ag tech. The company produces products in 85 facilities spread across six continents and is focused primarily on enhancing agriculture and infrastructure.

In Tuscaloosa, Valmont Utility operates a plant dedicated to manufacturing concrete utility poles for use in power companies’ transmission infrastructure. Since the plant’s opening in 1984, Alabama Power has been its largest customer.

“We provide utility companies with concrete transmission and distribution poles and substations as well, so we manufacture the poles from scratch,” said Thomas Brown, the plant manager. “We mix our own concrete, we purchased our cement in all of our aggregates, and we manufacture all of the concrete utility poles that distribute the power through Alabama Power’s infrastructure.”

There are multiple advantages to concrete utility poles, which is why Alabama Power uses them in its transmission and distribution infrastructure. The poles last longer and resist rot, insects and weather better than traditional wooden poles. Additionally, they require less upkeep and maintenance and are stronger than wood, making them better at withstanding extreme weather and other wear and tear.

“A large portion of the structures – especially transmission – are ours,” said Dwayne Jolly, the plant’s operations manager. “We built them right here at this plant – this location has built them – so we take a lot of pride in helping Alabama Power be dependable to keep the power on.”

The process to manufacture concrete poles typically takes around 24 hours. Each morning, crews come in and remove poles from the previous day’s molds before pulling steel cables through them to Alabama Power’s specifications. After the cables are pre-tensioned, hardware is inserted, and concrete is poured into the molds.

After the concrete is poured, the molds are then spun at a high RPM for 10-15 minutes to ensure that the concrete is spread evenly throughout. The poles then go through a curing cycle, then finishing before they are moved out to the storage yard until shipment.

The concrete poles Valmont Utility produces in Tuscaloosa are more durable than wooden poles. (contributed)

“It’s more than just a business with Alabama Power – it’s really a partnership,” Brown said. “We’ve been partnering with Alabama Power for the last 40 years, so whatever we can do for Alabama Power, we do. And whatever they can do for us, they do. So, we have a really strong relationship with Alabama Power.”

The plant offers a variety of career opportunities, with the positions not just limited to manufacturing. Administration, accounting and HR are just a few of the departments that are required to keep a large business like Valmont Utility operating.

“Valmont’s mission is conserving resources and improving life,” Jolly said. “That is honestly the true mission of this whole plant. We want to make sure that everything we’re doing is helping the environment and it’s helping the people that live in Alabama, too.”

Check out the video above for the latest “On the Line” episode focusing on Valmont and its career opportunities.