Mueller Co. celebrated 150 years of business in 2007, making it one of the oldest suppliers in the North American Water Industry. With more than 2000 employees across North America, Mueller began in 1857 with just one man, Hieronymus Mueller. A German immigrant with a passion for craftsmanship, he set up a one-room machine shop in Decatur, Illinois to grow his gun making and mechanical-repair business.

 

Around 1870, Decatur appointed Mr. Mueller as city tapper. It was his job to connect new customer service lines to the water main.  In those days, this was literally a "hit or miss" process.  The "hit" meant driving the tapered inlet of a special valve into the side of the water main through a hole that had been drilled almost through the pipe wall.  The "miss" came not from missing the valve, but from the all too frequent valve that didn't stay wedged in the main, or the main pipe that split during the installation process.  In either case, water often flowed uncontrollably causing the tapper to have to scurry out of the ditch for safety.

 

Mr. Mueller took his inclination to always look for a "better way" to solve this alignment problem by creating his first water-related product. The single-bar, two-chamber machine performed all operations using just one shaft, which always retained exact alignment with the hole in the pipe wall.  He patented his new machine in 1872 for use on both water and gas lines. To go with his new machine, he designed a special valve that could be threaded instead of being wedged into the hole in the water main.

 

The valve and tapping machine was the first in Mueller's extensive water works product line.  The drilling and tapping machine made by Mueller today, the B-101(TM) Machine, uses his original concepts along with modern materials and methods for sealing water inside the machine.  The B-101 machine is the most widely used machine in North America for installing new services.

 

Soon after patenting his tapping machine, Mr. Mueller turned to the problem of water pressure and in 1882, patented the water pressure regulator. Then in 1913 the U.S. government was looking for a way to stop ships from ramming into the gates of the newly-opened Panama Canal. Mueller created a solution by adapting its pressure-regulating valves to snub the movement of the huge chains draped in front of the gates to stop errant ships.  To this day, 95 huge Mueller� Regulating Valves continue to protect the Panama Canal locks.

 

Mueller also had more than 100 auto-related patents. Among them were the make-and-break ignition distributor, and the forerunner of the modern sparkplug. 

 

In 1933, Mueller purchased the Columbian Iron Works in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  This added fire hydrants and cast iron gate valves up to 36" in size, rounding out the company's water distribution product line. Today, valves up to 54" are being sold. "Everything from Main to Meter" became an advertising slogan characterizing the breadth of the company's offerings and product lines.

 
Mueller was also the first to apply the O-ring to many of the products used by the water industry, such as iron gate valves and machines.  In 1949 the company introduced the first O-ring sealed valve used on gas meters. 

 

Today, the Mueller name represents more than 10 manufacturing locations from coast to coast in North American, including Canada. Since 2006, it is also the name of the company's new parent corporation:  Mueller Water Products, Inc., which is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.  Mueller Water Products is a $2 billion corporation that is the largest "pure play" water infrastructure company in the Americas. Mueller is a leading North American manufacturer and marketer of infrastructure and flow control products for use in water distribution networks and treatment facilities. Its broad product portfolio includes engineered valves, fire hydrants, and pipe fittings, which are used by municipalities, as well as the commercial and residential construction, oil and gas, HVAC and fire protection industries.

 

While the past 150 years have seen immense changes in the company, some things remain the same.  Mueller Co.'s business philosophy continues to reflect the values of its founder who had a reputation for "always looking for a better way" to do things.  It continues to value trust and honesty in conducting its business, and in building and holding onto solid relationships with its associates, both inside and outside the company.  It still holds to a Mueller family admonition that said, "Never make a product you would not be proud to put your name on."

  

  

 

It's been a long-time coming as Joe Vellano heads to the NFL. Joe joins the New England Patriots as a free agent after a month of talks with the organization.

 

After talks, false starts with other organizations and a memorable visit from Coach Belichick to Joe's Maryland campus to review film and talk strategy, Joe finally gets to prove it all on the field. Joe is attending the Patriots' rookie minicamp in Foxborough, Mass. at the invitation of Coach Bill Belichick.

 

He explained to the local paper, the Times Union, "It's a little nerve-racking just waiting and trying to see where everything kind of panned out. This is one of the teams I felt I fit pretty good in even before the draft started.  We were kind of seeing what was the best fit."

 

 

And a pretty good fit it may be as Joe brings to the table an impressive record as a two-time first-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection and 2nd-team AP All-American who played both tackle and defensive end at Maryland.

 

 

Seth Leavitt of YNN Sports interviewed Joe during his first week as a Patriot.  To view this interview, click this link:  Joe Vellano's Interview as a Patriot

 

  

Many teams considered Joe during the draft but, at the end of the day, the Patriots looked at his stunning record and made the call. The rest, as they say, will be history. Here at the Vellano family of companies, everyone will be sitting at the edge of their seats, proudly waiting to cheer him on to victory.