Need a lift? Vacuworx has you covered. This Tulsa, Oklahoma company has become an industry leader in material handling solutions for a multitude of commercial and industrial applications. The Manufacturing Express swung by Thursday morning to celebrate the men and women of this Tulsa equipment manufacturing community—as well as Vacuworx’s 25th anniversary. It’s clear that these folks are building something bigger than vacuum lifters. Here in northeastern Oklahoma, Vacuworx uplifts the men and women that build and use its equipment.
For President & CEO Bill Solomon, it’s humbling to look back on the last 25 years. Back in 1999, oil and gas pipeline construction was a dangerous business, and Solomon had seen “chains and slings and hooks getting people hurt, or even killed.” He knew there had to be a safer, faster, smarter way to move these pipes, and it was then that Solomon conceived of the vacuum handling machines that have propelled Vacuworx to 25 years of innovation and manufacturing excellence.
Vacuworx has always been a pioneer. In the beginning, Solomon recalls, it was difficult to acquire the funding to start a business built on a technology that many didn’t understand. “The banks told us no. So I emptied my 401k, mortgage, 20 credit cards.” All these years later, Vacuworx—which has grown to a team of 60 people—is an established, growing business in Tulsa with customers around the world.. Solomon believes a willingness to embrace risk remains part of the Vacuworx identity. “That’s one thing I hope we don’t lose, 25 years later. I hope we continue to take risks. Risk is still the future.”
Vacuworx continues to manufacture vacuum and hydraulic lifters to meet their clients’ needs. Whatever the situation—be it oil and gas pipeline construction, utility infrastructure, steel fabrication, precast concrete, civil construction, hardscape and quarry, or concrete renovation—if you need it lifted, Vacuworx has a machine for that. If you ask Solomon, he’ll tell you that their commitment to client service is the foundation of Vacuworx’s success. “We deal with a market that needs solutions immediately, and we have to be able to respond,” Solomon says.
And respond they do: on a global scale, Vacuworx is critical in building the infrastructure that undergirds our world. From right here in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Vacuworx have an established sales and distribution network throughout Australia, Asia, North America, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. In the last couple of years, up to 40% of their products have gone to international customers—and Vacuworx is a three-time recipient of the Oklahoma Governor’s Award for Excellence in Exporting.
Vacuworx prides themselves on efficient production processes and they maintain the inventory to manufacture and fulfill client orders as quickly as same-day. Solomon chalks up their efficiency to his firm’s size: large enough to be capable, small enough to be nimble. “We never tried to be big for big’s sake. We’ve grown big enough to be available to the little guys, as well as the big guys. But we’re still small enough to maximize our speed-to-market. That’s what sets Vacuworx apart.”
Vacuworx manufactures top-of-the-line vacuum lifters, but nothing raises people up like the company’s emphasis on community. In every country that Vacuworx distributes—from Mexico, to Australia, to Bulgaria—they support local charities that help people get back on their feet. Right here in Tulsa, when a company rents the custom American-flag-wrapped lifter, 10% of the rental goes toward Folds of Honor supporting Oklahoma veterans and their families. Vacuworx is manufacturing economic prosperity for Tulsa and beyond: by focusing on the people that make it possible.
