MrPeterson_1930In 1947, Thomas F. Peterson, an electrical engineer in the USA, came up with an innovative idea. This idea became the catalyst to form a worldwide organisation that would ultimately grow into an international company with operations in 14 countries.

Responding to a customer’s concern about conductors breaking at the point of support, Peterson thought of preforming armour rods into a helix with an inside diameter somewhat smaller than the outside diameter of the conductor.

The theory was that helically preformed rods, when applied over a conductor, could provide a secure fit without end clamps, as well as ‘armour’ to protect the conductor from abrasion and fatigue at points of attachment.  This idea proved successful and the product was called the PREFORMED™ Armour Rod. Armour Rods offers superior reinforcement and protection advantages over conventional wire and clamping methods. The helical concept then grew into a complete line of products for the electric power utility industry.

Patented products like the GUY-GRIP® Dead-end revolutionised pole guying, and the ARMOR-GRIP® Suspension have created a new standard of excellence for transmission conductor support systems.

Peterson went on to patent 28 additional products for Preformed Line Products, bringing into fruition a large number of industry ‘firsts’ and serving customers needs with effective solutions.

Inventiveness, integrity and foresight are the foundations of Preformed Line Products. PLP’s people continue to build the company with new product ideas for the industries it serves.  PLP’s patented products now serve the electric power utility, communications, cable television and data industries as well as other specialised niche markets.

From PLP’s early days to present, and looking forward to the future, this dedication to innovation is what has made Preformed Line Products a recognised global leader. Today, PLP maintains wholly owned subsidiaries in Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, China, Great Britain, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, Spain and Thailand. These foreign operations work in unison to provide PLP with outstanding global market coverage and customer service in more than 100 countries around the world. In addition to manufacturing traditional products, many of its international operations provide products uniquely suited to meet the needs of its customers. PLP’s commitment to technical innovation, along with outstanding product performance and exceptional customer service are the hallmarks of its worldwide operations.