2021 Trends

Agriculture’s influence is global. Local and international growers and producers have a strong voice that sets the industry’s tone for the year. From career changes to choosing new crops to invest in, here are trends to keep an eye on in 2021.

New to Fratco – The UC 5XX

The UC 5XX is a marvel in corrugated pipe manufacturing. Compatible with the wide range of products Fratco offers our customers, this machine can pivot production quickly and easily, cutting turnaround time in half. It also gives Fratco total control of pressure and temperature, making it energy and time efficient.

Growing Beer

Within our global economy, proximity partnerships have always been an agribusiness mainstay. Remaining hyperlocal doesn’t apply just to restaurateurs seeking freshly-sourced ingredients for an authentic farm-to-table experience. The same benefits apply to brewers desiring the only best ingredients for their craft beers. When it comes to hops—a key component that keeps beer fresher longer and adds to the aroma and taste—the demand is high for this crop’s accessibility within a brew master’s zip code. When the best of locally-grown ingredients meets neighborhood crafters, economies flourish, microbreweries produce quality products and beer lovers keep buying.

Managing Stress in the World of Farming

Farmers feed the world. From sunrise to sunset, they care for the land, tend to animals, and work hard to maintain what they steward. Pressures can mount when you consider what providing food for the planet means. From readying crops for harvest and keeping livestock healthy to looming drought and wringing hands over commodity prices at the market, these concerns barely scratch the surface of what growers and producers face every day. Is it any wonder that those responsibilities can feel, at times, like carrying 100 yards of pipe alone?

Fratco Adds Second Unicor UC 1800 Corrugator

Fratco is pleased to announce our manufacturing capacity has reached new heights with the addition of a second Unicor UC 1800 corrugator to our production line. Unicor’s UC 1800 produces corrugated pipe with an inside diameter between 18” and 60”. Adding a second UC 1800 corrugator has helped ramp up fabrication of Fratco’s trusted, durable and dependable pipe like never before.

Redefining Resiliency

Farmers feed the world. From sunrise to sunset, they care for the land, tend to animals, and work hard to maintain what they steward. Pressures can mount when you consider what providing food for the planet means. From readying crops for harvest and keeping livestock healthy to looming drought and wringing hands over commodity prices at the market, these concerns barely scratch the surface of what growers and producers face every day. Is it any wonder that those responsibilities can feel, at times, like carrying 100 yards of pipe alone?

ASTM F3390 Standard

Recently, ASTM International announced that F3390 is the new standard for 3 through 24-inch lined, flexible, corrugated pipe used for land drainage applications. This specification covers all requirements and test methods. The importance of our products exceeding expectations and regulations is forefront in our minds. That’s why FlexCorr has always exceeded this standard. The requirements are intended for all manufacturers to provide non-pressure, or gravity flow, lined flexible annular corrugated polyethylene pipe for subsurface land drainage systems. This news is of great benefit to contractors and customers in the agriculture and construction industries.

Grow More. Use Less.

We are the caretakers of our natural resources; they’re essential for survival. The two at the very top of the list are soil and water. Let’s talk about soil for a moment. It’s what we move to install pipe, enrich it to grow food, and soil also holds within its layers the foundation of the places we call home. We also source materials from the ground to generate energy. Without it? Well, oxygen, heat, and water in our ecosystem would alter and drastically tailspin the world as we know it. Speaking of water, that lands at the number one spot of significant, all-natural resources. Life wouldn’t exist without it. We drink it, utilize it to grow food, and we’re also depleting it faster than it’s being replenished.

ADMC: Building a Brighter Future

In a world where the conservation of resources is becoming increasingly important, supporting the mission of experts is going to be the key to ecosystem productivity, wildlife survival, environmental biodiversity and, in the drainage realm, farming success. The Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC) was established to promote this exact mission, and Fratco is proud to be an active member in supporting this important cause.

Staying On Track

Constantly striving for innovation involves more than developing new products on the market. It also means frequently reviewing current processes and analyzing what improvements should be made in all areas of business. For Fratco, the most recent update comes in the form of streamlined communication with customers.