South-Bound & Building

The town of Fort Payne might not have been on many people’s radar. It wasn’t on Fratco’s either—at first. “We were actually looking at somewhere adjacent to our current manufacturing footprint,” recalls Bill Champion, Fratco’s COO. “But the South had just blown up for us. People were paying freight just to get our pipe down there.”
Drainage Doesn’t Just Move Water—It Moves the Needle

When most people think about field drainage, they picture one thing: getting water off the land so crops don’t drown. Simple enough, right?
Blueprint for Success: Built for Open Water

There’s a certain comfort in staying where it’s safe. In a harbor, a ship is protected—tied off, anchored and still. But that’s not its purpose. A ship was built for the wide-open sea—for risk, movement and a mission.
NACADE 2025 recap

The 2025 North American Conservation & Drainage Expo (NACADE) in Indianapolis, Indiana, brought together industry leaders, researchers and professionals to discuss the latest advancements in water management. This was the second biennial event, founded by Jason and Justin Brown, brothers and owners of Mid America Trenchers from Dexter, Iowa, along with Brad Baker with Springfield Plastics. Mid America produces the Buckeye line of wheel trenchers and Link drainage plows.
Advancing Drainage Science

The Transforming Drainage Project, an initiative from 2015 to 2021, has left an revolutionary mark on agricultural drainage practices across the Midwest. This groundbreaking endeavor, driven by a multidisciplinary team of experts and supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, introduced innovative drainage strategies addressing critical environmental and agricultural challenges.
The Rise of HDPP Pipe

The world of water management is continuously evolving, with materials like high-density polypropylene (HDPP) expanding the role of plastic pipe in demanding applications. Rather than replacing high-density polyethylene (HDPE), HDPP offers a solution for situations where HDPE may not be the best fit, taking on projects traditionally handled by concrete or metal.
ADMC Corner with Keegan Kult 2025

Another check-in with Keegan Kult, Executive Director for ADMC, yielded some exciting updates for the drainage water management industry.
Blueprint for Success: Shaping Your Own Path

The road to becoming who you want to be isn’t an easy one. It’s marked by hard work, setbacks and challenges that will test you at every turn. Marshall’s words remind us that success doesn’t come to those who wait for it—it’s built by those who roll up their sleeves and press on, no matter how tough it gets.
Headed West: Fratco’s Frontier in Western Irrigation

At Fratco, our legacy of innovation and quality spans over a century, and we’re far from finished. We’ve put together a short video series to showcase how we’re “Investing in Tomorrow.” This series invites you to witness our journey as we build upon our strong foundation and prepare for a future filled with new possibilities.
Battenfeld-Cincinnati

Out in the rolling fields of McPherson, Kansas, Battenfeld-Cincinnati has humbly been shaping the future of manufacturing since 1977, steadily building a reputation as a powerhouse in extrusion technology. Originally founded as American Maplan Corporation, the company has become a leader in extrusion technology, building state-of-the-art equipment that serves industries from fencing and siding to pipe manufacturing.