History
A Brief History
An industrial pioneer in applying modern engineering practices to unique damper applications, Metroflex was founded in 1952 in Switzerland and in the UK. The company developed an outstanding reputation for dampers utilized for critical isolation (shutoff) services. Metroflex was able to achieve high-performance isolation with its development of advanced metal-to-metal sealing technologies. Subsequently, Metroflex, became a leading global supplier of gas turbine diverter dampers of the “pivot” blade drive arrangement. Metroflex became particularly well known in Europe and Asia although it also traded in North America through a licensee until its acquisition by Wahlco Environmental Services in 1990.
Tuboflex USA was founded in Lewiston, Maine in 1972 with technology licenses from German-based expansion joint and damper engineering companies. Along with Metroflex, it became a leading supplier of diverter dampers in gas turbine applications with an alternative blade drive arrangement — the “toggle” drive. Tuboflex USA was soon renamed Bachmann Industries and eventually became the first supplier to develop a diverter large enough to handle the newest generation of General Electric industrial gas turbines. It also developed a very well regarded guillotine damper design that grew to be popular with high dust content applications such as those in steel mills and coal-fired power plants. As a result, this product line gained a significant market share of the air pollution control applications in the US by the mid-1980’s.
Wahlco Environmental Systems (“WES”) was founded in 1972 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of San Diego Gas & Electric (a regulated public utility), and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. WES was headquartered in Santa Ana, California and operated as many as 28 different subsidiaries offering air pollution and gas flow control products around the world. It became particularly well known for a proprietary gas conditioning technology that was used to enhance the control of particulate air pollution. These products gained such market share dominance in the global coal-fired power generation market that “Wahlco” became generic with gas conditioning systems and, in many respects, remain so today.
In 1990, WES formed Wahlco Engineered Products with its joint acquisition of both Metroflex and Bachmann Industries. At the time of the formation of Wahlco Engineered Products, the two “legacy” companies together held roughly 70% of the worldwide market share of high performance dampers and were the recognized technology leaders.
Throughout the 1990’s, the technologies of the entities were harmonized and Wahlco Engineered Products made significant technical advances across all product lines.
In 2001, the management of Wahlco Engineered Products, Inc. purchased all of the companies’ intellectual property and patents, and also the interests in the New Delhi manufacturing facility. Collectively, these business enterprises were renamed WahlcoMetroflex, Inc. and are operated today out of its headquarters location in Lewiston, Maine.