Paramount Pipe Lining Products is a relatively new company in the pipe rehabilitation industry, but it’s already making strides with innovative coatings and linings. Its mission is simple: identify customer needs, find solutions to those needs, and provide a high level of tailored customer support along the way.

Cleaner recently spoke with Steve Parks, COO of Paramount Pipe Lining Products, about the company’s CIPP offerings, innovative product lines and extensive customer support.    

Cleaner: Tell us a little about the history of Paramount Pipe Lining.

Parks: Paramount Pipe Lining Products LLC was formed in 2019 in Clearwater, Florida, by industry entrepreneurs, in order to provide diversified services with innovative pipe rehabilitation technology and meet market needs. By late 2020, Paramount added distribution points in Alexandria, Virginia, and Seattle for product deployment and face-to-face technical assistance in those markets, which allow for immediate delivery options and troubleshooting support to meet customer needs and to keep projects on schedule.

The company operates its business through two basic divisions, Innovation and Technology, and Spray-In-Place-Pipe (SIPP) Coatings and Cured-In-Place-Pipe (CIPP) Linings. The Innovation and Technology division includes a wide variety of equipment and components for the rehabilitation of failing pipes and conduits, impregnation systems for introducing resin to rehabilitation materials, and curing systems to accelerate installation and return rehabilitated pipes to service. Custom-built equipment packages are also designed and fabricated to ensure quality and consistent installations for site-specific, unique conditions. The SIPP Coatings and CIPP Linings division provides installation materials that can be utilized for spray coating, brush coating, inversion and pull-in-place applications.

The company’s formula for success is to identify customer needs, use Paramount’s technology to pioneer innovative solutions to address those needs, and maintain a team of experienced professionals to provide solutions.

Cleaner: What differentiates your SIPP and CIPP solutions from the competition?

Parks: The company has a team of industry innovators with a total of 63 years of SIPP and CIPP knowledge and experience. Over the past 12 months, Paramount designed two improvements for its rehabilitation technology inversion equipment, all of which have patents pending.

The Paramount inversion Auto-Oiler system allows the CIPP liner tube to be loaded into the inversion drum, dry, without pre-lubricant. The Auto-Oiler is a pressurized ring system that evenly lubricates the liner tube as it exits the Paramount inversion drum. The Auto-Oiler system is only pressurized during the inversion of the liner and can be turned off by the operator at any time during the inversion process. This eliminates the pre-lubricating of CIPP liner tube, potential lubricant spills, excess lubricant on equipment, and unsafe conditions.

Another noted feature is the internal Steam Ring system. The Paramount inversion drum can now safely introduce steam without disconnecting the inversion head from the inversion drum. The air pressure from the drum forces the steam away from the drum. This eliminates heat buildup inside the drum, disconnecting the inversion head from the drum, and unsafe operations.

In addition, the Paramount product lines offer 11 different types of CIPP liner with unique characteristics for all applications. Our catalog includes 2-1 and 4-1 ratio epoxy-based resin and hardeners, and high temp epoxy for industrial applications. We offer only nonshrink resin technology to meet zero-leakage hydrostatic and/or air test requirements. Paramount resins are formulated and delivered to our customers ready for installation.

Paramount is ever-conscious of promoting our customers’ standing and exposure in their markets. Paying attention to every detail, each Paramount inversion drum is prominently labeled with the customer’s company name, logo and colors. We also design custom wrapped lining trucks, trailers and equipment. Specification books and field install sheets are also customized with the customer’s name, logo and colors to exhibit a tailored, formatted presentation to their clients.

Cleaner: What sort of needs do they address? Tell us about the lining systems and what applications they best serve.

Parks: Paramount’s rehabilitation systems have been designed based on horizontal or vertical applications. Our innovative team members design and formulate product lines that offer the right solutions and best installation process for the application requirements. Paramount has designed and formulated multiple products that have patents pending. The days of one-liner-does-all is not acceptable. Resin technology is critical to the application and liner tube characteristics. Paramount’s portfolio offers multiple epoxy resin formulations, 11 varieties of CIPP liners, efficient and safe installation equipment, and unique installation procedures.

Cleaner: What are some recommendations for customers shopping for CIPP lining systems?  

Parks: First, confirm that the manufacturer/supplier has experienced technical staff with a diverse portfolio of technology skills to provide comprehensive support. Second, verify that the materials are tested and approved, and that equipment is safe and efficient. The right materials and equipment for a cured-in-place pipe rehabilitation project should never be a “what’s on the shelf” offering.

Cleaner: How do you see the pipe lining industry evolving?

Parks: There are a number of noticeable evolutions within the pipe lining industry: light curing, coatings, increased access to new European supply chains, and recent mergers and acquisitions. The major small-diameter CIPP brands are now part of larger companies or groups. This evolution has commoditized the relationship between the supplier and the customer. The entrepreneurial foundation has lapsed over time within the manufacturing and distribution chains, causing the participation levels between the supplier and customer to become diluted. Participation and collaboration between entrepreneurs is what this industry was historically built upon. There is now an opportunity for innovative manufacturers and distributors to participate in a renovated resurgence. 

Paramount is very much a part of that spirit that is evolving today. Our organization has focused on staffing with experienced technical talent. The company provides an authentic level of support by offering the industry’s highest level of participation within our customer base. Interaction with customers is not a “quarterly collared shirt and khaki” visit, it’s a “get in the pit, hands on, get it lined” relationship.

Cleaner: What’s new for Paramount Pipe Lining in 2021? What can customers expect out of Paramount in the future?

Parks: Paramount is currently focusing on three new strategic distribution locations in North America. The company will continue to aggressively invest in securing and, when necessary, formulating innovative lining and coating technologies. Most important, Paramount will remain data dependent on the needs of our customer base and utilize and deploy new technology based on those needs. You can also expect a full line of business development products and services from our company. To facilitate and focus on those needs Paramount recently launched a new Division of Brand Awareness that will be dedicated to providing our customer base with support as they grow their businesses.

Cleaner: What do you want your customers to think of when they hear the name Paramount Pipe Lining?

Parks: Our current customers feel informed, educated and inspired, and understand that they have the support, not only in products and equipment, but also in our participation in a new era of development and growth within their business and the entire industry.

Any company can buy an image; Paramount is building a reputation.