Construction Forms (Con Forms) is proud to celebrate its 55th anniversary this year. The company was founded in 1969 by Robert and John Westerlund, two brothers who had a passion for concrete pumping. They started their business in Los Angeles, where they had built their own concrete pump and pipelines in the 1950s. Robert and John did the fabricating themselves, and soon they received their first order from a contractor in Minneapolis. Their second order was for a nuclear power plant, which was a huge challenge and opportunity for them. This enabled them to form the company we know today as Con Forms.
Con Forms grew rapidly, thanks to its innovative products and services. One of their early products was the Hevi Duty coupling, which made it easy to connect and disconnect concrete pipelines safely. In 1968, only 1% of contractors used concrete pumps; by 1970, that number had risen to 12%! Con Forms has continually refined and added products that improve the capabilities of concrete pumps. They expanded their operations to Wisconsin, California, Florida, and New Jersey, where they served customers across the country and beyond. Today, no modern high-rise construction would be possible without concrete pumps and delivery systems.
One of Con Forms’ most significant innovations was the introduction of high-quality, heat treated, single and twin wall pipe, along with high chrome castings. These innovations created products with a useful life 3-10 times longer than what was common in the industry at the time. This technology helped customers to become more profitable and enabled them to handle the new generation of high-pressure concrete pumps developed in Germany. Additional Con Forms The two-bolt Hevi Duty coupling and “V” gasket both improved safety on the jobsite.
The company’s early motto was “Progress through Awareness”, which reflected their commitment to excellence and innovation. In 1974, Con Forms became a founding member of the American Concrete Pumping Association (ACPA) and has maintained a high level of support for 50 years. Con Forms has always been at the forefront of concrete pumping technology and continues to offer high-quality products and services to their customers. Con Forms products and engineers have been involved in many of the largest buildings in the country. In 1999, Con Forms leadership was instrumental in the creation of the Concrete Pump Manufacturers Association (CPMA). The CPMA Safety Standard became the basis for what is today the American National Standard (ASME B30.27) and the Canadian Standard (CSAZ151) for safety.
Construction Forms, Inc. is grateful to its loyal customers, suppliers, partners, and employees for their support and trust over the past 55 years. They look forward to many more years of success and growth in the concrete pumping industry.
