Formadrain: A Quarter of a Century of Innovation

MONTREAL, May 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- 2019 is a banner year for Formadrain Inc.  This year marks the 25th anniversary of the company that pioneered the revolutionary technology of steam-cured CIPP. 

Formadrain Inc. was founded in 1994 by Gerard Marc-Aurele, to address a crying need for a practical system to rehabilitation laterals without digging.

Developing a no-dig technology for repair of drains was not a new thought for Gerard when he founded Formadrain Inc.  In fact, he began thinking about how this could be done as early as the 1970's, but the problem took a sharp focus in 1981 when there was a mishap in downtown Montreal.  While excavating for a lateral drain replacement at a restaurant, which happened to be located at the bottom of a slope, a clay pipe containing telephone and other communication lines was accidentally chipped.  An unexpected massive rainstorm immediately followed and filled both the excavation and the duct with water causing the loss of thousands of telephone and other communication lines including those to hospitals, fire stations, and police. Remediation cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Gerard said to himself there had to be a way to repair drain pipes without having to dig under the infrastructure and thereby avoid all that mess and complication. It was his dream. He applied his genius to the problem, and after two years of intense research and development, Formadrain was born.

One of Formadrain's first projects was the rehabilitation of a 500-foot long 24-inch diameter clay pipe under rue Saint-Jacques between rue Saint-Laurent and Place d'Armes, a very busy tourist area. The work was successfully performed in 1995 with no excavation and no disruption to vehicular or foot traffic.

Recognition of the Formadrain system was swift.  In May of 1996, the Formadrain system received the J. Armand Bombardier Award for technical innovation by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Science (ACFAS), an achievement that was highlighted in several science and commerce journals.

Through dedication, hard work, and a relentless drive for improvement, Formadrain's unique products evolved and were diversified with streamlined equipment. Formadrain now offers a line of premium epoxy resins: Formapox 101, Formapox 301 for industrial applications, and Durapox.  Durapox, which has been referred to as "the miracle resin", deserves special mention as the industry's only steam-cured CIPP resin with a 60-day open time.

Developments always had the same goal in mind: to provide Formadrain customers with the best products and unparalleled service through on-site training and technical support of their ever-growing network of licensed installers throughout Canada and the US.

Over the last quarter of a century, Formadrain Inc has consistently led the way in trenchless technology to bring cutting edge products and systems to the industry.  Not a company to "rest on their laurels," Formadrain Inc. continues to invest heavily in research and developments.

In the words of Stephane Therrien, President of Formadrain Inc, "We're focusing on the future. Combined with our unmatched level of customer support, Formadrain products and systems will continue to pave the way in no-dig pipe rehabilitation technology."

To learn more about the Formadrain system of no-dig pipe rehabilitation, contact Bruce Stevenson, Business Development Manager, at 1-888-337-6764 or [email protected].

SOURCE Formadrain