Carlson Sales and Champion Fiberglass® Rapidly Expanding into Electrical Utility Projects 

Multiple utility projects switch to Champion FIberglass products for easier implementation and lower costs 

Since its initial partnership with Champion Fiberglass^Ⓡ in early 2024, Carlson Sales has been making great strides into the electrical utility market. They credit much of their success to time spent educating utility companies unaware of alternatives to traditional PVC and steel products traditionally used for these projects. Specifically, utility companies learned the advantages of using lighter, more cost-effective, and durable solutions that Champion Fiberglass offers for underground conduit applications.

“Most of the companies we spoke with were amazed at how cost-effective and durable fiberglass is relative to traditional conduit products. Switching to Champion Fiberglass products, with the enhanced performance, just made more sense. And the team at Champion Fiberglass is fantastic! I’ve been in this business for a while, and they’re probably the best people I’ve ever dealt with.” 
– Slater Mitchell, Principal, Carlson Sales

By increasing this awareness, in just less than six months the Carlson Sales team has launched several large-scale utility projects with Champion Fiberglass products:  

• Utility Riser Applications: Multiple public utility companies have switched to Champion Duct^Ⓡ including elbows and utility risers. Previously, these utilities were using PVC Schedule 80 in the first 10’ of the pole, then transitioning to Schedule 40. By moving to Champion Fiberglass products, they gained a comprehensive riser system with one single conduit and heavy wall material up the pole, removing the need for two separate conduits. 

Why Champion Fiberglass?

• Support for both primary and secondary voltage applications, covering a wider range of voltage
• Durable, corrosion-resistant conduit system that maintains shape and doesn’t break
• Lightweight material, one-fifth the weight of traditional steel, for quicker installation at a lower cost

• Substation Getaways: Several large-scale substation getaway projects also chose Champion Fiberglass elbows for their underground systems. These public power utilities distribute high voltage out of the station back to customer lines, requiring larger conduit sizes. Historically, these types of projects have experienced burn-through issues, but switching to Champion Fiberglass elbows prevents this issue. Handling large volumes of conduit also becomes much easier with the lighter-weight fiberglass material.  

Why Champion Fiberglass?

• Gasket connections for joining conduits, eliminating the need for adhesive, providing quicker installation at a lower cost
• Mechanical strength and lightweight no burn-through elbows
• Low coefficient of friction for smooth pulls

• Underground Utilities for Development:  Carlson Sales worked closely with a well-known contractor on a commercial development project. The project had exposed trenches in a high traffic area, a safety concern that the contractor had to deal with quickly. Carlson was able to source and deliver Champion Fiberglass elbows and straights within two weeks, to help mitigate the risk of these open trenches. Champion Fiberglass delivered the products ahead of schedule, even during an extremely busy time when West Coast fires were happening in the region.

Why Champion Fiberglass?

• Quick delivery of comprehensive Champion Fiberglass products, and great customer service by the team
• Low coefficient of friction for smooth cable pulling that increased the speed of implementation while reducing the tension on cables

Carlson Sales is also making progress on several projects in Washington, Oregon, and Utah, where Champion Fiberglass products will be used to bury distribution lines underground, to prevent further wildfires across the states.

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