Check out the newest batch of Champions of Fusion entries!

by Larissa Copeland
Posted in Champion of Fusion, CONNECTIONS
This article was featured in the February 15, 2026 issue of McElroy Connections.

It’s time for our first batch of Champions of Fusion submissions for 2026! These entries were received during January 2026.

First, let’s congratulate our MONTHLY SWAG BAG winner, Luke Lavalle!

A pipe fusion machine stands outdoors with equipment nearby. Text reads: Champion. Luke Lavelle, Brisbane, Australia. A circular logo says Champions of Fusion 2026. McElroy and Champions of Fusion logos are at the bottom.

Luke sent us this photo of a “tricky” 250-315 manifold he fabricated after being told he’d need to use electrofusion couplers. Luke said he’d “thought it would look better without” the couplers, and he did a great job!

Our other monthly entries were:

A pipe welding alignment clamp is attached to black pipes within a wooden wall frame, helping hold the pipes in place for precise fitting and welding.
Chris Weight submitted this photo of a Spider™ 125 in its element, fusing two-inch pipe for a geothermal system in the floor joists of a house in Wyoming.
A large pipeline is being welded and assembled in a trench, with heavy machinery and equipment surrounding the pipe. The area is marked off with caution tape and the ground is mostly dirt.
Vincent McMillan shared this image of a critical tie-in for a special crossing crew in the gas fields of Brisbane, Australia. This is just one of many TracStar® 900 off-carriage Pit Bull® machines on this gas-gathering job!
A forklift lifts a large black pipe at a construction site in a desert landscape during sunset. An orange traffic cone is in the foreground, and mountains are visible in the distance.
This manifold for a gold mine was submitted by Buck Growcock of Sacramento, California. The manifold combines 2-18-inch dewatering lines to a 12-inch line with 2-18-inch breather manifolds. All pipe was DR11.
Large metal pipes being laid in a trench at a construction site, with a crane lifting one pipe. Fence, construction equipment, and overcast sky visible in the background.
Jake Duhaime of Boston, Massachusetts shared this photo of a 10-inch DIPS water main for a new train station building.
Large black pipes are laid out across a grassy field at sunset, with trucks and trailers parked on the right side under a clear sky transitioning from orange to blue.
Thanks to Philippe DuBeau for this photo, which shows phase one of a 12,500-foot 14-inch DR11 and DR17 pipeline in the Trois-Riviere in Quebec!

Do you know a Fusion Champion?

If you know of an individual or team who completed – or is currently part of – a project featuring McElroy equipment, please encourage them to visit our online Champions of Fusion portal and enter our competition.

We’re already thrilled to see so many fantastic entries coming in through our Champions of Fusion portal. There, you’ll also find more than a hundred submissions we’ve received since kicking off the contest in 2022.

CLICK HERE to view past entries – or submit your own!

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