LineTamer® Offers Productivity Solution for Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corp.

by Sara Kleinecke
Posted in Articles & Job Stories, CONNECTIONS
This article was featured in the October 14, 2021 issue of McElroy Connections.
Three construction workers in safety vests and helmets operate and inspect a large yellow trailer carrying a coiled cable at a construction site, with machinery and traffic cones nearby.

The versatility of the LineTamer® offers an operator many options for handling coiled pipe on the jobsite.  With its capabilities to straighten and re-round 3” to 6” IPS coiled pipe to meet or exceed ASTM D 2513 ovality requirements, it safely removes the coil set for quicker installations. Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corp. (AOG) in Fort Smith, Arkansas regularly works with long runs of pipe and the LineTamer helps increase productivity because it prevents the crew from having to make a fusion every 40-feet.

Several construction workers in safety vests and hard hats assemble or inspect a large green industrial machine on a yellow metal platform outdoors.

In the natural gas industry safety is key, and for the Fort Smith, Arkansas team at Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corp (AOG), the McElroy LineTamer® is an accessory regularly used out in the field. It allows operators to install PE pipe, conduit and duct 4x faster than installations with straight lengths of pipe, providing the capability to lay approximately 1,000 feet with a minimum of two fusions.

AOG had previously been outsourcing contractors for their LineTamer work, but over the past several months they decided to move everything in-house.  They contacted McElroy to set-up a custom LineTamer training and in July our Market Development Specialist, Shannon Land, and Sales & Service Representative, Robbie Phillips Jr., headed to the “Wonder State”.

To prepare for the in-person session, each employee went through McElroy University’s online training to learn more about how the LineTamer works. Once Shannon and Robbie were in town, the training took one day.

A man stands beside a projection screen showing diagrams about construction or excavation, while several seated people listen attentively in a classroom or meeting room setting.
A man stands beside a laptop, presenting a training agenda projected on a screen in a classroom. The agenda includes topics like jobsite safety, loading pipe, and proper mounting.

The two-hour in-class presentation covered the LineTamer installation and how to cut pipe at the completion of the job.  This was followed by a four-hour hands-on session.  The group learned how to: drill a hole in the pipe end to mount the sling, cut bands, attach the sling to a pull vehicle, thread pipe into the LineTamer, and cut pipe. The crucial elements of the LineTamer training is ensuring an operator is familiar with loading pipe and operating the controls of the hydraulics trailer.

A group of construction workers wearing safety vests and hard hats gather around a piece of machinery at a worksite, listening to a demonstration. Gravel piles and equipment are visible in the background.
Construction workers wearing safety vests operate heavy machinery and manage a large spool of cable at a worksite with traffic cones and residential houses in the background.

This select group of AOG employees are now qualified operators. “The key to jobsite productivity and safety is receiving training to be able to fully understand how to operate a fusion machine and its accessories.  The Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corp. employees who were part of the training excelled and they can feel confident about using the LineTamer on their next job,” says Shannon Land, Market Development Specialist.

Seven men stand side by side indoors against a beige wall, all wearing casual clothes including jeans, t-shirts or polos, baseball caps, and work boots. They face the camera and appear to be in a workplace setting.

To learn more about upcoming training courses and how to schedule a custom training, visit McElroy University online.

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