What do we do?

Started in 1971 in Birmingham, AL, Utility Tool Company is a small, privately owned firm.  We design, manufacture, and sell patented electronic equipment under the trade name Pipehorn for locating and troubleshooting underground utilities from above ground.  Utility companies, contractors, maintenance crews, and professional locators, throughout the U.S. use Pipehorn equipment to increase productivity and prevent damage.  We utilize our expertise in electromagnetics and electronics in conjunction with our knowledge of underground utility location and construction to develop and sell equipment to our target markets.

Who are we?

Electronic engineering and design is performed by individuals who share an unequalled commitment to solving our customers' real world problems and providing excellent value.  Manufacturing and Electronic Testing team members have a common passion for quality, reliability, and durability that is unsurpassed.  Sales and Product Support personnel work to ensure that each user is not only satisfied, but heartily recommends Pipehorn products to others.  In short, we strive to be the best at what we do and earn our customers' business, each and every day.

A little history on Pipehorn...

The original Pipehorn was invented in 1968 & patented by Tom Humphries, an Alagasco engineer, to solve the problem of locating cast iron pipe.  He truly built a "better mousetrap" for locating.  Utility Tool Company purchased the rights to manufacture and sale.  After his retirement, he assisted us with the development of other products.

In 1972, we moved to our current location just east of Birmingham in Irondale, AL. We completed renovation of our facility in 1998, effectively tripling the size of our plant.  Our product line has grown to include the following items in addition to the Classic Pipehorn 100:

MD200 Fault & Discontinuity Locator

MD500 Dual-Transmitter, Dual-Frequency Locator

800 Series Pipe and Cable Locators

MD450 Mag-Horn Ferromagnetic Locator

PA400 Valve Box & Manhole Cover Locator Attachment

PA570 Low-Frequency Signal Clamp

PA173 Pulsar Beacon

LD-7 Water Leak Detector

LD-8 Water Leak Surveying Tool

LD-12 "Professional's Plus" Water Leak Detector

Our Business Philosophy

Technology alone does not drive our product development.  Rather, we seek to understand users' problems, then provide solutions.  Each of our products have grown out of users' needs.

Building quality products which are rugged and simple to use is the core element of our approach to overall product design.

We invest in user education to ensure that our customers receive maximum value from their Pipehorn equipment.