CCG StormStrong^® Poles Deliver for Clallam PUD

Providing reliable power in the United States’ Pacific Northwest can be a challenge. Clallam County usually sees double the national average inches of rainfall, but high winds are the biggest threat to keeping the lights on.

Clallam Public Utility District (PUD) was one of the earliest adopters of fiberglass utility poles. The red cedar poles they previously relied on had an expected service life of 40 to 50 years, depending on conditions. Composites offered nearly double that life cycle. To maximize value for residents, Clallam PUD installed its first composite poles from some of North America’s leading composite pole manufacturers as early as 1999. The composite poles’ performance over the ensuing 25 years led Clallam PUD to adopt as standard that every new and replacement transmission pole be composite. The utility is also beginning to integrate composite poles into its distribution lines, beginning with special uses, like a three-phase riser on a corner pole.

But getting the poles they need has become a new challenge. Many distribution-quality wood poles available are “second growth” poles. This, and changes to wood treatment chemicals, means Clallam PUD has experienced a reduction in strength and service life for their wood poles. And their composite manufacturers estimated lead times of over 40 weeks.

Public utilities never single-source their materials. Instead, a list of approved suppliers and a competitive bid process ensures the utility can get the best price, time and support. Creative Composites Group (CCG) earned a spot on Clallam PUD’s approved suppliers list due to their pole performance characteristics.

And CCG offered something more: At 10 to 12 weeks, CCG lead times are up to 75% shorter than other suppliers. CCG is a vertically integrated manufacturer, sourced and produced in multiple U.S. locations, empowering the company to deliver large orders on short timelines.

Since acquiring Trident Industries, another pultruded composite pole manufacturer, CCG can supply poles of more sizes and at an even faster rate. A stock inventory of around 500 poles enables CCG to deliver on 6-8 week lead times for low-volume orders of self-supporting multilayer poles. From the 10-inch single-layer StormStrong^® poles to the 17-inch TridentStrong™ multilayer poles, CCG has a complete arsenal of composite utility poles for all distribution and most sub-transmission applications with Classes exceeding H6 and single-piece pole lengths exceeding 100 feet.

CCG poles are now one of Clallam PUD’s go-to suppliers of utility poles. Line workers quickly learned the differences in handling CCG’s single-piece, non-tapered poles and are already seeing the benefits of this type of pole. CCG also provided Clallam PUD with a library of design software files to expedite the utility’s planning and design. Fast lead times continue to be a major benefit to the public utility.

Although Clallam PUD hasn’t yet ordered CCG FireStrong™ poles, they are glad that an approved manufacturer offers poles with enhanced fire protection, since the risk of wildfires is increasing around the northwestern U.S.