STRATCO was founded in 1928 by Mr. C. W. Stratford, in Kansas City, Missouri.  In those days, the USA "hub" for lubricating greases was Kansas City. Stratford designed and patented a mixer, known as the STRATCO^® Contactor™ reactor, for mixing lubricating greases. The first Contactor reactor, installed in 1929, is still operating today!

The story continues when C. W. Stratford and one of his friends in the oil industry were on a train to New York in the 1930s. The conversation turned to using the Contactor reactor to mix products. War efforts during this era were generating a critical need for large volumes of high octane aviation fuel. Stratford and several major oil companies co-developed the Alkylation process.

C. W. and Mr. Westinghouse were friends, and the Government called upon them for Alkylation equipment and technology. Refiners installed our Contactor reactors utilizing either sulfuric acid or hydrofluoric acid as the catalyst. STRATCO would go on to maintain aggressive research and development in the Alkylation process. 



TIMELINE

• 1970's: Ward A. Graham, a chemical engineer with Stratford Engineering for 18 years, bought controlling interest of the company and began to rebuild and expand with the new name of Stratford/Graham Engineering. Unfortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Graham passed away less than two years later. His daughter, Diane was elected Chairman of the Board in 1981 and then President in June of that same year.
• 1980's: Diane becomes the sole owner of STRATCO, Inc.
• STRATCO added process and mechanical improvements to existing technologies and equipment designs. Research and Development efforts were increased to include mixing products for companies in numerous industries: foods, pharmaceutical ointments, nutritional drinks, asphalt, soaps and lotions. We conducted research for companies using their own formulations or STRATCO's own, depending on client needs.
• 1990's: In Alkylation, a trend toward the sulfuric acid catalyzed process occurred in this era, with STRATCO's Effluent Refrigerated Process as the premier option. With the global demand for safe, environmentally friendly process technologies, STRATCO licensed 85% of all Alkylation units installed worldwide.
• 2003: Diane Graham sells the Alkylation Division to DuPont
• 2004: After years of R & D on Asphalt Rubber, ECOPATH is founded and offers equipment design and process technology for modified asphalt that uses crumb rubber from waste tires.
• 2005: ECOPATH sold Asphalt Rubber Blending Units into both Spain and Russia.  From the deserts of Arizona to the frozen tundra of Siberia, ECOPATH expands its reach in changing our world's roads.