Connectors: The Offensive Line of Your Tracer Wire System

This article originally appeared in a “Movie Monday” LinkedIn newsletter from September, 2025.

Protecting underground infrastructure is a lot like football

The video featured this week features some of our friends at our West Chicago facility, where die-hard Bears fans work to produce and stock tracer wire, connectors, and buried warning tapes.

Football and damage prevention have more in common than most people realize. Both share two major priorities: protection and defense.

We often say a tracer wire system is only as good as its weakest connection. That’s not far off from football, where an offensive line is only as good as its weakest lineman. As much as it bothers me that offensive linemen don’t get the highlight reels they deserve, they’re arguably the most important part of the team. No quarterback thrives without solid protection, and no running back finds daylight without good downfield blocking.

It’s the same underground. A leaky offensive guard is like splicing your tracer wire with electrical tape: water will get in, corrosion takes over, and before long, your asset (or quarterback) is destroyed. That’s where the Pro-Trace® TW Connector comes in. Pre-filled with silicone sealant and built from polycarbonate with a zinc locking mechanism, it offers corrosion-proof, watertight protection and the confidence that comes with a clear housing. In other words, it’s your all-pro left tackle in connector form.

Defense Wins Championships

Of course, even the best O-line gets tested. That’s why defenses lean on linebackers and safeties, they’re the last line of protection. In our industry, that role belongs to underground warning tape. Bright, bold, and impossible to ignore, it’s like a Brian Urlacher patrolling center field: if you see it, you stop, or you’ll regret it.