Made Across America: West Chicago, Illinois

Episode Three of our Made Across America series is here! For this episode, I made my way to West Chicago, Illinois, home of our Pro-Line Safety facility.

While many of Trident’s products are engineered for visibility like flags and marker posts, the products we produce here are intended to stay hidden from public view, yet they play some of the most critical roles in protecting our everyday lives.

Safety You Don’t See

Much like the crust and marinara of a deep dish pizza, Pro-Line specializes in products that live just below the surface. From tracer wire and wire connectors to grounding tools, test points, and underground warning tapes, the products manufactured and distributed here form the hidden infrastructure that keeps utilities safe and reliable.

Tracer wire is the pinpoint locator, while underground marking tape provides the visual warning (we like to refer to is “your best, last line of defense”). Together, they allow contractors and utility workers to identify, mark, and avoid costly and dangerous accidents when digging. Locate error and excavator error remain to be among the top root causes of damages to underground infrastructure every year, so its imperative facility operators deploy products that directly mitigate these risks.

One of our proudest innovations at Pro-Line is copper-clad steel tracer wire, a product used extensively in horizontal directional drilling (HDD). With only a handful of companies in America manufacturing it, we take pride in delivering this high-strength, high-performance wire right here in West Chicago.

Copper clad steel is stronger and more cost effective than solid copper.

Speaking of pizza, no trip to Chicago is complete without debating the city’s iconic foods. I will admit I was pretty gluttonous on this trip being sure to eat all the staples: deep dish pizza, Italian beef sandwiches, and the classic Chicago dog.

A Taste of Chicago

I’m not afraid to admit that I really wanted to add ketchup to my hot dog, but didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of the locals…

I gained at least seven pounds in two days on this trip, but it was worth it! If you have any recommendations for my next visit, I’m all ears.

Football and Connectors

Of course, in Chicago, no conversation is complete without mentioning sports. The Pro-Line office doubles a shrine to Chicago athletics as the walls are filled with photos and sports memorabilia.

When you start talking about “da Bears”, you can’t help but begin to realize all the overlap with football and damage prevention, just how many of the same themes we preach: protection, defense, safety! The list goes on.

We have seen a lot already this NFL season that a team’s offense is just as good as its weakest lineman; if that o-line is leaky, that quarterback is going to struggle and damage is going to occur. We also like to say a tracer wire system is only as strong as its connectors. Weak connections can lead to breakdowns in both football and utility protection.

From football fields to construction sites, from pizza debates to copper-clad steel, Pro-Line Safety embodies the spirit of Chicago: tough, dependable, and built with pride.