CORKEN’S JOURNEY FROM LOCAL DISTRIBUTOR TO GLOBAL MANUFACTURING LEADER CORKEN CELEBRATES A CENTURY OF INNOVATION Corken, the manufacturing leader of industrial pumps and compressors, celebrated its 100th anniversary in September. Since its founding in 1924 by O.K. Corken, an entrepreneur who contributed to the Oklahoma City community, Corken has been a trusted brand within the global energy industry. “Corken products have powered mission-critical energy applications for a century, and we’re looking forward to meeting the changing needs of the energy landscape in the years ahead,” said John Hays, Corken Business Line Leader. Corken is a unit of IDEX Corporation, which was founded in 1988 with three entrepreneurial manufacturing companies that has now grown into over 50 diverse businesses around the world, employing 8,800 individuals in more than 20 countries. As a part of IDEX Corporation, Corken specifically specializes in the manufacturing of custom compressor packaging and pump skids for liquefied gas transfer, liquid transfer, air boosting and vapor recovery applications. Before IDEX bought Corken in 1991, O.K. Corken and son Charlie Corken dominated the business. While O.K. was the visionary, Charlie was the company’s marketer, in which he is credited for expanding Corken from a
local pump and tools distributor, covering the greater Oklahoma City region and surrounding states, to a global brand and manufacturing Company. Charlie hired Garth Kennedy of Phillips Petroleum in 1945. During his time at Corken, Kennedy designed and manufactured a full line of Corken pump and compressor technologies that led to the development of the Corken products manufactured today. It was the teamwork between Kennedy and Charlie that brought many of Corken’s most important creations. One of Charlie’s most notable achievements was the Corken Model 45 pump chosen by NASA to fuel the X-15 Rocket Plane with anhydrous ammonia. The X-15, once flown by Neil Armstrong, still holds the world manned-flight speed record of 4,520 MPH that was set in 1967. Today, Corken continues to support and enrich Oklahoma City as one of three divisions of IDEX Advanced Flow Solutions, who is an employer sponsor for the OKC FAME manufacturing and education program. With its rich history in Oklahoma City, Corken stands out for its dedication to quality and customer service, driven by a talented workforce. The commitment to technological innovation propelled Corken to the forefront of the global market in compression and pumping solutions, which set the company apart from the competition. “Corken has been an industry mainstay for a hundred years serving important customers and providing livelihoods for so many great employees,” said Todd Graf, Advance Flow Solutions President. “It’s inspiring to think what the next hundred years will bring.”
Advanced Flow Solutions President Todd Graf delivers remarks in celebration of the company’s 100th anniversary.
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