About Merkle International, Inc.

MERKLE INTERNATIONAL, INC.- ONE COMPLETE SOURCE
Merkle International oversees your project from start to finish

Upon being contacted, Merkle International conducts an assessment of your needs to determine exactly what is required.

The Merkle team is dedicated to making all of our equipment work effectively for each customer. Thus, the scope of supply can be varied to suit each particular customer or project. For Strut-Air, as an example, we supply the refractory, the tieback and support castings, the insulation, and the Strut-Air tubes. Support steel can be supplied by Merkle or we can supply the fabrication details for you to make it locally.

Using the latest in computer engineering technology, we provide you with a drawing package in either English or SI (Metric) units. Work includes structural review, shop details, and bill of material, as well as steel and refractory field drawings necessary for proper installation of the equipment.

Merkle is independent from suppliers. As a result, materials best suited for each application are selected from a worldwide network of suppliers.

After materials are fabricated to our specifications, our engineering team conducts an inspection at the point of manufacture to make certain that everything conforms to our strict quality requirements.

Our experience in handling the shipment of materials includes movement of goods to all parts of the world and to the jobsite if required.

Merkle International provides skilled on-site technical support during installation of its equipment. We are also available to answer any questions you may have following installation and furnace startup. You can call our technical staff any time you have a question about your Merkle product- even years after installation.

Merkle was founded in 1971 by F.P. (Pete) Merkle as Merkle and Associates. It was first located in Palatine, Illinois. In 1978, after 7 years in Palatine, the company operation was moved to Galena. Since 1978, the company has occupied the same office on Perry Street, gradually increasing its space as it has grown in size. In 1979, the name was changed to Merkle Engineers, Inc. In 2007, the name was changed to Merkle International, Inc. to reflect the change in the company, from largely a domestic supplier to a company with a large portfolio of international customers.

Mr. Merkle’s first efforts were in the glass industry. For 18 years he had serviced this industry with his previous employer and was considered an expert, having developed many successful refractory designs. Founding his own company allowed him to concentrate his efforts in glass, since his previous employer had been more oriented toward steel and other larger refractory-consuming industries.

The company’s patented Strut-Air® feeder wall for the float glass industry quickly became the state-of-the art design for the application, a design which today is still the most widely used suspended refractory wall system in the glass industry. Other successful systems include the Modu-Lok® system for roofs and walls, and the Roto-Patch® system, widely used in the copper industry for making hot repairs while the furnace is still operating.

In the mid-1980’s, Mr. Merkle had the vision to foresee changes in the dynamics of glass industry furnace design and operation, and the opportunity presented itself to supply the charger systems that feed into the furnace the raw material for making glass. The Merkle charging machine was developed with the operator in mind, offering many improvements in adjustment and operation features. The machine is now in wide use worldwide, and many different models are offered.

From a modest beginning in 1971, Merkle has grown to a company known internationally for supplying high quality, reliable refractory systems and related equipment for all types of industrial furnaces.

Merkle’s growth and success are based on our customers’ recognition of our quality and service rather than any specific growth percentage or monetary targets. We feel that by providing our customers with the best quality and service at a fair price, they will return to us with more business and opportunities. Merkle continues to follow this policy, as its success is shown by our long list of satisfied and repeat customers.

Employees of Merkle are encouraged to participate in ownership of the company by purchasing stock and to share in the company’s profitability. They are offered training and other opportunities to enrich their personal and professional lives.

It has been Merkle’s policy to share its success with the community, donating annually to many local and national charities, and participating in fund raising events.