ICLP’s partners and clients include equipment manufacturers, distributors, and inspection companies. And whereas RFID chips and tags aren’t necessarily a cutting-edge concept at this point, where ICLP has taken them since 2002, and where they’re headed with the technology from here on out will have leaders throughout the industry taking notice. Originally known as InfoChip
Systems Inc., the company’s roots are based in Alberta, Canada. (Te company merged with Holland RFID Inc., a subsidiary of Holland 1916 Inc., in October of 2014, to become InfoChip, LP. ICLP now has offices in Houston, TX, and Liberty, MO.) InfoChip founder, and current ICLP Chief Technology Officer, Chris Gelowitz, has a true passion for the new company and its wide- open future, because he remembers when it was a much quieter affair— until all of that changed with one simple request. “A friend of mine owned a hose company in Alberta, and he made the drilling hose for all of these big drilling companies,” Gelowitz said. “Unfortunately, at some point, a high-pressure hose failed, and a worker was killed. It was determined that the hose had not been tested on a regular basis. My friend knew I was a computer engineer and asked if I
could design some kind of chip that would tell when a hose was due for an inspection.” Te friend’s serial number tags
were falling off, and/or they were hard to read when dirty—and the numbers were even poorly stamped at times, and again, hard to read. “Tis was back in 2002—so I started looking into it, and found this whole world of RFIDs,” Gelowitz recalled. “But none of it was durable; it could only handle a certain kind of physical contact.” He discovered that there
wasn’t really an industrial ID. “So InfoChip basically paved the way in creating really durable tags that could be used on hoses and other assets that were being dropped and dragged along the ground, or draped across other surfaces. “Tat’s really how this all
began. About a year later, we flew Goodyear® up (they’re also a major hose manufacturer) and they signed a deal with us, and we’ve had a great relationship with them ever since.” Soon after Goodyear® got on
board (they currently have around 60 distributors using InfoChip technology), business started taking off for Gelowitz’s small operation. “From there, the lifting industry
came to us, and really, they built all the specs. “I’m not really a lifting person—more of an engineer and entrepreneur—but being around the lifting people, and the customers, allowed our system to basically be built by customer request.” Around 2005/06, he hired his cousin, Dave Gelowitz, a programmer, and Dave started to really build the system out. “I hired my cousin, and a number of other people, which allowed me to slow down on writing code and focus on managing the business, as well as the growth of these customers that wanted this system.” At this point, they were operating out of Canada (literally until the merger with Holland this past October). Te main operation is now in Houston at a brand-new facility that houses the software and sales teams, as well as shipping and receiving, to service the growing list of oilfield clients ICLP is attracting. Te corporate office is in Liberty, MO. But back to 2006—InfoChip had piqued the interest of some
InfoChip LP represents a new wave of asset management and tracking—where virtually any piece of equipment can be tagged and held to the highest inspection standards.
26 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015 WIRE ROPE EXCHANGE
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