August 2024 Vol. 79 No. 8
Editor's Log
Remembering Bob Affholder: A legacy of passion and innovation in the CIPP, tunneling industries
By Robert Carpenter, Editor-in-Chief
(UI) — Robert (Bob) Wilson Affholder, a true industry giant by any measure or perspective, passed away in late July after a brilliant career that amazed, impressed and established his footprint upon essence of both cured-in-place pipe rehabilitation and the tunneling industry.
Ironically, Affholder died just a few weeks short of his 89th birthday, leaving a legacy of respect and innovation that many strive for, but few will ever achieve. Bob had a passion for his work that drove his visions into reality.
He became an industry icon the old-fashioned way – he earned it. Bob began his career as a laborer for Armco Industries Metal Products Division in 1958. By 1968, Bob was ready to tackle his own endeavors, so he established a tunneling and boring business that became Affholder Inc. He believed in employing hardworking, honest and skilled people. The company quickly established a reputation for solving customers’ problems and rapid growth followed.
Years later, a chance conversation on an airplane led Affholder to reach an agreement with the growing Insituform North America business to become its licensee for Kansas and Missouri. Insituform Mid-America was born.
While the tunneling and boring business continued to thrive, Bob was fascinated by cured-in-place (CIPP) technology and the future it offered. He focused on driving, perfecting and further developing the new CIPP business. It steadily gained traction despite reservations from potential customers about this radical new “rehabilitation” technology. Sure enough, quickly CIPP technology was sweeping across North America.
Insituform Mid-America continued to experience rapid growth and acquired additional territories to become the largest Insituform licensee in North America. This was part of a broad expansion strategy which eventually led to the merger with Insituform Technologies. The merger was completed in October 1995, putting Bob Affholder in charge of all North American contracting for the new company.
Years later, Bob left Insituform and went on to form SAK Construction with long-time friends as his business partners. Not unexpectedly, SAK has become a major force in utility construction and rehabilitation. The firm recently spun off its tunneling and boring segment into a new company named, appropriately, Affholder.
All this background brings us back to passion. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to visit with Bob on multiple occasions. A true gentleman and brilliant contractor, I always came away with our conversations in awe of his accomplishments and lessons he readily shared, both successes and failures. All explained patiently in a humble fashion.
The last time I had a chance to talk with Bob was in 2021, when he and CIPP developer Eric Wood were honored as part of the 50th anniversary of CIPP at the annual Underground Construction Technology Conference (now the Underground Infrastructure Conference) in Nashville, Tenn. The two were officially honored as the Pioneers of CIPP.
As there were hundreds of people in attendance at the official ceremony, Bob was swamped with well-wishers and acquaintances, old and new. We didn’t get a chance to talk for long. But what he related to me about his career and affection for the CIPP industry, along with his other business interests, still resonates.
It was clear, even at his advancing age, that Affholder still had a strong fervor for everything he did. “Whatever business you’re in, you’ve got to have passion,” he stressed. “With passion comes success.”
True words, spoken by an industry giant.
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