1928: THE CONTACTOR™ REACTOR IS INVENTED by C.W. Stratford, founder of the Stratford Engineering Corp. (SEC) in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. His revolutionary equipment manufactures lubricating greases at the lowest operating cost in the industry.

1929: THE FIRST CONTACTOR REACTOR is installed at a Kansas City grease plant.

1930’s: SEC supplied processing equipment for lubricating grease and treating crude oil distillates and lube oils.  Started development of Alkylation technology and designed first experimental Alkylation Contactor reactors.

1940’s: FULL and Rapid commercialization of both Sulfuric acid and HF Alkylation tehchnology to support aviation fuel demands of WWII.  Lubricating grease business dominated after WWII.

1950’s: Korean War spurs further evolution of Alkylation technology and market growth.  NEW RESEARCH LABORATORY FOR STRATFORD ENGINEERING opens in Kansas City. It proves to be a catalyst for future growth and home base for development of hundreds of patents.

1960’s: Aviation fuel demand diminished while use of alkylate as a gasoline blending component grew.  EFFLUENT REFRIGERATION PROCESS IS DEVELOPED from an innovation in Alkylation technology that provides necessary refrigeration from the product effluent stream.

1970’s: Inventor and chemical engineer Ward A. Graham becomes President and establishes a new vision and began to rebuild and expand with the new name of Stratford/Graham Engineering.  Unfortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Graham passed away less than two years later.  His daughter, Diane Graham, returned to the company.

1981: TAKING ON HER FATHER’S DREAM, Diane Graham becomes Chairman/President of the company and heads up sponsorship of the first Alkylation seminar with more than 100 international customers. In 1986 she becomes Owner and CEO.

1984: STRATFORD/GRAHAM ENGINEERING BECOMES STRATCO, Inc. The newly-named company is committed to strengthening its global leadership in reaction technology.

1980's: Diane becomes the sole owner of STRATCO, Inc. STRATCO qualifies as a woman-owned company.  STRATCO added process and mechanical improvements to existing technologies and equipment designs. Research and Development efforts were increased to include mixing products for companies in numerous industries: foods, pharmaceutical ointments, nutritional drinks, asphalt, soaps and lotions.  In Alkylation, a trend toward the sulfuric acid catalyzed process occurred in this era, with STRATCO's Effluent Refrigerated Process as the premier option.  With the global demand for safe, environmentally friendly process technologies, STRATCO licensed 85% of all Alkylation units installed worldwide.

1990: STRATCO LEADS THE WORLD in Alkylation technology and holds the largest market share in Alkylation capacity installed.  STRATCO begins research and development in rubber and polymer modified asphalt and manufacture of biodiesel.

1992: DIANE GRAHAM becomes not only the first female officer on the Board of Directors of NLGI, but is also appointed as the first female president in the organization’s
60-year history.

1997: WORLD HEADQUARTERS OPEN in Scottsdale, AZ.

1998: SEGREGATION OLEFIN PATENT IS DEVELOPED which furthers Alkylation technology. This innovative development allows for a significant improvement in product quality and operating costs by segregating feedstock.

2001: LONDON, ENGLAND OFFICE OPENS to better serve European and global customers.

2003: DUPONT® PURCHASES AKYLATION DIVISION FROM STRATCO affirming confidence in the company’s leading technology.  ECOPATH is created as a member of the STRATCO GLOBAL family of companies to provide solutions for the modified asphalt industry.

2004: STRATCO ACQUIRES THE ASSETS OF BLENDTEC and enters into the blending services and rubber modified asphalt industry.  ECOPATH ASPHALT RUBBER BLENDING PLANTS are placed in service, paving the way for future growth and prosperity.  STRATCO offers equipment design and process technology/improvements for other industries in addition to lubricating grease, including modified asphalt that uses used tire crumb rubber and a biodiesel process that is environmentally friendly with zero NO x emissions.  ECOPATH hosts AR Technology seminar in Colorado.

2005: ECOPATH asphalt rubber blending equipment is now in place in North America, Europe and Russia, earning high praise for quality and efficiency as well as its environmental friendliness.  BlendTec name is formally changed to ECOPATH Contracting for AR blending services.

2006: STRATCO designed and built state-of-the-art grease manufacturing plant in Alabama representing the first of its kind built outside of Japan.  STRATCO enters the roofing industry with new equipment applications in roof shingle manufacturing.

2007: ECOPATH enters the California market selling AR Blending equipment there, while opening new AR markets in New Jersey and Colorado.

2008: ECOPATH expands research and development in all types of modified asphalt technologies.


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