Copperhead Industries

What Copperhead Industries does

Copperhead Industries is a U.S. manufacturer of copper-clad steel (CCS) tracer wire and related accessories used to locate and protect buried utility infrastructure. Founded in 2004 in Monticello, Minnesota, the company pioneered the use of CCS — a bimetallic wire that bonds a steel core with a copper cladding to deliver the strength of steel and the conductivity of copper — for underground utility tracing. Its portfolio spans tracer wire variants (SuperFlex, High Strength, SoloShot Extra-High Strength, SoloShot Xtreme), patented connectors (SnakeBite), access points (BoaBox, Cobra, Mini Cobra, SnakePit, SnakeSkin), magnesium ground rods, the ViperMag locator, and Mamba marker posts, sold collectively as the Complete Utility Locating System.

The company serves three primary end markets — Gas & Propane, Telecommunications, and Water & Sewer utilities — plus an OEM channel for manufacturers embedding tracer wire into duct and fiber products. All products are manufactured in the U.S. (Monticello, MN and Fayetteville, TN) and are certified BABA-compliant and ASTM B1010-compliant, positioning Copperhead as a default supplier for federally funded infrastructure projects. Two U.S. patents protect system components (SnakeBite US 12,573,772 and BoaBox US 11,814,824), and the company markets an interactive VUE Virtual Utility Environment tool for buyer education.

Copperhead generates revenue primarily through hardware sales to utilities, contractors, and municipalities via a quote-based direct sales motion, supplemented by an extensive network of independent manufacturer representatives and dealers across the United States. Pricing is opaque (no public price list), with multi-year project contracts negotiated per engagement and a small custom OEM engineering services stream. The company is privately held by founder and President Jeff Atwood, with no venture capital, private equity, or parent company involvement.

Name

Copperhead Industries

Legal name

Copperhead Industries

Website

https://copperheadwire.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Copperhead Industries is a U.S. manufacturer of copper-clad steel tracer wire and a complete system of connectors, access points, and locators that enable gas, telecom, water, and sewer utilities to detect and protect buried infrastructure. It sells BABA-compliant products via direct sales and a U.S. rep and dealer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Underground Utility Locating Equipment

NAICS

Other Communication and Energy Wire Manufacturing (335929), Other Fabricated Wire Product Manufacturing (332618)

akta.pro primary industry

Cable Accessories & Joints/Terminations (splices, joints, terminations, link boxes) (EUADADAC)

Keywords

• Tracer wire systems
• Utility locating equipment
• Copper-clad steel wire
• Underground utility detection
• Tracer wire accessories

Headquarters

HQ city

Monticello

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales - Tracer Wire Products: Revenue is generated through the sale of physical hardware products including copper-clad steel tracer wire, connectors, ground rods, access points, locators, and marker posts. The company sells directly to utilities, contractors, and municipalities through a network of representatives and dealers. Products are sold via quote requests, with no public pricing disclosed.
2. Custom OEM Solutions: Customized OEM services for duct, fiber optic, and other manufacturers seeking to embed tracer wire into their products. Copperhead OEM engineers work with customers to design integrated traceability solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Copperhead Industries manufactures and sells copper-clad steel (CCS) tracer wire, connectors, ground rods, access points, locators, and marker posts that together form its Complete Utility Locating System® for gas, propane, telecom, water, and sewer utilities. The company sells directly to utilities, contractors, and municipalities via quote-based pricing through an independent manufacturer representative and dealer network. It also provides custom OEM engineering to embed tracer wire into third-party products such as duct and fiber optic systems.

Product overview

Copperhead Industries offers a comprehensive portfolio of underground utility locating products centered around its Complete Utility Locating System®, a five-step approach comprising copper-clad steel tracer wire (SuperFlex™, High Strength, SoloShot™ Extra-High Strength, SoloShot™ Xtreme), connectors (SnakeBite™, Twist-on, Mainline-to-Service, Pipe Burst), ground rods, access points (BoaBox®, Cobra™, Mini Cobra™, SnakePit®, SnakeSkin™), the ViperMag™ locator, and Mamba™ marker posts. The company also provides a Service Ready Kit bundling key components and the VUE™ interactive virtual environment tool. The system creates a complete electrical circuit enabling reliable detection of buried pipes, cables, and infrastructure for gas, propane, telecom, water, and sewer utilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SuperFlex™: Flexible copper-clad steel tracer wire designed for light-duty open cut applications with strength similar to solid copper.
• High Strength
• SoloShot™
• SoloShot™ Xtreme
• SnakeBite™
• BoaBox®
• Cobra™
• Mini Cobra™
• SnakePit®
• SnakeSkin™
• ViperMag™
• Mamba™
• Ground Rods
• Service Ready Kit

Products and services

• High Strength CCS Tracer Wire Copper-clad steel tracer wire with twice the tensile break strength of solid copper, designed for open cut, trenching, and plowing installations where ground above utilities can be disturbed.
• SuperFlex™ CCS Tracer Wire Flexible copper-clad steel tracer wire for light-duty open cut applications, offering roughly 40% greater breaking strength than solid copper and 11% lighter weight.
• Solid Copper Tracer Wire 100% solid copper conductor tracer wire with insulation for direct bury, used for light duty open cut, trenching, and plowing installations in stable soil conditions.
• SoloShot™ Extra-High Strength CCS Tracer Wire Extra-high strength copper-clad steel tracer wire engineered for horizontal directional drilling, providing 6× the breaking strength of standard 12 AWG solid copper and handling extreme pulling in rugged soil types.
• SoloShot™ Xtreme CCS Tracer Wire 7×7 stranded copper-clad steel tracer wire engineered for pipe bursting and critical bores, with 4,700 lbs breaking strength and roughly 30% stronger and 3.5× more conductive than 3/16 stranded stainless steel wire.
• SnakeBite™ Locking Connectors Patented 90-degree twist-lock wire connectors that connect up to 3 wires without stripping, with four snap-lock tabs that prevent over-rotation and waterproof, corrosion-proof dielectric gel (US Patent 12,573,772).
• Twist-on Connectors Direct bury waterproof connectors pre-filled with dielectric silicone sealant for splicing and connecting multiple tracer wires, available in regular and large sizes for light duty applications.
• Mainline-to-Service Connectors 3-way direct bury waterproof connectors that join mainline tracer wire to service lateral tracer wire without cutting the mainline, available in standard, insulation-piercing, and pipe burst styles.
• Pipe Burst Connectors Connectors designed for pipe bursting applications including in-line splice connectors and three-way connectors, compatible with SoloShot™ Xtreme and 3/16 stainless steel cable.
• Ground Rods 1.5-pound drive-in magnesium ground rods that pull low-voltage electrical signals along tracer wire to earth, including 20-foot copper-clad steel lead wire with 30 mil HDPE insulation.
• BoaBox® Access Point Patented dual-compartment access point providing access to both curb stop/cleanout and tracer wire system in one unit, available in water (1", 1-1/4", 1-1/2") and sewer versions with integrated entry points (US Patent 11,814,824).
• Cobra™ Access Point Above-ground access point for tracer wire systems with up to three terminals, mountable to fire hydrants via the universal hydrant flange or staked anywhere, providing direct connection for utility locate transmitters.
• Mini Cobra™ Access Point Pre-assembled, right-sized access point designed to blend with gas meters, pre-wired with tracer wire and ground rod, with optional riser clips in multiple diameters for easy installation.
• SnakePit® Access Point At-grade tracer wire termination and grounding station with five styles (Lite Duty, Lite Duty Adjustable, Lite Duty XL Adjustable, Concrete/Driveway, Roadway), featuring an encapsulated magnet for metal detection and optional two-terminal switchable lid for ground control.
• SnakeSkin™ Access Point Flexible, form-fitting above-grade access point that protects tracer wire terminations from UV rays, weed whips, and environmental hazards, featuring a conductive aluminum barbed insert with water-displacing gel.
• ViperMag™ Pipe and Cable Locator Combination utility locator and ferrous metal detector that merges active locating frequencies (512 Hz, 8.19 kHz, 83 kHz) and passive power (60 Hz) with ferrous metal detection in one device, including a 1-watt transmitter, push-button depth estimation, and optional induction clamps and A-frame fault finder.
• Mamba™ Markers Customizable utility marking posts available in flat, triad, and round styles with APWA color coding, with options for access points, cathodic testing stations, and various cap styles and anchor options.
• Service Ready Kit Complete grab-and-go kit for installing a tracer wire system from utility mainline to building edge, bundling 100' SuperFlex™ tracer wire, connectors, ground rods, SnakePit® and SnakeSkin™ access points.
• Complete Utility Locating System® Five-step systemic approach to underground utility locating that combines Copperhead CCS tracer wire (Conduct), connectors (Connect), ground rods (Ground), access points (Access), and locators and markers (Locate) to create a complete electrical circuit for reliable signal transmission.
• Custom OEM Solutions Customized OEM services for duct, fiber optic, and other manufacturers seeking to embed Copperhead tracer wire into their products, with Copperhead OEM engineers working directly with customers on integrated traceability designs.

Quantifiable outcome

• CCS tracer wire provides up to 6x the breaking strength of solid copper (SoloShot Extra-High Strength 12 AWG: 1150 lbs breaking load vs 190 lbs for standard 12 AWG solid copper)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Stan Roberts & AssociatescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStan Roberts & Associates is a distributor representative for the waterworks, plumbing, and irrigation industry. They have served customers and communities in Texas and surrounding states for nearly 50 years. A Copperhead rep firm that assisted a Texas city in troubleshooting unlocatable water services by installing ground rods and access points at tracer wire dead ends, demonstrating the company's complete locating system in action.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Service Wire Co. Specialty wire manufacturer serving utility, industrial, and commercial markets including tracer wire products. A meaningful incumbent with overlapping specs and customer base in the gas/water/telecom sectors.
• Southwire Company: One of North America's largest wire and cable manufacturers, producing tracer wire among a broad portfolio. Relevant as a broad incumbent competing on scale, distribution, and full-line utility offerings.
• 3M (Dynatel locator line): Sells Dynatel utility locators and electronic marker systems to the locate market. Comparable to Copperhead's ViperMag and to its system-locate step; relevant as a broad incumbent with substitute electronic-marking technology.

Emerging players

• Rhino Markers & Posts: Utility marking posts and tracer wire access solutions sold into the same municipal and utility customer base. Competitor-adjacent in the 'marking and access' slice of Copperhead's end-to-end system.
• Schonstedt Instrument Company: Manufacturer of pipe and cable locators, magnetic locators, and locating accessories used by utility locators. Comparable as a complementary equipment supplier in the broader underground-locating ecosystem.
• Carsonite (a brand of Valmont Industries): Manufactures composite utility marker posts, delineators, and cable markers — a direct analog to Copperhead's Mamba marker posts category, sold to the same utility customers.
• Subsite Electronics (Ditch Witch / The Toro Company): Supplies utility locators and HDD/pipe-bursting equipment to the contractor channel that installs tracer wire. Closely adjacent in the install-and-locate workflow for underground utilities.
• Radiodetection (Hexagon): Manufactures utility locators (the 'Locate' step in Copperhead's Complete Utility Locating System). While not a direct wire competitor, it sits in the same locating workflow and frequently co-sells with tracer wire suppliers.

Direct peers

• Kris-Tech Wire: Kris-Tech manufactures copper-clad steel and copper tracer wire and accessories for the utility locating market, competing with Copperhead's SuperFlex, High Strength, and SoloShot product lines on similar specs and federal/BABA-friendly positioning.

Others

• Teknor Apex / Tracerlok-type accessory brands: Industrial specialty manufacturer with overlapping presence in wire compounds, HDPE insulation, and specialty polymer accessories for underground utility products — adjacent as a materials/inputs peer rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/CopperheadIndustries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Copperhead Industries