What Custom Utility does

Custom Utility, founded in 1983 as the Electrical Products Division (EPD) of Custom Plastics, Inc., manufactures custom-engineered thermoplastic electrical materials for the utility, transmission, and communication industries. Its product portfolio spans pole protection components (U-Guards, Adapter Boots, Double-Belled Couplers, and Ground Wire Molding), guy wire guards (Custom Snapper and Mini-Snapper), underground cable saddles, and the Custom Capper wildlife protector for transformers and bushings. All products are produced from high-impact PVC, polyethylene, or polypropylene formulations engineered to industry specifications such as NEMA TC 19-2001 (U-Guards) and 34 KV dielectric strength (Custom Capper).

The underlying technology centers on thermoplastic extrusion and injection molding, with proprietary capabilities that include co-extrusion (dual durometer), insert molding, and in-house die design. Production occurs at a single facility in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, operating 20 extrusion lines and 24 injection molding presses under the parent company's quality and manufacturing infrastructure. Products are positioned as maintenance-free, UV-resistant, flame-retardant, lightweight, and non-conductive protection components that reduce installation time versus traditional materials such as porcelain cable saddles.

Custom Utility operates as a private division of Custom Plastics, Inc. and generates revenue primarily through one-time direct sales of physical product to electric utility companies, telecommunications providers, and transmission industry customers. Distribution is exclusively direct: engagement is initiated via the company website, email, or phone, with shipments dispatched from the Elk Grove Village facility across multiple receiving docks. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quoted on a per-specification basis reflecting the custom-engineered nature of each item. No third-party distributors, resellers, or marketplace channels are reported, and no external funding events have occurred since the division's founding.

Name

Custom Utility

Legal name

Custom Utility

Website

https://customutility.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Custom Utility manufactures custom-engineered thermoplastic electrical materials — including pole guards, guy wire markers, cable saddles, and wildlife protectors — for utility, transmission, and communication companies from a single Elk Grove Village, Illinois facility as a division of Custom Plastics, Inc.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Utility Infrastructure Materials

NAICS

Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (33531), All Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing (33599)

SIC

Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Cable Glands, Sealing & Strain-Relief (glands, grommets, seals, cord grips, strain relief) (IMAGAEAI)

Keywords

• Utility pole protection
• Electrical cable guards
• Guy wire markers
• Wildlife transformer protection
• Underground cable saddles

Headquarters

HQ city

Elk Grove Village

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electrical Materials Sales: Custom Utility generates revenue through manufacturing and selling custom-engineered electrical materials including pole protection products (U-guards, adapter boots, couplers, ground wire molding), guy markers (Custom Snapper), cable saddles, and wildlife protectors (Custom Capper). Products serve utility, transmission, and communication industries for line construction, maintenance, overhead and underground distribution applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Custom Utility manufactures custom-engineered thermoplastic electrical materials for the utility, transmission, and communication industries. Its product portfolio includes pole protection equipment (U-Guards, Adapter Boots, Couplers, Ground Wire Molding), guy wire guards (Custom Snapper), underground cable saddles, and wildlife protectors (Custom Capper), all produced via extrusion and injection molding at its Elk Grove Village, Illinois facility.

Product overview

Custom Utility is a manufacturer of custom-engineered extruded electrical materials for the utility industry, serving utility, transmission, and communication sectors. The product portfolio consists of two interconnected solution lines: Pole Protection products (U-Guards, Adapter Boots, Couplers, and Ground Wire Molding) that protect vertically installed cables and wires on utility poles; and standalone specialty products including Cable Saddles for underground installations, Custom Snapper guy markers for wire visibility and safety, and Custom Capper wildlife protectors. All products are manufactured from PVC or polypropylene materials and are designed as complementary components within utility infrastructure protection systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Custom Snapper®: Guy guard product line for protecting guy wires used to support utility poles, telecommunication towers, and various structures including wind turbines and radio towers.
• Custom Capper™

Products and services

• U-Guards Dependable, field-proven protection for vertically installed power and communication cables, manufactured from high-impact, flame-retardant PVC. Lightweight, non-conductive, and maintenance-free, these pole guards are engineered to NEMA TC 19-2001 impact standards with Sure Grip ribbing for reduced slippage and a belled end for secure cable fit. Intended for utility, transmission, and communication companies requiring cable protection on overhead distribution poles.
• Adapter Boots Precision-molded, universal-fit boots providing secure transitions over duct and riser guard sizes. Made from high-impact, flame-retardant PVC with pre-cut screw holes for 5/8 inch screws, available in 2 to 6 inch diameters in black and gray finishes. Designed to work seamlessly with Custom Utility riser guards and couplers for utility and telecom customers.
• Double-Belled Couplers Double-belled couplers enabling fast, seamless repairs and extensions of riser guard systems without disturbing existing cables. Built from high-performance PVC with molded-in ribs for enhanced grip, available in 2 to 6 inch diameters. Serves utility and telecom crews performing pole and riser maintenance.
• Ground Wire Molding Long-term protection for vertically installed ground wires and small cables, manufactured from high-impact, flame-retardant PVC to shield conductors from animal interference, UV exposure, and harsh environmental conditions. Available with or without a flange in 6-foot and 8-foot sections. Targets utility customers installing ground wiring on poles.
• Custom Snapper and Mini-Snapper Guy Wire Guards UV-stabilized polyethylene guy wire guards with more than 30 years of industry-standard performance, protecting exposed guy wires on utility poles, telecommunication towers, wind turbines, and radio towers. Designed for universal fit on 3/16 to 5/8 inch diameter guy wires, providing visibility and safety. Sold to utility, telecom, wind, and radio tower operators.
• Cable Saddles Polypropylene-molded underground cable supports that replace heavy porcelain alternatives. Lightweight, non-conductive, crack-resistant, with rounded corners and edges preventing cable-sheath damage. Available in CPI-CS3.625 and CPI-CS5.5 models for utility companies performing underground cable installations.
• Custom Capper Wildlife Protector All-in-one wildlife and insect barrier for transformers and bushings, made from UV-stabilized high-density polypropylene with non-conductive dielectric strength of 34 KV. Prevents intrusion by squirrels, bees, wasps, and other pests, locking securely beneath bushing skirts. Sold to electric utility and transmission operators protecting substation and overhead transformer assets.

Quantifiable outcome

• NEMA TC 19-2001 impact standards compliance for U-Guards
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Custom Plastics, Inc.coreOthers · 1 January 1983Custom Utility is a division of Custom Plastics, Inc., a leading custom profile extruder and injection molder of thermoplastic materials. Established in 1983 as EPD (Electrical Products Division), Custom Utility operates under the parent company's quality standards, manufacturing expertise, and infrastructure including 20 extrusion lines and 24 injection molding presses.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Cembre: European manufacturer of electrical connectors, cable accessories, and marking systems for power, rail, and utility infrastructure—offering overlapping cable accessory and pre-formed protective products with similar precision-molded plastic capabilities.
• Hughes Brothers: Manufactures pole line hardware, fiberglass crossarms, brackets, and protective equipment for electric utilities, serving the same utility customers and overlapping with Custom Utility's pole-protection and ground-wire molding offerings.
• Aluma-Form: Manufactures aluminum-formed hardware and protective equipment for the electrical utility industry including transformer and pole hardware similar to Custom Utility's Custom Capper wildlife protection and pole-protection categories.
• Preformed Line Products: Manufactures guy wire protection products (Big-Grip Deadends, Pigtail guy guards), overhead line hardware, and cable accessories for the electric utility industry—directly competing with Custom Utility's Custom Snapper, U-Guards, and pole-protection portfolio.
• MacLean Power Systems: Produces pole line hardware, guy wire products, anchors, and protective components for electrical utility and communications infrastructure, with deep overlap to Custom Utility's pole protection and guy marker product lines.
• Allied Bolt Products: Manufactures utility pole hardware including fasteners, bolts, and protective components for the electrical and telecommunications utility industries—sharing Custom Utility's end customers and overlapping on pole-mounted protective equipment.
• GMP Companies: Manufactures cable installation equipment, cable protection products, and underground handling accessories for utility construction markets—closely overlapping Custom Utility's underground cable saddles and pole protection product categories.
• Reliable Power Products: Manufactures transmission and distribution line hardware products for the electric utility industry, with overlapping offerings in pole protection, line construction materials, and accessories similar in scope to Custom Utility's product range.

Broad incumbents

• Hubbell Power Systems: Major manufacturer of electrical utility infrastructure products under brands including A.B. Chance, Fargo, and Hubbell Power Systems; serves the same utility customers as Custom Utility but with a far broader portfolio spanning switchgear, anchors, and protective hardware.
• Eaton: Global electrical equipment manufacturer with substantial utility-focused business including switchgear, transformers, and pole-mount equipment under the Cooper Power Systems brand—overlapping with Custom Utility's end market through electrical infrastructure customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Custom Utility