Caldwell Tanks
| Company type | Privately held |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1887 |
| Founder | William E. Caldwell |
| Headquarters | 4000 Tower Rd Louisville, KY 40219 |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | K. Ryan Harvey (CEO) |
| Products | Industrial Storage Tanks ASME Vessels Elevated Storage Tanks Ground Storage Tanks Turbine Inlet Cooling Systems |
Number of employees | 500 |
| Website | caldwelltanks.com |
Caldwell Tanks is a prominent privately owned firm that specializes in engineering, manufacturing, and erecting tanks for sectors including water, wastewater, grain, coal, and energy. It stands as the foremost global producer of elevated tanks. The organization employs around 500 personnel, with 206 stationed at its main office in Louisville, Kentucky. Caldwell maintains two major fabrication plants situated in Louisville and Newnan, Georgia.
Operating divisions
- Caldwell Tanks – Custom fabrication of elevated and ground-level potable water storage tanks.
- Industrial API Tanks and ASME Vessels – On-site industrial projects serving oil, gas, midstream, and chemical markets.
- Caldwell Energy – Founded in 1995 to deliver Turbine Inlet Air-Cooling (TIC) solutions.
History
Established in 1887 by William E. Caldwell, the enterprise originally operated under the name W.E. Caldwell Co. It stayed within the family until 1986 when James W. Robinson acquired it and appointed Bernard S. Fineman, a former banker, as president.
The company’s initial headquarters was located on what is now the University of Louisville campus; this property was sold in 1969. The university’s Red Barn remains as a vestige of the original facilities.
In April 2011, Caldwell Tanks expanded its Louisville headquarters by adding , effectively doubling office space and incorporating new conference and storage areas. Concurrently, plans were announced to enlarge the production plant to enhance capacity and operational efficiency amid sustained growth.
Notable projects
- Earffel Tower – Caldwell’s signature water tower at Disney’s Hollywood Studios from 1989 to 2016; it received the Steel Plate Fabricators Association’s Tank of the Year award in 1987.
- Solana Generating Station – Contracted to fabricate twelve molten salt thermal energy storage tanks for America’s first large-scale solar power plant featuring energy storage.
- Western Kentucky University Water Tower – Delivered a 2.5 million gallon tank emblazoned with WKU’s mascot Big Red in 2004 at a cost of $1.66 million.
- Victory Junction Gang Camp – Provided a 140-foot tall, 150,000-gallon water tank designed as a hot air balloon for the charity camp founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty.
- St. Charles County Water District 2 – Recognized with the 2005 Steel Tank of the Year award for a 180-foot tall elevated tank holding three million gallons completed that year.
- South Carolina Electric & Gas Company – Installed the world’s largest centralized chilled water plant for combustion turbine inlet air cooling at Jasper Power Plant.
- Collinsville Ketchup Bottle Water Tower – Constructed the "World’s Largest Ketchup Bottle" water tower in 1949 for G.S. Suppiger catsup bottling facility.
- Brown-Forman Distillery – Built the Old Forester whiskey bottle-shaped tank in Louisville, Kentucky in 1936.
- The Bottle District – Created the oversized Vess bottle structure in St. Louis, Missouri in 1953.
- World’s Largest Bat – Manufactured and delivered the 120-foot tall, 68,000-pound baseball bat for Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory.
These landmark projects demonstrate Caldwell’s proficiency in crafting distinctive tanks and specialty structures, reinforcing its leadership position and broad market presence across multiple industries.
Use as a filming location
The Newnan, Georgia facilities owned by Caldwell have been utilized as sets for prominent film and television projects, such as segments of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2013–2014) and the AMC series The Walking Dead. This involvement underscores the distinctive value of the company's real estate assets alongside its primary business activities.