Starting in 1930, Abe Silverman stepped out on his own from his Uncle Frank’s Rapid Wire Spring Company to found General Wire Spring Company. He arrived upon the name after his brother-in-law suggested, “What’s good for General Motors should be good for you.”

Originally in the business of manufacturing springs, Abe expanded its customer base by making drain cleaning cables for local plumbers.

But settling for simple springs as drain cleaning snakes proved equally unappealing to Abe Silverman. Abe needed a challenge.

So, in the 1940s, he patented a process of wrapping spring wire tightly around a braided wire core – vastly boosting strength, kinking resistance, and flexibility.

Abe called the design the “Flexicore cable.” The innovative invention instantly surpassed all competitive products. Today, the Flexicore^® cable remains a vital component in the General Pipe Cleaners’ product lineup, alongside other essential tools like cable machines and water jetting machines. Abe’s pioneering Flexicore design propelled General’s reputation.

Abe soon developed the Sewerooter and soon after that, the Handylectric was created.

As the years passed, the company’s innovation continued to thrive through the next generations. In 1964, the second generation of the Silverman family introduced automatic feed machines to its line with the Feed-O-Matic. By 1968, General Pipe Cleaners developed the Sewer-Matic.

The third generation of Silverman’s brought in water jetting machines and camera inspection systems. These advancements allowed plumbers to address an even wider range of problems and methods for clearing clogs, as well as cameras enabling inspections of pipes and sewer lines.

General Pipe Cleaners is proud to have welcomed its fourth-generation employees, Ethan, Korey and Henry, who started here at General Pipe Cleaners in 2015, 2017 and 2023, continuing the family legacy. Now, as a fourth-generation company, General Pipe Cleaners continues its innovation with the Flexi-Rooter; the FlexShaft technology represents the next chapter in General’s long history of responding to industry needs.

Through four generations of leadership and innovation, General Pipe Cleaners has maintained its commitment to quality, durability and industry leadership.

For more information, contact the Drain Brains at 800-245-6200 or go to  www.drainbrain.com.