Mueller Water Products, Inc.
A maker of fire hydrants, valves, water meters, and pipes that cities and utilities use to deliver and measure drinking water. The business began in 1857 when German immigrant Hieronymus Mueller opened a gun shop in Decatur, Illinois, and it still carries his name; his inventions included the first sanitary drinking fountain and a machine for "hot tapping" pressurized water lines without shutting off service. Mueller Water Products became an independent company in 2006 when it was spun off from Walter Industries.