Metal and plastic pipes, joints, couplers and fittings don?t appeal to everyone.
But if you?re in the right business, then you?re pleased that Victaulic Co. of America is opening a Baltimore branch inside a new 50,700-square-foot warehouse at 1041 Swan Creek Drive in Baltimore.
Often taken for granted, piping is a big part of everyone?s life from residential, to industrial to commercial uses.
And 81-year-old Victaulic, based in Easton, Pa., is one of the biggest companies in the piping industry with operations in New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Canada, Belgium, Poland, China and now Baltimore.
Its customers range from the U.S. defense industry to companies involved in mining, water and wastewater treatment as well as power plants.
Victaulic?s history dates back to World War I when the company worked closely with the War Department of Britain to develop piping for rapid delivery of fuel and water to Allied Forces.
Baltimore appealed to Victaulic because of its strategic location to customers, said Jim Renner, director of marketing for Victaulic.
“The Baltimore branch is one of the largest of the four branches we have,” Renner said.
The company?s customers are valve and pipe-fitting firms that supply components to contractors. About seven new jobs were created at the branch, which began operations June 19. Worldwide, Victaulic has about 3,000 employees.
The city “serves as a central distribution point for Victaulic products and tools and provides increased stocking levels to quickly and efficiently service existing and new customers in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia and eastern Pennsylvania,” the company said.
The branch will stock piping, coupling, fittings as well as sprinklers and pipe preparation tools.
It will carry a majority of Victaulic?s lineup which includes, plastic, bronze, brass, aluminum, copper and nickel products that are used for everything from electrical to plumbing, valve, meter and pump operations, said Joe Conn, manager of the Baltimore branch.
Brian Shay, branch manager for Ferguson Fire and Fabrication Inc. in Beltsville, said Victaulic?s Baltimore branch will help his company.
“In the long run, it?s better for us to service our customer with the Baltimore branch,” Shay said.
With the new branch, Shay said his company will quickly get fire suppression equipment to residential and commercial contractors installing sprinkler systems.
Pipes for all
» Victaulic piping and fittings meet United States, British, Japanese and Australian industrial standards.
» Baltimore branch includes bagging and tagging services to reduce job-site handling.
» Industry customers include automotive, biotech, chemical, fire protection, food and beverage, mining, oilfield and offshore technology.
