1956 New England Valve CorporationWhen he founded his company in the mid 1950s, James Dewolf Smith focused on the production of forged gate, globe and check valves for use primarily in the petrochemical industry. Ten years later he added a forged brass ball valve line to the production stream. By the mid 1970s, Smith was one of the industry’s largest producers of industrial gate, globe, check, and ball valves under the 2.5” size. The oil business was booming and producers were ordering valves at a remarkable rate.
The End of an Era
1980 'sBy now Tony Smith had taken over his father’s business, added exotic stainless and alloy items to the product offerings, and relocated to a brand new production facility. Then U.S. oil production came to a virtual halt. A dramatic downturn in market conditions and increased competition forced Tony to make substantial changes, laying off workers and moving most production offshore. He began producing private label valves and licensed his industrial ball valves to raise cash. Eventually Tony sold to Cornerstone Financial and a chain of corporate owners ensued. Finally Smith’s production facilities were moved to Longview, Texas. But the company continued to falter.
New Beginnings
2001 With the turn of the century came new life for Smith Valve. In March of 2000, the Newdell Company bought Smith’s assets and moved production to Italy. The downward trend was reversed and sales began to climb. In the fall of 2006, production was returned to the USA , this time to Houston, Texas where the owners had just completed a new manufacturing and warehousing facility. Smith is now producing valves at a rate of 20,000 per month and is growing rapidly.
Throughout the company history, one thing has never changed with the Smith brand: product quality. Yes, the Newdell Company has made substantial investments in technology resulting in improved engineering and manufacturing practices. Yet the time-tested Smith designs and the unique color-coding system remain essentially unchanged. You see, the Smith brand has a reputation to uphold. A reputation for quality that has been forged over a solid half-century. A reputation that will only be enhanced as we move into our second half-century of production.
Contact us:
The Newdell Company
13750 Hollister Road
Houston, Texas 77086
Phone 713-590-1312
Toll Free 877-510-7853
Fax 713-590-1319
Website:http://www.smithvalve.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment