The Collins Companies fully acquires Buffalo-based Niagara Controls

The Collins Companies, an industrial distributor of pipe, valves and fittings and engineered specialties serving the Northeast, announced its decision to fully acquire the assets of Niagara Controls in Buffalo, New York, and consolidate the management with its Collins Niagara Division in Syracuse, New York. 

Joseph A. Clemente, who was the managing partner of Niagara Controls, will now provide direction and guidance to both Collins’ divisions. 

These divisions were established as startups in Upstate New York 14 years ago, and each has grown to become a dominant industrial player in each of their respective marketplaces, The Collins Companies explained. 

“This consolidation of management and direction will allow us to maximize the utilization of both our resources and our talent throughout all of Upstate New York, and we are anticipating a 1+1=3 positive result from it, both for our customers and our company,” said Brian Tuohey, owner and CEO of The Collins Companies. 

Clemente will take on the role director of operations in New York for Collins, and he will be managing both locations.

“We have a very talented and experienced technical sales and customer service team,” Clemente noted. “I look forward to leading our New York locations in the supply of current and new products/services to our entire customer base including our global accounts.”

Anvil/Smith-Cooper acquires valve brands

Anvil and Smith-Cooper International, a portfolio company of Tailwind Capital, announced the acquisition of the ABZ and Quadrant Valve brands from parent company Forum Energy Technologies.

ABZ, located in Madison, Kansas, is a provider of resilient seated and high-performance butterfly valves, serving the industrial, processing, chemical, mining and data center markets. Quadrant, located in Broussard, Louisiana, is a provider of patented, quarter-turn specialty ball and butterfly valves, serving the chemical, petrochemical and upstream energy markets.

“The acquisition will enhance Anvil and Smith-Cooper International’s flow control portfolio with patented and industry-leading products and solutions,” said Jason Hild, CEO of Anvil/SCI. “We are confident these brand additions will bring outstanding product and service benefits to both organizations’ existing customers.”

ABZ and Quadrant valve brands will join an existing portfolio of flow control brands such as Anvil, FPPI, Gruvlok, SCI and Sharpe.

A.Y. McDonald acquires Val-Matic

A.Y. McDonald acquired Val-Matic Valve & Mfg. Corp., of Elmhurst, Illinois on Dec. 31.Val-Matic Valve was founded in 1966 by Andrew Nuter, and is a manufacturer of 14 valve product lines for the water and wastewater, industrial, commercial building construction and plumbing industries, with an additional manufacturing facility in Addison, Illinois.

“My management team and I are excited and proud to join the family-owned, historic company A.Y. McDonald,” Val-Matic President and CEO John V. Ballun said. “Val-Matic has a similar tradition of serving customers in the waterworks market for more than 50 years with quality products and services.”

Rob McDonald, A.Y. McDonald CEO, added: “We are excited to welcome Val-Matic into our family of companies. We look forward to continuing the success of Val-Matic and growing the company in the same manner as it has the past 54 years under the ownership and direction of the Nuter family. We will continue to invest in Val-Matic’s people and product lines to make this company even stronger and more successful in the years ahead.”

Each company will continue to operate independently with separate management, market strategies and sales operations.
 

AD announces two new directors, including CTI’s McNeeley

The AD buying and marketing group announced its member-owners have elected two new directors and reelected one director to its 2021 AD LLC Board of Directors. More than 120 of AD’s 850 member companies provide leadership on its corporate and divisional boards and committees.

Members select AD’s board of directors through a highly participatory process that is led by the board’s Nominating & Governance Committee, and includes an open nomination period. Prior to this year’s election, AD’s owner members had an opportunity to see and hear from this year’s slate of candidates at an all-member Zoom town hall.

AD’s two newly elected directors are Steve Drummond, president of Source Atlantic and Dr. Don McNeeley, chairman and CEO of Chicago Tube and Iron. Lenin Juarez, managing partner at Action Gypsum Supply, was reelected by the membership.

As chairman and CEO of Chicago Tube and Iron, McNeeley oversees the steel distribution, fabrication and engineering company that was founded in 1914. He also serves on the board of directors for Saulsbury Industries and Vail Rubber Works, and is a clinical professor at Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Mathematics.

“I’m grateful to AD’s member-owners for this opportunity to serve,” McNeeley said. “AD makes such a positive impact for my company and so many others. I’m pleased to be able to give back and contribute to the success of all our independents across our channels.”

After having served on the AD LLC Board of Directors since 2013, Russ Visner has retired. Visner, co-chair of the board of Etna Supply, held the AD lead director role during 2018 and 2019, and served the audit committee on the AD Plumbing Division board.

American Underground Supply announces expansion

American Underground Supply (AUS) was scheduled to open its fourth branch in De Soto, Iowa in January. The facility sits on 1.5 acres with an 8,000-square-foot warehouse. De Soto is the first AUS location in the state of Iowa.

This new location adds to a list of several expansions AUS has made over the past few years. In January 2019, AUS opened a greenfield site in Fremont, Nebraska. This location sits on more than seven acres with a 12,000-square-foot facility.

American Underground Supply’s new De Soto, Iowa branch.

In early 2020, AUS named two new branch managers. Dave Tafolla was promoted from outside sales to manager of the Omaha, Nebraska location, and Jon Gale was promoted from operations manager to manager of the Fremont location.

In fall of 2020, AUS expanded its footprint in the South Sioux City, Nebraska market by doubling its warehouse space, allowing for a more robust and comprehensive product offering.