Keep your foot on the gas

Most people creeping up on 65 are at least thinking of retirement, if the plan isn’t in motion already. Only a select few would set out to become an entrepreneur at age 65. Joe Abeling, founder of California-based Consumers Pipe and Supply, is one of those select few tenacious individuals.

In 1965, after building a career working at a local distribution company alongside his son Bill, Abeling got the itch to try something new. He leased a building in the City of Commerce, California, brought over his son, and hit the pavement to create a PVF business, focusing first on the utilities and petrochemical markets.

Joe and Bill Abeling slowly but surely built up their business, adding employees and warehouse space along the way. Sixty years later, Consumers Pipe & Supply holds impressive stake in the California and Nevada industrial PVF markets. With its eight locations and roughly 50 employees, Consumers Pipe & Supply is well-known and respected in the area for its straight-shooting hard work and impressive job portfolio; the company played integral roles in building projects like Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, the Escondido Arts Center, Qualcomm and many more.

Representing four generations of Abeling family, Consumers Pipe converted to an ESOP in 2021, giving its employees a whole new stake in the business. Stephanie Abeling, vice president of talent and culture, says employee response has been great, but it’s important to facilitate employee buy-in.

“We’ve created an ESOP committee with representatives from each location,” she says. “That way, every branch has a say in what’s going on and employees have someone they’re comfortable asking questions to.”

Stephanie Abeling’s dad, Mike Abeling, has been onboard full-time for 50 of the company’s 60 years, although his exposure to the business goes back even further. After serving as President from 1994-2022, he now sits as Chairman of the business.

Consumers Pipe was an early member of the Affiliated Distributors (AD) buying group, and the leadership team agrees that the networking and business development they’ve experienced from AD has been invaluable to the business.

Under Mike Abeling’s leadership, Consumers Pipe became even more involved with the industry in the early 2000s, particularly with the American Supply Association (ASA)’s Industrial Piping Division (IPD). From 2003-2006, Mike was Chairman of the ASA IPD from 2004-2006, and joined back with IPD in 2021. He was on the ASA Board of Directors, and from 2010-2016, he served as Network Chairman and AD IPD Board of Directors. In 2008, Abeling was inducted into the PVF Hall of Fame.

“It’s important to support the industry and the groups that are working on our behalf every day,” he says. “Especially on the advocacy side of things.”

Making a name in the ‘wild, wild, west’

Ray Gonzales, president and three three-decades-long employee, says the major turning point for Consumers Pipe was when it branched into the Las Vegas market in 1990.

Gonzales calls the Vegas market at that time the “wild, wild west,” because of the generational family money that ran the market. Local contractors were supported by key distributor players that benefited from the legendary Las Vegas resorts – The Dunes, The Sands, The Flamingo, etc.

Up until that point, Consumers Pipe had purchased pipe locally. Recognizing an opportunity to get involved on a larger scale, they dipped their toes in the global pipe market, giving them the unique opportunity to leverage their strong locations and reputation for reliable service to make a name for themselves in the exploding Vegas market. From there, the business planted roots in opportune markets and competed with $500 million PVF competitors.

Branching into Las Vegas at that time was no easy feat; it was a protected market where only select businesses were invited in. “We were invited to come up and join that market because we offered products and services that the customers weren’t getting elsewhere,” Abeling points out.

The business was in on building the MGM, Treasure Island, Luxor and other namesakes on the Vegas strip. Gonzales says their “baby branch” mentality works well for the company. “Our approach is to have smaller branches operating in various opportune markets with a ‘Mama branch’ nearby feeding the baby branches,” he explains.

“Back in California, we had the opportunity to plant roots and put a stake in the ground with our 'Mama branch' in the Inland Empire, and it was a tactical decision,” Gonzales says. “There is absolutely nothing sexy about Fontana, California — especially unincorporated Fontana, California — which is where we found our home. But it is our home.”

Fontana is logistically favorable for Consumers Pipe, according to Gonzales. The location gives them the ability to move product in all four directions daily, and the ability to move trucks, which are paramount in that region.

The bottom line? These markets are home to Consumers Pipe, and they will continue to invest in building their home. “We’ve had a hand in all of the water infrastructure in California and Nevada,” Gonzales says. “We expanded North (in California) when everyone else was leaving that market, because this is our home.”

The business has continued to expand into Northern California, and Gonzales says selling product to companies in Silicon Valley is humbling.

All In, Make it Happen, Our House

In its 60 years, Consumers Pipe has established a solid set of core values that support its mission to provide strong futures for its families, continue innovation to be best-in-class, and to be an independent industry leader. Found in its core values statement are phrases like “Do the right thing always,” “Think team first,” “Be fantastic about response time,” “Find a way,” and “Think and act like the owner you are.”

Commitment to values like these — among others — is why Consumers Pipe is known for next-level service and family-like culture.

Eric Ruano, vice president, finance, has been with Consumers Pipe for 22 years and can vouch for the impact that is employee ownership. “What sets Consumers Pipe apart is the culture we’ve built around our employee-owners. We’ve got a team that shows up, knows their stuff, and deeply cares about doing right by our customers. That kind of mindset builds strong relationships and keeps us delivering value others can’t match.”

Brian Lancaster, operations manager and 20-year-long employee, agrees, adding that Consumers Pipe is a well-oil machine that runs off of strong team work from every department. "Two decades working at CPS has gone by fast; they say if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. I truly believe that," he says. "I am super proud of all the effort that this family puts forward every day to make our customers happy with our service and products we deliver to them daily."

Ruano adds that the industrial PVF business has seen plenty of changes over the decades, and Consumers Pipe has managed to adapt and grow through them all. “I’ve seen the company grow a lot—especially when it comes to technology. We’ve adapted across the board, from sales and operations to accounting and our webstore. But, through all that change, we’ve stayed true to who we are: a family business at heart, and now an employee-owned company. That’s something we’re really proud of.”

Having been with the company for more than 40 years, Ron Cox, the Fontana branch manager, says even though the Consumers Pipe employees are spread out, they talk regularly and openly as if they were close.

“We have some of the best people in the industry right here at CPS, from across all locations,” he says. “When I started, I was 21, a very hard worker, and eager to learn the business. I was here with the original group of owners Bill and Mary Jane Abeling who treated me like family. Now I play a bigger role, hoping to train the newer and younger team members how to be successful and grow with the company.”

Six decades is a massive accomplishment, and the Consumers Pipe team plans to keep growing and expanding. Gonzales likes to tell his team to “keep their foot on the gas.”

“I am very proud that the Abeling family decided to go ESOP to continue the Consumers Pipe legacy,” says Robert Molina, Las Vegas branch manager. “That motivates me to do better and strive for the company’s success. CPS has been around for a long time, and I know it will be around for many more years if we “keep our foot on the gas” like our president Ray Gonzales always says.”

Ruano agrees, adding that the decision to become an ESOP is why CPS is where it is today. “ The exemplary leadership from Mike and Ray has guided us to where we are today. Now it’s up to the next group of leaders to step up and move things forward. Honestly, none of this would’ve happened without Mike’s decision to go the ESOP route—and I think I speak for all of us when I say we’re truly grateful he did.”