Weldbend continues winning tradition despite recessionary environment

 

BY MORRIS R. BESCHLOSS

PVF and economic analyst emeritus

 

With the U.S. industrial sector under assault by both government restrictions and globalization, it’s a matter of pride that PVF giant Weldbend stands as a distinguished example of American ingenuity and success.

 

During a recent trip to Chicago, I had occasion to spend several hours touring the massive 361⁄2-acre facilities of Weldbend, located in Bedford Park, a community right outside Chicago, and not more than 10 minutes away form Midway Airport.

 

This coincidental location serves as a convenient facility from which to effectively use Weldbend’s company plane as a way to stay in touch with customers and constantly audit manufacturing sites and production equipment in various parts of the world. It also serves to bring in a constant retinue of leading distributors and end users to acquaint them with the ultra-modern, cost-effective infrastructure available to them.

 

Such a highly automated facility makes Weldbend one of the nation’s largest full-line and size manufacturers of butt weld carbon steel fittings and flanges. These are effectively produced, shipped and marketed in the great Midwestern hub. Weldbend has achieved a reputation as a top-quality mass producer, acquiring a legendary reputation for excellence domestically and worldwide.

 

Despite the intense competition for this extremely wide range of products, Weldbend has achieved a superior brand name reputation for its quality and service that places them at the top of the pipe-valve-fitting sector’s list of outstanding names.

While most manufacturers and distributors have pared down their inventories in these financially troubling times, Weldbend continues to maintain a massive product reserve. This allows for same-day shipments on all but the most highly specialized items on an immediate service basis.

 

Weldbend, headed by Jimmy Coulas, son of the legendary founder, James Coulas Sr., prides itself in maintaining a highly motivated stable workforce that provides the backbone of the company’s high productivity. Coulas is particularly proud of the company’s outstanding product performance, which has been responsible for the firm’s achievement as a gilt-edged brand name by distributors, as well as the wide variety of industrial and commercial end-users that it serves.

During a September trip to Europe, Coulas was made aware of a grievous malfunction in a French manufacturer’s plant by a comparable competitive product that caused inestimable losses. This, unfortunately, has happened too often over the years, Coulas explained.

 

“Weld­bend’s highest-quality manufacturing equipment and its maintenance is at the very top of our list of responsibility in keeping this from happening,” he emphasized. “The critical nature of Weldbend’s products used in production facilities relating to energy production, refineries, utilities, power generation, etc., make such responsibilities paramount in saving lives as well as avoiding severe financial loss.

 

“Being in full control of the total manufacturing process at our greater Chicago-based plant, we take every precaution that such mishaps do not occur, and are proud of our record in this regard.”

 

Such fastidious attention to Weldbend’s customers’ needs has been responsible for the company’s continued outstanding performance during the midst of a devastating recession. “I’m sure this has largely contributed to maintaining our strong business momentum, which has turned out far better than we expected during this recessionary period,” concluded Coulas.

 

Although much of Weldbend’s flourishing revenues are generated by the company’s massive inventory of a wide range of butt weld carbon steel fittings and flanges, a growing portion of its marketing efforts is involved in the expanding sector of energy projects on the drawing boards today.

 

Even such fast-growing renewable energy sources as solar power-generating development are on the company’s radar screen. Most recently, a major facility under the jurisdiction of Lockheed Martin near Phoenix and three upcoming facilities in Southern California’s Riverside County are now on the drawing boards.

 

With the government calling for 25% of utility power to be provided from this globally surging source by 2020, Weldbend is looking to such new opportunities for ever-expanding growth.               

 

Morris R. Beschloss, a 54-year pipe, valve and fitting industry veteran, is PVF and economic analyst emeritus for The Wholesaler.