Anvil perpetuates brand name with expanding product lines as Mueller Water Products subsidiary
INTRODUCTION BY
MORRIS R. BESCHLOSS
PVF and economic analyst
Anvil has distinguished itself by continuing to burnish a name that has engendered universal respect throughout our industry’s pvf sector and its various participants.
I want to especially thank Anvil’s president Tom Fish, along with his associates, who put the elements of Anvil in proper context, facilitating this presentation for Anvil’s induction into the PVF Hall of Fame:
At Anvil, “Building Connections That Last” describes its approach to business as much as the products it provides its customers.
Thomas E. Fish, president of Anvil International, describes it slightly differently. “Deep roots” is how he describes the company’s history, dating back to the 1850s when Frederick Grinnell acquired the assets of the Providence Steam & Gas Pipe Company, which eventually evolved as Grinnell Corporation in 1944. In 1999, Anvil International was formed when Tyco divested the company formerly known as Grinnell Supply Sales and Manufacturing. From that time on, Anvil continued the rich tradition of manufacturing and distributing quality piping products.
Although many aspects of Anvil’s business remain the same, a lot has changed over the past 10 years to improve customer service and satisfaction. Changes and enhancements to the business include a new warehouse management system utilizing bar-coding on all Anvil products, improving order accuracy and shipping times; electronic commerce programs to provide support and reduce cost for our customers; the combination of smaller locations to strategically placed Regional Distribution/Service Centers to provide better fill rates; consolidating manufacturing facilities across the U.S. to improve manufacturing efficiencies; and an expanded team of Research & Development professionals. As important as these changes have been, many of them can be described as back office or behind the scenes. More visible to Anvil’s customers was the introduction of Anvil’s SPF products, its international product line; and the refocus of its sales teams into specialized roles in the mechanical, fire and energy markets, all of which were done to provide customers with the products and sales efforts to fill their ever-changing needs.
In addition to organic growth, Anvil has grown through acquisition, strategically adding products and services that enhance its ability to service customers. For example, the acquisition of Beck/ Picoma and Merit Manufacturing added complimentary domestic product lines and beneficial manufacturing technologies, while the addition of the Star Piping Products Building Construction Division significantly increased Anvil’s footprint in the area of internationally sourced products. Anvil’s acquisitions have focused on further development of its core product lines to provide a stronger base from which to grow over the next decade.
Tom Fish believes Anvil’s goal is simple: “We want to provide our customers with a win-win situation; if Anvil can help its customers grow their sales and profits, Anvil should be able to grow as well.”
Anvil’s vice president-sales and marketing Dean Taylor commented, “We are honored for Anvil to receive the prestigious pvf Hall of Fame award. The recognition of our contributions to the PVF industry reinforces our belief that we’ve been headed in the right direction for years.” Taylor leads a team of qualified and dedicated sales professionals that service over 5,000 independent distributors worldwide.
When asked about service, Taylor said: “Customer Service is Anvil’s #1 objective. Our experienced Customer Service Team is knowledgeable, courteous, and eager to serve our customers. The personal touch is what makes or breaks a Customer Service Team; Anvil’s team is second-to-none when it comes to building and maintaining customer relationships.” In addition, Anvil maintains a significant inventory commitment in its service centers and satellite warehouses. With over 40,000 skus stocked in warehouses across the U.S., Canada and Europe, Anvil’s capability to supply its customers what they need, when they need it, is always there.
Anvil’s watchwords, “Building Connections That Last” is a simple statement representing a confidence in the company’s product lines, its view on customer relationships, and their history of dedicated and long-service employees. A prime example of this is John Martin, vice president-national accounts and a veteran of the pvf industry, who has built lasting connections with customers and industry professionals for over 40 years. Anvil credits its success to building lasting connections with their customers.
Fish agrees. “By listening to our customers, offering our product knowledge, and servicing them to the best of our abilities, we position ourselves to become strategic partners with each customer. As their partner, we align ourselves to understand and meet their objectives, which ultimately will place us in a position to meet our own objectives: increased market share through a solid customer base. The focus on each and every customer’s total satisfaction in our products and our people will build the connections that last.”
Anvil is unique in that it is the only single company with the range of products it offers. Wherever there is piping, there is likely an application for an Anvil product.
With approximately 2,000 employees, Anvil has shown the power of “deep roots” and prides itself on providing the most advanced piping products and services in the pvf industry. Integrity, dedication and excellence are core Anvil principles that support their motto “Building Connections That Last.”
Anvil maintains its corporate headquarters in Portsmouth, N.H., and operates ISO 9001:2000 certified manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania, California, Tennessee, Texas (API certified), Rhode Island and Ontario, Canada. Major distribution centers and satellite warehouses are located strategically in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
Anvil International is a subsidiary of Mueller Water Products (nyse:mwa) headquartered in Atlanta, Ga.