Set in the backdrop of a small town in Pennsylvania, a small and mighty fire protection and HVAC pipe manufacturing company thrives on taking care of its customers. It’s part of the secret sauce for the company — that and its strict quality control processes and flexible ability to accommodate customers with unique requests. And, when many distributors are looking for a local source to augment their product lines — one only needs to look to Fayette Pipe, a company making a big mark. 

After 20 years of providing threading services for the plumbing, HVAC and electrical conduit industries, Specialty Conduit and Manufacturing decided to form Fayette Pipe Company. Fayette Pipe was established to manufacture the pipe its customers sent to the parent company to thread. 

To add value to its offerings and assist its customers, Fayette Pipe produces 1/2-inch through 2-inch Schedule 40 ASTM A53, 1-inch to 2-1/2-inch Sch 10 ASTM A135/A795, and ½-inch to 1-1/2 inch Sch 80 ASTM A53 pipe, with 1-1/4-inch to 2-1/2-inch Sch 7 EZ-Flow coming soon. It is ideal for fire sprinklers, HVAC and other low-pressure applications. 

As a company founded and owned by veterans, it supports American manufacturing by exclusively using steel that is both made and melted in the USA in its production process.

In addition, a sister division — Fayette Nipple Company — manufactures pipe nipples, offering the same quality control and product availability as its pipe. Manufacturing in the United States makes it easier to complete customer orders and send them out — on the same day if needed. However, what makes this manufacturer stand out is its U.S. manufacturing base, standards of production and its desire to help other companies along the way. 

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Dan Gearing owns Specialty Conduit and Manufacturing. With mergers and acquisitions in the market, he saw an opportunity to produce the pipe its customers were sending in to thread. In doing so, it would add value to its customers and take a chance to be an East Coast supplier for other wholesale distributors and master distributors, looking to carry the threaded pipe for its HVAC and fire protection customers. Having been involved in his family businesses dealing with both pipe threading and Electrical Conduit for more than a combined 70 years, Dan Gearing and his son, Chris, would put a plan into action.

“We knew all the major players in the market, having threaded black pipe for 20 years,” says Chris Gearing. “We did a lot of research and decided to pull the trigger.” With the support of the industry, going from idea to conception was quick. 

“We have some great relationships, a lot of background and understanding — the only thing we didn’t know was how to make pipe,” smiles Chris Gearing. The friendships and partnerships in the industry would pay off in another way — it was a solid knowledge base to help get the mill off the ground. 

When word got around that the father and son were starting the mill, industry veterans came forward to support the duo. “We had many great people come to help us,” remarks Chris Gearing. Industry experts came out of retirement to help. Forming a think tank of industry veterans, consultants, and with the Gearings’ 20-plus years of PVF industry knowledge, it took one year from plans being drawn to plant completion.

“We leveraged everything and had some great people helping us,” says Dan Gearing. It was all in for father and son, and within the year, the company was producing ASTM A53 Grade A Sch 40 ERW black steel pipe for HVAC and other low-pressure plumbing applications. Two years after starting the mill they added in Sch 10 pipe for fire protection followed by Sch 80 pipe as well. It was all in the name of creating value-added services to create a one-stop solution for their customers.

One-Stop Shop

“We care and take pride in everything going out the door, and it shows,” says Chris Gearing. “I guarantee my plant managers are helping out on the mill floor right now. They’re either moving pipe or operating forklifts — whatever it takes to keep things moving.” This commitment is evident as many team members have been with the parent company for more than two decades.

Pride in workmanship, the company and the community is ingrained in the culture of Fayette Pipe, which serves a diverse customer base, including plumbing wholesale distributors, master distributors, large fire fabrication shops and fire protection equipment distributors. The company distinguishes itself through its value-added services.

The company simplifies the supply chain by offering everything from pipe manufacturing to threading and producing related components necessary for various applications. This comprehensive approach enables the company to execute large-scale projects with precision. They go the extra mile to guarantee product quality, from cutting and threading custom pipe sizes to conducting rigorous testing.

“Our testing goes beyond industry standards,” Chris Gearing explains. “We’re constantly evaluating our pipe fresh off the mill to prevent any field issues.” With state-of-the-art threading equipment onsite, Fayette Pipe ensures its products can withstand real-world conditions. “We acquired the same equipment used on jobsites to test the performance of our pipe at the end of our production line,” he adds.

Dan Gearing emphasizes the company’s meticulous quality assurance process. “We hydro-test everything, including fire protection products such as the A 795 sprinkler pipe. It is a completely inline process, offering an extra layer of security against failures.”

Moreover, the company implements unique tracking measures. “Our pipes have a time stamp,” he adds. “This allows for precise tracking of steel throughout our process. We can track that pipe back to the slit coil that was used to produce it for total traceability.”

So much goes into Fayette’s quality control that even the paint color used on its products has gone through more than 60 paint variations. When the pipe is shipped out, it doesn’t stop there. “We want to ensure that when our product shows up at your door, you aren’t going to have a problem with our coating,” Dan Gearing notes. 

The manufacturer goes the extra step of ensuring a quality (and clean) product is delivered. “We want to ensure that when a customer gets its delivery, it will all look the same,” he explains. “We place a plastic sheet on top of the pipe before the truck driver puts his tarps on to keep the mud from getting inside his tarps.” It’s another way to ensure product quality.

Supplier of Choice 

Fayette Pipe’s commitment to customer service sets it apart in the manufacturing industry. Chris Gearing explains: “We want to help you when you run into problems, and are here to help you solve those problems. We are a niche player and want to help you fill in the gaps others don’t want to do.” This comment addresses larger companies’ focus on manufacturing without providing threading or other fabrication, which is where Fayette Pipe excels.

Chris Gearing highlights Fayette Pipe’s business ethos: “We are a smaller company that helps out the smaller customers.” He understands the challenges small businesses face when unable to place large orders, as they are often turned away or quoted uncompetitive prices. Fayette Pipe aims to keep these “mom-and-pop” businesses competitive. 

“We’re also little guys who help care for other little guys. We will put pipe nipples on a truck with pipe to cut down on the freight,” he adds. “When we get a call asking if we can do XYZ, we answer yes. We will find a way, and if we can’t do it, we will make it happen because it’s what we want to do.”

Dan Gearing illustrates their customer-first approach with an anecdote: “We have had customers call and say, ‘We are in a jam and need 200 pieces of XYZ shipped to California.’ And we will stay late and do whatever is needed to get it out via UPS the next day. Everyone gets into challenging situations — and we are here to get you out of them.” Fayette Pipe prides itself on being responsive and accommodating, ensuring customer needs are met promptly and effectively.

Controlled Growth 

“Our motto has always been, ‘You work hard enough to put yourself in a position to be lucky,’” says Chris Gearing. 

Fayette Pipe boasts strong partnerships not only with its customers but also with other manufacturers in the piping industry. The company acknowledges the larger players’ continued contributions to the industry, like lobbying, trade cases and a strong media presence that benefit the entire steel industry. This mutual respect is a testament to the strength of manufacturing partnerships and industry support.

Chris and Dan Gearing, with three generations of family in the industry, recognize the importance of controlled growth to uphold their high-quality standards and customer support. “We want to be somebody you can call and say, ‘Hey, look, I’m in a jam, I need six sizes, six different products on a truck. Even when stock gets low, we always strive to keep something on the floor to get someone out of a jam if needed. It’s just what we do,” Chris Gearing explains.

Dan Gearing adds, “We don’t want to be everyone’s sole supplier — we want to be your supplier of choice in this niche market.”

And as a reference to Chis Gearing’s quote of “somebody you can call,” he means it, literally. “We are one of the few companies left that you can call and talk with the owner of the company.” 

I asked both he and Dan Gearing what are their titles, and both chuckled. For years, they didn’t have business cards with titles — they both wanted to be accessible to their customers. Chris Gearing’s title is vice president and owner, and Dan Gearing’s title is president and owner.

“We were never into titles,” says Chris Gearing. “It’s not about individual recognition — it’s about the team.” To which Dan Gearing adds, “And the employees are part of the family. We didn’t build this company — our people did.” 

In December 2023, the company expanded its manufacturing facility by 20,000 square feet, incorporating four new truck bays and acquiring an advanced nipple threading machine from Italy. “We are keeping up with the trends and technologies,” Chris Gearing states, with Dan Gearing smiling and adding, “We keep moving forward.”