Considered by most to be the hub of PVF activity in the U.S, Houston is home to a growing number of pipe, valve and fitting suppliers and distributors to the domestic market and beyond. The opportunities created from this dynamic allowed Neway Valve International to establish their U.S. headquarters in Stafford, Texas, in 2002.

They have since grown to sales of approximately $100 million annually. Neway operates from a 150,000-square foot facility on 13 acres stocked with $15 million in inventory. A 20-ton overhead crane is capable of handling Neway’s heaviest products. The facility — which employs 55 — also houses an Engineering Department and a Hydrostatic Testing Center too, as President of Neway Valve International David Standefer described, we “provide ‘one-stop shop’ for customer service including root cause analysis, inspection, and minor valve modifications.”

He added, “Neway Valve International has four primary responsibilities for the North American market:

• Establish and maintain Distribution Channels
• Gain End User and Engineering acceptance for Neway products
• Provide back-up inventory to support our Distributor MRO Contracts
• Provide 100% of the Technical support for Neway products including Quality, Warranty, Repair, and Applications knowledge.”

Founded in China 15 years ago as the country was experiencing a tide of business reform, Neway’s leaders adopted the goal of becoming a technology and quality leader in the valve industry from the very beginning. They now have approximately 5 million square feet of “state of the art” manufacturing in China, as well as four professional valve casting foundries. Neway’s primary ownership is made up of four key individuals — David Wang, Godwin Cheng, Bin Lu, and Xi Chao — who have been in the valve business for over 20 years.

“Our facilities in China are a 100% controlled environment, and we invite customers to inspect and witness the complete process of pouring castings to assembly and testing of valves with full traceability,” described Standefer.

Neway’s world-class laboratories and testing center enables the company to provide in-house verification from product prototype tests to final inspection, including:

• Radiation detection
• Color testing
• Magnetic particle testing
• Ultrasonic testing
• Spectral analysis material identification (PMI)
• Microstructure testing
• A variety of mechanical tests
• Fire testing
• Cryogenic test
• High temperature test
• Vacuum test
• Pressure test gas
• Fluid power test
• Product life test
• Conventional pressure test

Each of Neway’s factories is equipped with automated production equipment including proprietary CNC lathes, milling machinery, cranes, welding equipment, valves assembly lines, AOD refining furnaces, automatically pre-dry furnaces, intelligent heat treatment furnaces, a 15 ton/hour organic resin cured sodium silica molding production line and more.

Neway’s expansive product line includes:

• Gate and Globe Valves
• API 6D Gate Valves
• Check Valves
• Floating and Trunnion Ball Valves
• Triple Offset Butterfly Valves
• Pressure Seal Valves

“Approximately 65% of our Stafford inventory is commodity Gate/Globe/Check and Ball Valves that meets applicable API Standards,” said Standefer. “The other 35% includes Stainless Steel, Special Alloys, Special Corrosive Resistant trims, and High Pressure services. Each product has unique applications in the market and requires a targeted approach to sales and marketing. Thus far, Neway has experienced phenomenal growth in the industry with these new products.”

Among the wide variety of applications Neway products are in use include:

• Oil and gas
• Chemical
• Power
• Shipbuilding
• Mining
• Water treatment
• Industrial systems

“Approximately 60% of Neway’s U.S. market is refining and petrochemical,” noted Standefer, “with the remaining 40% in midstream and upstream applications.”
AML listings are often crucial in getting major contracts, and Neway Gate, Globe and Check Valves are approved with almost every major oil and gas company in the industry.

“The oil and gas community relies heavily on the industry standards such as API, ASME, ANSI, and MSS to keep valve companies on an even playing field,” Standefer noted. “In addition, the major oil and gas companies perform extensive audits down to every aspect of the manufacturing process.”

Neway’s North American model is to sell through Distribution channels, which, as Standefer describes, is “the conduit to the market place and completes the entire supply chain to the final End User. The Neway Stafford office helps strengthen the supply chain by having material “On the Shelf”, “On the Water”, or In Production at all times. The Stafford headquarters is complimented by an extensive Distribution Network with over 300 branch locations across the U.S. and Canada that support their products with inventory and sales.

“Setting up World Area Distribution Centers around the globe has solidified Neway Valve as a major global leader in the valve business,” commented Standefer. “Neway has gained an excellent reputation for customer service. We understand technical requirements of our North American customers and how to ensure that Neway products are ‘fit for purpose.’”

Neway leaders are extremely proud of the advancements they have made in manufacturing and their investment in equipment to ensure quality products. They employ an advanced manufacturing resource management system that improves efficiency through the entire manufacturing process. An advanced bar coding system is also used throughout all the company’s warehouses and factories. This is another critical component in helping Neway optimize warehouse operations to ensure accurate and timely shipments. The system works all the way through the process, from purchase order, to material storage, to requisition and delivery.

Thanks to those loyal relationships — and all of the investments Neway is making into its valve production, quality and service, Standefer is extremely bullish on the company’s growth projections. “We expect the MRO market to grow between 5% and 10% in 2014,” he said. “And even more significantly, we are forecasting the capital project market to grow between 20% and 25%.”

For additional information, visit www.newayvalve.com/en/