United Pipe & Steel (UPS), Ipswich, MA; and Merfish Pipe & Supply Co. (MPS), Houston, TX, are combining under Merfish Pipe Holdings (MPH), an entity that is majority owned by One Equity Partners (OEP).
MPS is a master distributor of carbon steel welded and seamless pipe as well as carbon steel fittings and flanges serving distributors across the United States through their five locations in Houston, New Jersey, Florida, Southern California and Northern California. UPS is a master distributor of carbon steel standard pipe, copper tube, PVC pipe, electrical conduit and related products. UPS distributes this diverse set of products from 12 locations strategically located throughout the United States in Ipswich, MA; Easton, PA; Elyria, OH; Franklin, IN; Loves Park, IL; Burlington, NC; Corsicana, TX; Topeka, KS; Birmingham, AL; Apopka, FL; Rialto, CA and Stockton, CA.
UPS CEO Greg Leidner will assume the role of CEO of MPH. Current MPH CEO Gerald Merfish has been named as the Chairman of MPH. Merfish remains an investor in MPH and Leidner has also invested in MPH with OEP.
Gerald Merfish said in the press release, "Our new partnership with UPS is synergistic and will create the largest master distributor of standard pipe products in the United States.” Greg Leidner added, “We are pleased to join with MPS. Together we will continue to develop ways to enhance the supply chain for our suppliers and customers, while providing employees with meaningful and rewarding opportunities to develop professionally. This is a new and exciting chapter for MPS/UPS, our employees, our customers and our vendors.”
Leidner said customers of both UPS and MPS Pipe will continue to receive uninterrupted, industry-best service including:
- Over 270 weekly dedicated regular “milk-run deliveries” on the company’s 65 vehicle fleet of trucks, which he said is the most of any master distributor in the USA.
- Access to a unique assortment of products which when combined allows a customer to easily achieve full freight allowed minimum weight requirements
- Scheduled deliveries to jobsites or supply houses to wherever the distributor desires from our combined 17 distribution centers strategically located throughout the USA
- Offering a deep and wide range of pipe products, including domestic and imported carbon steel pipe, plastic pipe, copper tube, electrical conduit and related products so wholesale distributors can buy what they need, when they need it
Customers can get more information by calling their sales representative at each respective company or at unitedpipe.com/FAQ and merfish.com/FAQ.