Frequently Asked Questions About the Consolidation of United Pipe & Steel and Merfish Pipe & Supply

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Click here to read our official United Pipe and Merfish announcement

Click here for our United Pipe & Steel rebranding announcement

Please see a list of questions that you, our customer, may have about the recently announced consolidation of United Pipe & Steel and Merfish Pipe & Supply.  Please feel free to call your United Pipe representative with any additional questions.

Q.  Who is Merfish Pipe & Supply?

A.  Merfish, founded in 1920 and headquartered in Houston, TX, is a master distributor of carbon steel standard pipe, weld fittings and flanges. They operate five distribution centers across the United States serving a broad base of distributor customers. They have the largest inventory of import steel standard pipe, weld fittings and flanges in the U.S. and ensures the highest quality and best availability.

Merfish stocks a wide range of carbon steel pipe products (1/8” thru 36”) in many types of end finishes and lengths. They service the Plumbing, PVF, Steel Service Center, Commercial, Industrial, Fence, Fire Protection and Water Well Distributors.

Please look at the Merfish website for more details — www.merfish.com — We encourage you to learn more about Merfish by taking the virtual tour of the Merfish facilities which is available on the website.

Q.  Who is United Pipe & Steel Corp.?

A.  United Pipe (UP&S), founded in 1980 and headquartered in Ipswich, MA, is a master distributor of carbon steel standard pipe, plastic pipe, copper tube, and electrical conduit. UP&S services distributors across a broad array of industries (including Plumbing and Heating, PVF, Waterworks, Electrical, HVAC, Pool Supply) from its network of 12 distribution centers across the United States.

Q.  Why does this consolidation make sense?

A.  Both Merfish and United Pipe share a common set of core values, including high integrity, quality customer service, commitment to the wholesale channel, strong relationships with vendors and customers, and positive work environments, etc. Combining these values and our complementary product portfolio makes sense in order to further cement our customer relationships and increase our presence in the market.

Q.  Who now owns United Pipe & Steel Corp. and Merfish Pipe & Supply?

A.  United Pipe & Steel Corp is now a division of Merfish Pipe Holdings (MPH) as is Merfish Pipe and Supply. There is no change in the ownership of Merfish Pipe Holdings (MPH). The majority stock holder of MPH remains One Equity Partners. Gerald Merfish, now Chairman of the Board of MPH, maintains his equity stake in the business and Greg Leidner, the CEO of United is the new CEO of MPH and has also made an equity investment in MPH.

Q.  What will United Pipe Founder David Cohen’s Role be?

A.  After 40 years in the industry, including building United Pipe & Steel Corp. from scratch starting in 1980, David will be retiring, effective February 8th.

Q.  Where will corporate headquarters be located?

A.  In today’s world of technology, the designation of a corporate headquarters is not as critical as it was in the past, however the CEO, CFO and many other leadership roles will office in Ipswich, MA. The Houston office is still a critical part of the organization and will continue to be operational and staffed as-is. Staffing at all other locations will also be maintained to serve our customers.

Q.  How will this consolidation benefit me?

A.  We believe this merger will have a meaningfully positive impact for customers, enhancing the basket of products you are able to secure today from either company.

Q.  Will my weekly delivery day change, or will the distribution center I work with be changed?

A.  Not at this time. You will continue to receive your deliveries on your regular schedule and continue to work with the same representatives. If you’re currently a customer of one company but not the other, talk to your current rep about new purchasing opportunities from either Merfish or United Pipe.

Q.  Will any of my programs be changed?

A.  We plan to make no changes to any programs, cash discounts, points of contact, etc.

Q.  Is there a name for Merfish and United?

A.  We are now United Pipe & Steel

Sharpen Your Competitive Edge With United Pipe & Steel

• Become more competitive and manage your risk on volatile commodity products while turning inventory more quickly.
• Break bundles and take advantage of low weight minimums while mixing and matching products, including copper tube, PVC pipes, threaded rod, strut and all other products we carry.
• Buy what you need, when you need it.
• Take advantage of routine ‘milk run’ delivery routes for service once or twice per week.