Working with pipe distributors and suppliers can help you offer your customers better service and even save you some time in the process. Pipe distributors have endless knowledge about piping supplies and can help you select the appropriate materials for any job.

Whether you need piping from a pipe manufacturer for a kitchen sink or for a factory manufacturing line, pipe suppliers can help you to get your hands on the appropriate supplies. Establishing a good relationship with piping distributors can lead to a more trustworthy and thriving business for you. Consider the following when working with pipe distributors and suppliers:

1. Use the knowledge of your pipe distributors and suppliers to benefit you and your customers.

2. Develop exclusive business partnerships with a few pipe suppliers to help you save money.

3. Piping suppliers and distributors can help keep you informed of new materials and trends in the piping business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Tap into the knowledge of your piping distributor

Your pipe distributors and suppliers hold valuable knowledge about piping supplies and installation that can help you to better serve your clients and make for a more profitable business. Pipe suppliers have relationships with pipe manufacturers and have likely been exposed to inside information about what materials work better in certain situations. Suppliers' relationships with manufacturers also allows them to have access to quick and efficient product availability. If you prefer a specific valve or fitting over another, let your distributor know, and it is their job to help you get it in stock.

I recommend: Check out the National Association of Steel Pipe Distributors to see which distributors in your area belong and what professional development is available to them. Many pipe distributors such as Traeger Brothers & Associates offer the different materials it carries online.

Develop partnerships with key piping distributors to save money

Establishing exclusive business relationships with a few select pipe distributors and suppliers can help you save money and create a reliable alliance. Once a distributor or supplier knows that they can count on your business, they are more likely to clue you in to special wholesale prices or give you first dibs at ordering a new product to keep you coming back. Your distributor or supplier may know when you would benefit from a new offering or perhaps that you should be ordering a different size pipe. In order for them to help you in this way, though, it is important for you to share with them which services you specialize in and how you apply certain piping.

I recommend: Sound Home Resource Center gives you a break down of different types of piping and may help you form questions to ask your distributor. Piping Technology & Products gives you an idea of the endless number of piping materials that are available.

Stay connected through your pipe supplier and distributor

The first avenue that pipe manufacturers are likely to travel with new products and tips is through the suppliers and distributors. Use your relationship with your supplier to keep informed of the latest and greatest in the piping industry. Although some distributors and suppliers may offer this information on their own, you, too, need to know what questions to ask in order to stay informed. Perhaps let your distributor know what inventory or trade especially interests you or is especially important to your company so that they know the type of information you are looking for whenever it should come up.

I recommend: Ask your pipe distributors and suppliers if they subscribe to the World Plumbing Review. Distributors like Harrington Industrial Plastics specialize in information for many different trades. Check out the "Solutions For" tab at the top of the website for a list of their piping applications.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you only use a select type of piping, consider seeking out pipe distributors and suppliers that specialize in the type of piping that you will need.

There is a wide range of piping product on the market, and there are also many pipe manufacturers. You need to know what kind of pipe you want to use, then find piping distributors to work with you. Of course, if you can find local pipe suppliers, you'll invest less time and money in shipping pipe to your business.

The number of industries that use pipe distributors is limitless. The list includes agriculture, aerospace, automotive, chemical, food, hospital, marine, mining, petro-chemical, paper, sewage, water treatment and biotech companies. Whether your business is on this list or not, there is a pipe supplier who can get you the pipe you need for your job.

These are the three of the most common piping suppliers:

1. Aluminum pipe suppliers

2. Stainless steel pipe distributors

3. PVC pipe suppliers

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find aluminum pipe suppliers

Aluminum is lightweight, and aluminum pipes adapt easily to many situations. It has a high weight-to-strength ratio, is resistant to corrosion, and is highly reflective. Aluminum pipe distributors and suppliers can manufacture aluminum pipe to your specifications if necessary.

I recommend: Trans World Alloys is a full-line aluminum piping distributor. Discount Steel is another aluminum pipe distributor.

Locate stainless steel pipe distributors and suppliers

Stainless steel pipe wholesalers can work with you to manufacture the right size of pipe for your needs. They can also customize degree of hardness in your stainless steel by adjusting the amount of chromium. Different formulas result in different types of stainless steel pipe. Finally, since stainless steel is shiny, your stainless steel pipe distributor can modify the look of the product.

I recommend: Stainless Tubular Products can work with you to get just the stainless steel pipe you need. Yarde Metals offers round pipes, as well as square and rectangular ones.

Get pipe distributors for the PVC pipes you use

PVC pipe comes in all sorts of sizes and gauges. Whether it's for plumbing, agriculture or any number of industries, PVC can be a good alternative to metal pipes. Find PVC pipe suppliers who also can supply the connectors needed to join the pieces of piping together.

I recommend: PEP Plastic can help you get the PVC pipes you need for your business. The insulated pipes from Insul-Seal make it possible to use PVC pipes in places where you couldn’t have them before. Because of the insulation, the PVC pipes don’t freeze in the winter, and you don’t have to bury them too deep.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When you order pipe from pipe suppliers, be sure to request the correct size. Remember: the inside diameter of a pipe is not the same as the outside. Even that measurement may vary from company to company, so use an industry-wide standard conversion table to get the pipe you need.

In order to be an effective pipe distributor or pipe supplier, it's important you know your stuff. When customers seek your services, they will be more likely to trust your work and refer you to others if you demonstrate expert knowledge. The more reliable you are to your customers, the stronger business relationships you will have and your thriving company will be evidence of such.

There are many methods to garnering knowledge about piping supplies and pipe supplier resources. Hands-on learning works for some, and others may be able to learn from their peers in the business. Gaining expertise and fostering relationships with steel pipe distributors and wholesalers will help your business thrive.

Keep these things in mind when looking to further your piping distributors knowledge:

1. Learning from a pipe distributor while observing their daily routine can help you understand more about certain materials and purposes for use.

2. Belonging to organizations with other pipe suppliers and distributors can keep you up to date on the industry.

3. Searching information online can answer specific pipe manufacturer questions.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Be an apprentice to a well-established pipe distributor

Apprenticeship include a good combination of hands-on learning with classroom instruction. While participating in these programs, you receive a salary for the work you do while you are learning the trade. When it comes time to answer your customer's questions, your experience during training will ensure that you can handle the problem and provide the appropriate solution. Do your research and find the program that best suits your goals and complements your learning style as well.

I recommend: Seattle Area Pipe Trades has an apprenticeship program that allows on-the-job training combined with classroom learning. Pipe Fitter Video describes the pipe and pipefitting business and why an apprenticeship would be valuable.

Join professional organizations to learn from other pipe suppliers and pipe manufacturers

Meeting other professionals in the piping business can give you the right contacts and industry information to excel. Networking with others in your field will provide opportunities for continuous professional growth as well as keep you in the loop about industry innovations and developments. These organizations often host annual conferences and/or seminar series for your benefit.

I recommend: The Tube and Pipe Assocation offers many educational opportunities to its members including conferences and topic-specific seminars. The National Association of Steel Pipe Distributors has many professional development events for you to attend.

Use online information to further your pipe distributors and suppliers education and training

Searching online information is an easy, convenient way to further your pipe distributors and suppliers education and training. You can do it at your leisure and pick and choose which topics you would like to learn about. You can also learn about various topics from several sources which will provide a diverse perspective on the industry.

I recommend: Construction Owl describes different piping options and the best uses for each. Sites such as Steel Pipes & Tubes focus on the different varieties of one type of pipe.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  While you are furthering your pipe distributors and suppliers education and training, you may also come in contact with potential customers. Keep your business in mind while you train and develop a plan to apply your knowledge once you embark on new opportunities.