Cambridge-Lee Industries LLC

What Cambridge-Lee Industries LLC does

Cambridge-Lee Industries LLC is a privately held, Reading, Pennsylvania-based copper-focused manufacturer and distributor serving plumbing, HVAC, construction, and industrial markets across North America. Founded in 1942 (per the company's own 75th anniversary milestone), the company operates two core product divisions: (1) Plumbing and HVAC products including copper plumbing tube, ACR/oxy-medical gas/refrigeration tubing, fuel oil lines, yellow-coated gas lines (Type K/L), and CLI-branded elastomeric and polymeric pre-insulated linesets; and (2) Industrial metals including C145 Tellurium Copper, C110 Copper sheet/bar/rod, architectural copper, and C360 free-cutting brass rod. The 2019 acquisition of Tube Fab added fabricated formed copper tube parts and assemblies capabilities targeting HVAC customers.

The company sells primarily through a direct sales force organized across 10+ regional offices in the US (Reading PA headquarters, San Bernardino CA, Boston MA, Mira Loma CA, Redwood City CA, Alsip IL, New Brunswick NJ, Stone Mountain GA) and Canada (Brampton, Montréal), with Just-In-Time stocking from nationwide distribution centers and direct shipments from North American mills. Pricing is publicly disclosed via downloadable Excel price sheets across plumbing, lineset, PE-coated coils, and CPVC product lines, indicating a relatively standardized, transactional unit-pricing model.

Operationally, Cambridge-Lee generated a $126 million debt facility from Bank of America Merrill Lynch in 2019 to fund working capital and strategic acquisitions. The company holds no publicly disclosed financials, no named enterprise customer logos, and no certifications explicitly listed beyond product-level ASTM/NFPA/UL compliance. Headcount is reported at 251-500 employees. Leadership is headed by CEO Dan Erck and Vice President of Operations and Industrial Markets Chris Wilhite.

Name

Cambridge-Lee Industries LLC

Legal name

Cambridge-Lee Industries LLC

Website

https://camlee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cambridge-Lee Industries LLC is a privately held, Reading, Pennsylvania-based copper and brass manufacturer and distributor serving plumbing, HVAC, construction, and industrial markets across North America through a direct sales network and nationwide JIT distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Copper and Brass Products Manufacturing

NAICS

Other Fabricated Wire Product Manufacturing (332618), Metal Service Centers and Other Metal Merchant Wholesalers (423510), All Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (33299)

SIC

Steel Pipe & Tubes (3317), Wholesale-Metals & Minerals (No Petroleum) (5050)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal Tubes (Collapsible Tubes for Pharma/Cosmetics) (IMALADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hot Rolling & Primary Mills (Plate, Hot-Rolled Coil/Sheet, Strip) (IMAKABAE), Chains & Wire Manufacturing (CRAKAIAE)

Keywords

• Copper tube manufacturing
• Plumbing products distribution
• HVAC linesets supply
• Industrial copper alloys
• Brass rod products

Headquarters

HQ city

Reading

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Copper and Brass Product Sales: Cambridge-Lee Industries generates revenue through the manufacture and distribution of copper and brass products including plumbing tube, HVAC/refrigeration products, linesets, and industrial metals. Sales are transacted directly with customers through regional sales offices, with pricing available through published price sheets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cambridge-Lee Industries LLC manufactures and distributes copper and brass tube, sheet, bar, rod, linesets and fabricated tube parts for plumbing, HVAC/refrigeration, construction and industrial OEM markets. Products ship direct from North American mills or via JIT stocking from nationwide distribution centers, serving contractors, fabricators and OEMs with standard and custom copper/brass products in multiple alloys (C110, C145, C360 and additional brass grades).

Product overview

Cambridge-Lee Industries LLC is a copper-focused manufacturer and distributor serving Plumbing, HVAC, Construction, and Industrial markets. The company operates as a single unified product portfolio with two main divisions: (1) Plumbing & HVAC Products including copper plumbing tube, ACR/medical gas/refrigeration tubing, fuel oil lines, yellow-coated gas lines, and elastomeric/polymeric linesets; and (2) Industrial Metals including C145 Tellurium Copper, C110 Copper (sheet, bar, rod, custom shapes), architectural copper, C360 Free Cutting Brass Rod, and brass coil/sheet. The company also acquired Tube Fab to offer fabricated tube parts and assemblies. Products ship direct from their North American mill or via JIT stocking program from distribution centers nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CLI (Cambridge-Lee Industries): Product brand used for lineset products including CLI Readi-Protector White Series, CLI Readi-Protector Black Series, and CLI UV lineset products.

Products and services

• Copper Plumbing Tube Standard copper tubing for plumbing applications, available in multiple sizes and specifications, used by plumbing contractors and distributors for residential and commercial water delivery systems.
• ACR, Oxy/Medical Gas & Refrigeration Copper Tubing Dehydrated, cleaned and capped copper tube, with ACR tube nitrogen-charged, for air conditioning, refrigeration, oxygen and medical gas applications. Compliant with ASTM B-280 and B-819 for medical gas systems.
• Fuel Oil Lines Copper tubing designed for fuel oil transfer in residential and light commercial heating systems.
• Yellow K Copper Tube Yellow polyethylene-coated copper tube for natural gas and propane high-pressure applications, meeting NFPA 54 and NFPA 58 criteria.
• Yellow L Copper Tube Yellow polyethylene-coated copper tube for liquefied petroleum and natural gas installations with factory-applied corrosion protection coating.
• Yellow Refrigeration Copper Tube Polyethylene-coated copper tube for natural gas, propane and refrigeration installations, factory coated for corrosion protection and identification, suitable for underground applications.
• CLI Lineset Standard Black Elastomeric Pre-insulated elastomeric black linesets for standard and mini-split HVAC applications with thermal insulation rated from -40°F to 200°F, 25/50 plenum flame spread rating per ASTM E84, UL723 and NFPA 255, and UV-resistant outer layer.
• CLI Lineset Standard and Mini-Split Polymeric Black (UV Series) Tear-resistant polymeric insulation linesets with thermal insulation and no seams, designed for standard and mini-split HVAC applications.
• Alloy UNS C145 Tellurium Copper High-speed machinable copper alloy with 85% machinability rating, excellent electrical conductivity, and tighter than standard tolerance on straightness and diameter. Available in rounds, hex, square and rectangles for current-carrying parts and welding torch tips.
• UNS C110 Copper Sheet Copper sheet, coil and strip with high electrical and thermal conductivity and excellent cold workability. Thicknesses from .020 to 1 inch and standard sheet size 36in x 96in, suitable for fabricated electrical current-carrying systems.
• UNS C110 Copper Bar, Rod and Custom Shapes Copper bus bars, rods, custom shapes and anode bar available in straight length and coils, cut to specific lengths, bare, silver and tin plated, including large cross-section anode bar up to 4" x 4".
• Architectural Copper Copper roofing sheets, coils and accessories with excellent formability, corrosion resistance and classic bright appearance. Thicknesses from 12 oz to 48 oz, sheet widths from 24in to 48in, tempers from soft to 3/4 hard.
• Alloy UNS C360 Free Cutting Brass Rod High-speed machinable brass rod that minimizes downtime, tool wear and breakage. Available with tighter than standard tolerance on straightness and diameter, custom lengths, and additional alloys including C314, C345, C353, C464 and C485.
• Brass Coil and Sheet Architectural brass sheets, strip and plates including C220 Commercial Bronze, C260 Cartridge Brass and C280 Muntz Metal. Available in thicknesses from 0.20in to 1in, sheet widths 36-48in, sheet lengths 96in and 144in, tempers soft and half hard.
• Fabricated Tube Parts Formed copper tube parts and assemblies for HVAC and industrial customers, supplied through the acquired Tube Fab subsidiary serving value-added formed copper component needs.
• PE Coated Coils Polyethylene-coated copper coils supplied for plumbing, gas and refrigeration applications, offered with a dedicated published price sheet.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 740 standard lineset combinations available
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Tube FabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Cambridge-Lee Industries acquired Tube Fab, a fabricator of formed copper tube parts and assemblies based in Jacksonville, TX. The acquisition enhances product offerings and expands market share of value-added products and services for the HVAC customer base.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mueller Industries: Largest US manufacturer of copper tube, brass rod, and fittings, serving plumbing, HVAC, and industrial markets. Direct overlap with Cambridge-Lee across plumbing tube, ACR tube, and brass rod product lines, with similar North American distribution and OEM customer base.
• Wieland Group: Global manufacturer of copper and copper-alloy products including tubes, sheets, rods, and fabricated parts. Competes head-to-head with Cambridge-Lee in North American HVAC and plumbing markets and offers comparable specialty alloys.
• Cerro Flow Products: Manufacturer of copper tube, fittings, and fabricated copper products serving plumbing, HVAC, and industrial markets. Closely comparable to Cambridge-Lee's core product portfolio, with overlap in ACR, plumbing, and refrigeration tube.
• Chase Brass and Copper Company: US manufacturer of brass rod, bar, and copper-based alloys serving industrial, plumbing, and machining customers. Directly comparable to Cambridge-Lee's industrial metals business, particularly C360 free-cutting brass and C110 copper rod.
• Howell Metal Company: US copper tube manufacturer focused on plumbing, HVAC, and industrial applications. Direct overlap with Cambridge-Lee in core product lines and customer base, with similar North American distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Luvata: Global manufacturer of copper products and engineered solutions across HVAC, refrigeration, and industrial segments. Overlaps with Cambridge-Lee in copper tube and fabricated parts but with broader specialty applications and international footprint.
• KME Group: European-headquartered integrated copper semi-finished products manufacturer with global reach. Competes with Cambridge-Lee in copper tube, sheet, and rod categories, but operates on a much broader geographic scale across automotive, industrial, and HVAC end markets.

Emerging players

• Materion Corporation: Specialty metals manufacturer with copper alloy, beryllium copper, and engineered materials lines. Comparable in copper alloy expertise and OEM relationships, though Materion spans broader specialty alloys beyond copper.

Others

• Encore Wire Corporation: US manufacturer of electrical wire and cable products using copper and aluminum conductors. Adjacent comparable as a copper-intensive metal products company serving construction and industrial channels, though focused on wire rather than tube.

Regional players

• Poongsan Corporation: Korea-based copper products manufacturer with North American sales presence. Comparable in copper tube, sheet, and rod manufacturing, though primarily a regional player in the Asia-Pacific market with growing US imports.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cambridge-lee-industries
• Xx.com/camleeind
• Facebookfacebook.com/cambridgelee.imd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cambridge-Lee Industries LLC