United Pipe & Steel Corp

What United Pipe & Steel Corp does

United Pipe & Steel Corp is a U.S. master distributor of standard pipe and tube products, operating exclusively as a wholesale-only intermediary between pipe mills and independent wholesale distributors. Its core product portfolio spans four categories: steel pipe (domestic welded CW and ERW, imported welded, and globally sourced seamless); copper products (tube, polyethylene-coated coils, factory-assembled line sets); plastic pipe (PVC, ABS, CPVC, SDR, sewer & drain); and electrical/mechanical support products (metal conduit, PVC conduit, strut, threaded rod). The company's underlying operational platform consists of 12 strategically located distribution centers holding deep, ready-to-ship inventory, an owned fleet of flatbed trucks, route-based LTL milk-run delivery serving 47 states, and proprietary digital tools including an MTR lookup service and delivery notification system.

The business model is wholesale distribution at scale. United Pipe generates revenue by selling pipe, tube, and related products exclusively to independent wholesale distributors at list prices with customer-specific multipliers applied for net pricing, on typical net 30 terms. Pricing is not publicly disclosed end-to-end; distributors contact their United Pipe representative for their specific multiplier. The company's go-to-market is direct phone-based sales (800-777-7473) supported by a content marketing blog (price update announcements, market alerts), organic social media, and earned trade media. Service differentiation — rather than brand or product innovation — drives the value proposition: industry-leading 97%+ fill rates, low FFA minimums (2,000–5,000 lbs) with mix-and-match across copper, steel, PVC, and electrical on a single truck, own-fleet delivery with jobsite unloading, and MTR documentation on all steel pipe.

United Pipe was established around 2017, merged with Merfish Pipe & Supply in March 2019, rebranded under the current name in February 2020, and was acquired by Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (NYSE: RS, now Reliance, Inc.) in October 2021. It now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance, Inc., serving ten distinct market verticals (plumbing & heating, PVF, HVAC/R, waterworks, fire protection, electrical, pool, fence, lumber, steel service center) with Greg Leidner as President and CEO.

Name

United Pipe & Steel Corp

Legal name

United Pipe & Steel Corp.

Website

https://unitedpipe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

United Pipe & Steel is the largest U.S. master distributor of standard pipe and tube products (steel, copper, plastic, electrical conduit), selling exclusively to independent wholesale distributors across plumbing, HVAC, PVF, waterworks, fire protection, and electrical markets from 12 distribution centers serving 47 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Pipe and Tube Distribution

NAICS

Metal Service Centers and Other Metal Merchant Wholesalers (423510), Iron and Steel Pipe and Tube Manufacturing from Purchased Steel (33121), Other Metal Valve and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing (332919)

SIC

Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070), Steel Pipe & Tubes (3317)

akta.pro primary industry

Pipe & Tube Manufacturing (Seamless & Welded OCTG/Line Pipe/Structural Tube) (IMAKABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pipe Fittings, Couplings & Connectors (IMADALAD), Industrial Process & Chemical-Resistant Pipe Systems (CPVC/PVDF/PP) (IMANADAF)

Keywords

• Wholesale pipe distribution
• Master distribution services
• Steel pipe supply
• Copper tube distribution
• Electrical conduit wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Ipswich

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Pipe & Tube Wholesale Distribution: United Pipe & Steel generates revenue by selling pipe, tube, and related products (steel pipe, copper tube, plastic pipe, electrical conduit, strut, threaded rod) exclusively to independent wholesale distributors at wholesale pricing. Products are sold at list prices with distributor-specific multipliers applied for net pricing, with payment terms typically net 30 days. The company stocks deep inventory and fulfills orders through its own fleet of flatbed trucks from 12 distribution centers across the US.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

United Pipe & Steel is a master distributor of standard pipe, tube, and related products — including domestic and imported steel pipe, copper tube, plastic pipe (PVC, CPVC, ABS, SDR), and electrical conduit (metal and PVC) — sold exclusively to independent wholesale distributors. The company operates 12 distribution centers across the United States, stocking deep ready-to-ship inventory and delivering on its own fleet of flatbed trucks via route-based LTL milk-run routes to 47 states, allowing distributors to consolidate mixed-product orders, meet low minimum weights, and reduce inventory risk.

Product overview

United Pipe & Steel is a master distributor of pipe and tube products serving independent wholesale distributors across the United States. The company operates as a single unified distribution platform offering Steel Pipe (Domestic Welded, Import Welded, and Seamless), Copper Products (Tube, Coated Coils, Line Sets), Plastic Pipe (PVC, ABS, CPVC, SDR, Sewer & Drain), and Electrical Products (Metal Conduit, PVC Conduit, Strut, Threaded Rod). The product portfolio is complemented by supporting services including MTR Lookup, Delivery Notifications, and Safety & Delivery Requirements. The company stocks deep inventory across 12 distribution centers nationwide to enable wholesale customers to buy less more often with flexible logistics including milk run delivery routes, bundled and mixed product orders, and consolidated shipments to help distributors reduce inventory risk while maintaining product availability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Domestic Welded Steel Pipe Domestic steel pipe in Black and Galvanized finishes, Continuous Weld and Electric Resistance Weld configurations, Schedule 10/40/80, sizes 1/8" to 18" with Plain End, Threaded, and Roll Grooved options; UL/FM approved with anti-microbial coating available.
• Globally Sourced Welded Steel Pipe Imported Grade B Electric Resistance Weld steel pipe in Black and Galvanized finishes, Schedule 10/20/40/80/160, sizes 1/8" to 24"; Buy American Act and UL/FM compliant options.
• Globally Sourced Seamless Steel Pipe Imported seamless steel pipe in Bare, Black, and Galvanized coatings; Beveled, Grooved, Square Cut, and Threaded & Coupled ends; standard through XXS walls; 1/4" through 24" diameters.
• Copper Tube Copper tube in 1/4" to 8" diameters and 10' to 20' lengths; K, L, M, DWV, ACR (Nitrogen Charged), and Oxy products in straight lengths and coils; meets ASTM B-88, B-306 & B-280 and is NSF approved.
• Coated Copper Coils Polyethylene-coated copper coils for refrigeration applications, 3/8" through 3/4" diameters; orange oil pipes and yellow gas pipes in 50"–250" lengths, eliminating on-site tape wrapping or sleeving.
• Copper Line Sets Factory-assembled pre-insulated liquid and suction line sets for air conditioning and refrigeration; ASTM C-534 compliant insulation; UL94/FMRC tested and certified.
• PVC Pipe Solid and perforated PVC pipe in Schedule 40 and 80, 1/2" to 24" diameters; DWV, Pressure, and Foam Core varieties; Plain End and Bell Ends; meets ASTM D1785 and ASTM D2665.
• ABS Pipe Foam core Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) pipe for commercial, residential, and industrial sanitary drain, waste, and vent applications; ASTM F628 or ASTM 2661 compliant; 1.5" to 6" diameters.
• CPVC Pipe Chlorinated Poly Vinyl Chloride pipe including CTS FlowGuard Gold and Schedule 80 CPVC, 1/2" to 12" diameters, solvent weld and plain end; high-pressure and high-temperature rated; FlowGuard Gold meets ASTM D2846.
• SDR Pipe Standard Dimension Ratio plastic pipe including SDR 35/3034 Gravity (Gasket Joint and Solvent Weld), SDR 21 and SDR 26 for sewer, pressure, and irrigation; SDR 35 meets ASTM D3034 and F679.
• Sewer & Drain Pipe Plastic sewer and drain pipes in 3", 4", and 6" diameters and 10' lengths, solvent weld, solid, or perforated; includes PVC Sewer & Drain 2729 and HDPE Drainage Triple Wall F810.
• Metal Conduit Metal electrical conduit including Galvanized EMT, IMC, RMC, and Aluminum Rigid Conduit in sizes 1/2" to 6" and various finishes.
• PVC Conduit

Quantifiable outcome

• 97%+ fill rates
• +3 more outcomes

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Merfish Pipe & SupplycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2019In March 2019, United Pipe & Steel and Merfish Pipe & Supply merged, creating a combined master distribution network. In February 2020, the combined company rebranded as United Pipe & Steel. The merger expanded geographic reach and product offering breadth for the combined entity.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MRC Global: Public (NYSE: MRC) largest global distributor of pipe, valves, fittings, and pipeline products to energy and industrial markets. Closely comparable in PVF product portfolio (carbon steel pipe, fittings, flanges) and project-driven distributor/wholesale customer base, with greater oil & gas exposure.
• Hajoca Corporation: Private, 100+ year-old master distributor of plumbing, HVAC, PVF, and waterworks products to independent wholesalers and contractors. Closest comparable in business model, customer base (wholesale distributors), and product mix (steel, copper, plastic pipe).
• Winsupply: Private master distributor of plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and industrial supplies via a decentralized model of company-owned and independent distributor locations. Highly comparable wholesale distribution model serving contractor-facing distributors with similar multi-category pipe/electrical offerings.
• Ferguson Enterprises: Public (NYSE: FERG) largest U.S. distributor of plumbing, HVAC, waterworks, and industrial products. Overlaps significantly in copper tube, steel pipe, PVC, and PVF categories with a similar wholesale-distributor customer base, though at much larger scale and with direct contractor sales.

Broad incumbents

• Kloeckner Metals: Public (FRA: KCO) German-headquartered metals service center with significant U.S. operations distributing steel, aluminum, and pipe products. Comparable in pipe and tube distribution to industrial customers with global scale and digital distribution platform.
• Reliance, Inc. Public (NYSE: RS) parent company and largest U.S. metals service center operator (~$17B revenue). Operates a broad portfolio of steel, aluminum, and pipe/tube service centers across 300+ locations; overlaps in steel pipe and tube distribution though operates retail/service-center model rather than master-distributor.
• Olympic Steel: Public (NASDAQ: ZEUS) metal service center distributing carbon, stainless, and aluminum flat-rolled products plus pipe and tube. Comparable in steel pipe/tube distribution to industrial end-markets, with a service-center operating model rather than wholesale-only.
• Russel Metals: Public (TSX: RUS) Canadian metal service center operator with significant U.S. operations distributing steel pipe, tube, plate, and PVF products. Comparable in steel pipe/tube distribution with broader metals portfolio and service-center orientation rather than master-distributor model.

Emerging players

• Pool Corporation: Public (NASDAQ: POOL) largest wholesale distributor of pool supplies, equipment, and related products including PVC pipe for pool applications. Comparable in serving wholesale-distributor customers with PVC pipe products; a downstream consumer of United Pipe's pool-supply category.
• Distribution International: Private distributor of mechanical insulation, specialty fabrication, and complementary building products serving industrial and commercial customers. Comparable in industrial-distribution operating model with overlap in pipe-related insulation and accessories categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance24 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 United Pipe & Steel Corp