ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc.
ACT Pipe & Supply is a privately held Houston-based industrial distributor and the largest independently-owned waterworks and fire protection distributor in Texas, operating 13+ branches and a 23-acre fabrication facility serving contractors and enterprise end-customers across the state and globally for fabrication orders.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. does
ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. is a privately held, Houston-based industrial distributor founded in 1976 and owned since 1989 by CEO Harry Kirk and President Andy Zizinia. The company operates as the largest independently-owned waterworks and fire protection distributor in Texas, running 13+ fully stocked branch locations across the state from a 23-acre Houston headquarters and fabrication complex. Its business spans four service lines: Waterworks (pipes, valves, fittings, and related materials for municipal water and sewer contractors), Fire Protection (sprinkler pipe, heads, valves, and complete systems), ACT Fabrication (custom fire protection pipe fabrication to specification), and ACT Industrial Fabrication (precision industrial fabrication shipped globally). ACT sources from 100+ waterworks manufacturers and 30+ fire protection manufacturers including Victaulic, Tyco, Johnson Controls, and Potter.
ACT's go-to-market is relationship-driven direct sales, with sales representatives and estimators at each branch providing blueprint-based quotations, credit-account invoicing, and direct job-site delivery using specialized forklift-equipped trucks. Many branches operate Saturday hours for contractor convenience. Production technology is centered on fabrication quality control rather than software: ACT uses a NAP computerized weld machine plus dye penetration, ring gauge, thread depth, groove tolerance, and high-pressure air blowout testing to certify welds and finished assemblies. A web-based customer portal (actpipe-cloud.vastedge.com) layers digital ordering on top of the branch sales motion.
The company monetizes primarily through one-time transactional sales of distributed goods plus custom fabrication services priced per project. End-customer logos span sports (Reliant Stadium), commercial real estate (Enron Building), automotive manufacturing (Toyota San Antonio), big-box retail (Walmart, Home Depot), healthcare (Northeast Baptist, Dell Medical), hospitality (Hilton), government (Yuma Border Patrol), and large distribution centers, though these projects are typically accessed through contractor relationships rather than direct recurring contracts. ACT has no institutional investors, no parent company, and no disclosed revenue; operations are concentrated in Texas, with fabrication products shipping globally.
ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc.
- Legal name
- ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc.
- Website
- https://actpipe.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- ACT Pipe & Supply is a privately held Houston-based industrial distributor and the largest independently-owned waterworks and fire protection distributor in Texas, operating 13+ branches and a 23-acre fabrication facility serving contractors and enterprise end-customers across the state and globally for fabrication orders.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Waterworks and Fire Protection Distribution
- NAICS
- Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (23711), Fabricated Pipe and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing (332996)
- SIC
- Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fire Protection Systems Contracting (Sprinklers, Alarms, Suppression) (IMAFALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water & Wastewater Pipeline Construction (Mains, Force Mains, Interceptors) (IMAFAGAC), Fire Protection Piping & Sprinkler System Components (IMADALAJ), Pipe Installation, Repair & Repiping (HSAOAAAB)
Keywords
Where ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices15 records
Markets served
ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Waterworks Products: Sale of water and sewer pipes, fittings, valves and related supplies to contractors through 13 branch locations throughout Texas
- Fire Protection Products: Sale of fire sprinkler pipe, heads, valves and related fire protection products for commercial and residential applications worldwide
- Fire Protection Fabrication: Custom fabrication of fire protection pipe and systems to contractor specifications, shipped globally from Houston facility
- Industrial Fabrication: Precision industrial fabrication services built to specification with global shipping available from 23-acre Houston facility
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Credit Account Terms |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ACT Pipe & Supply distributes waterworks and fire protection products and provides custom fabrication services. The company operates four core lines: Waterworks (pipes, valves, fittings for municipal water and sewer projects across 13 Texas branches), Fire Protection (sprinkler pipe, heads, and valves for commercial and residential buildings), Fabrication (custom fire sprinkler pipe fabrication), and Industrial Fabrication (precision industrial fabrication to exact specification with global shipping).
Product overview
ACT Pipe & Supply is a distribution company offering waterworks supplies (pipes, valves, fittings) and fire protection products through a multi-divisional structure. The company operates four core product/service lines: Waterworks (13 branches across Texas), Fire Protection (sprinkler systems and products), Fabrication (custom fire protection pipe fabrication via ACT Fabrication subsidiary), and Industrial Fabrication (precision industrial fabrication via ACT Industrial Fabrication subsidiary). The wholly-owned fabrication subsidiaries operate from the company's 23-acre Houston facility and offer global shipping capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Waterworks Distribution of waterworks supplies including pipes, valves, fittings, and related materials for municipal water and sewer infrastructure projects. ACT operates 13 fully stocked waterworks branches throughout Texas.
- Fire Protection Distribution of fire sprinkler products including pipe, heads, valves, and complete fire protection systems for commercial and residential applications.
- Fabrication Custom fire protection fabrication services including custom pipe fabrication and fire sprinkler systems built to specification, with global shipping available from the Houston facility.
Quantifiable outcome
- Product delivery within 5 days for non-stocked items
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Core & Main: Core & Main (NYSE: CNM) is the largest US distributor of water, sewer, and fire protection products to municipalities and contractors. It is the closest publicly traded comparable to ACT, operating in identical product categories with a multi-state branch network.
- Ferguson Enterprises: Ferguson (NYSE: FERG) is the largest US distributor of plumbing, waterworks, and fire protection products, serving contractors through a nationwide branch network. ACT competes directly with Ferguson in Texas for waterworks and fire protection contractors.
- HD Supply Waterworks: HD Supply Waterworks (now part of The Home Depot Pro) is a national distributor of water, sewer, and storm drainage products to municipalities and contractors. It is one of the top three direct competitors to ACT in the Texas waterworks market.
- Reliance Pipe & Supply: Reliance Pipe & Supply is a Texas- and US Gulf Coast-based distributor specializing in water, sewer, and fire protection products. It is a regional direct competitor to ACT serving similar municipal and contractor customers in overlapping Texas geographies.
- Winsupply: Winsupply is a large US-owned cooperative of plumbing, HVAC, and waterworks distribution centers serving contractors. Its waterworks and fire protection categories put it in direct competition with ACT for contractor accounts across multiple US regions.
- APi Group: APi Group (NYSE: APG) is a global leader in fire protection and life safety services including fabrication and installation of sprinkler systems. APi's fire protection fabrication business competes with ACT Fabrication on custom sprinkler and suppression pipe assemblies.
Others
- Victaulic: Victaulic is the leading manufacturer of mechanical pipe-joining systems (grooved couplings, fittings, valves) widely used in fire protection and waterworks applications. It is one of ACT's key manufacturer partners and a major upstream supplier in the value chain ACT serves.
Broad incumbents
- Watts Water Technologies: Watts Water Technologies (NYSE: WTS) manufactures water systems products including valves, fittings, and drainage components sold primarily through distributor channels like ACT. It is an upstream supplier and a useful benchmark for the value ACT captures as the channel.
- NIBCO: NIBCO is a leading manufacturer of plumbing, flow-control, and waterworks valves and fittings. It supplies through distribution channels such as ACT's, making it a comparable on the manufacturer side of ACT's product portfolio.
Emerging players
- E.H. Wachs: E.H. Wachs provides precision industrial cutting, machining, and custom fabrication services for pipeline and infrastructure markets. It is comparable to ACT Industrial Fabrication on the custom-fabrication side of the business.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc.
What does ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. do?
ACT Pipe & Supply distributes waterworks and fire protection products and provides custom fabrication services. The company operates four core lines: Waterworks (pipes, valves, fittings for municipal water and sewer projects across 13 Texas branches), Fire Protection (sprinkler pipe, heads, and valves for commercial and residential buildings), Fabrication (custom fire sprinkler pipe fabrication), and Industrial Fabrication (precision industrial fabrication to exact specification with global shipping).
Is ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. a public or private company?
ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. founded?
ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. was founded in 1976. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. based?
ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Waterworks Products are the primary driver. The others are fire Protection Products, fire Protection Fabrication and industrial Fabrication.
Who are ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Core & Main, Ferguson Enterprises, HD Supply Waterworks, Reliance Pipe & Supply, Winsupply and APi Group. Victaulic is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Watts Water Technologies and NIBCO. E.H. Wachs is listed as an emerging player.
Does ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc..
What industry is ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc. in?
ACT Pipe & Supply, Inc.'s product category is Waterworks and Fire Protection Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFALAD, Fire Protection Systems Contracting (Sprinklers, Alarms, Suppression), with a secondary code of IMAFAGAC, Water & Wastewater Pipeline Construction (Mains, Force Mains, Interceptors). Its NAICS code is 23711 and its SIC code is 1623.