Since its inception in 1846, Wm Powell Company (Powell Valves) has been recognized for its innovations. By providing best-in-class products with unique and high-quality designs, it has earned its position as a leader in pioneering technology for the industrial valve market.
Valve World Americas had the pleasure of speaking with Powell Valves’ President David B. “Brandy” Cowart to discuss the company’s longevity, its commitment to service, and how its employees’ dedication to its core values has allowed the company to truly put customers first.
By Angelica Pajkovic
Key to Longevity
After 177 years in operation, there is no doubt that Powell Valves has mastered the ability to deliver high-quality products with cutting-edge designs. Its dedication to the production of reliable valves despite ever-changing social and political climates, is a testament to the strength of the founding principles on which it was built.
“The five key values that have led the company since its establishment are as relevant today as they were back then,” stated Cowart. “By adhering to the mantra that customers come first, and by approaching every task with positive energy, teamwork, and integrity, Powell Valves has been able to re- main flexible and adaptable producers of quality solutions.”
With a focus on the petrochemical, oil & gas, pulp & paper, industrial gas, chemical and mechanical construction industries, Powell Valves offers a complete multi-turn product line from a single source manufacturer. Headquartered out of Cincinnati, Ohio, the privately held family-owned corporation is backed by a global network of support which enables it to exchange information and use engineering expertise to exceed both distributor’s and end user’s expectations.
“With a family-style company culture, we have big company resources, opportunities, and capabilities. Our commitment to ensuring that our customers find the solutions they are looking for has continued to inspire our work and ultimately created the basis of the legacy we intend to carry forward.”
Building a Legacy
Powell’s longevity and sustainability stem from the company’s strong culture, and its willingness to take risks. Recognizing the changing demands of the industry, Powell Valves has always made strides to anticipate the up- coming voids in the industry and develop ways to proactively fulfill the requirements before its customers even realize the need is there. One of the ways that it addresses this goal is by recognizing its strengths and investing in strategies that other companies shy away from.
“Powell Valves has earned a reputation for producing quality valves, but for us, delivering high-quality products is the bare minimum,” stated Cowart. “Realistically speaking, if you do not have quality, you do not have much. Instead, we strive to have our innovation, engineering capabilities, and our reliability define us.”
“Realistically speaking, if you do not have quality, you do not have much. Instead, we strive to have our innovation, engineering capabilities, and our reliability define us.”
Although there are several governing bodies that define valve design parameters, Powell Valves is an engineering-based company that can not only devise new solutions, but can also maximize material cost savings, machining efficiencies, and tolerances. As some of its engineers were involved in writing many of the specifications that are in use today, its products are of the highest standards, competitively priced, and produced with ultra-mod- ern manufacturing technology and astute materials sourcing.
One of the practices that differentiate Powell Valves from its competitors, in addition to its strategy to expand on products that assist its channel partners, is its investment in inventory. “Powell Valves’ customers benefit from the large, finished, valve inventories the company maintains in our hubs in the U.S. and overseas. Thanks to our choice to reinvest in our company,
Powell Valves has not experienced any interruptions in its materials availability or manufacturing capacity. Throughout the pandemic, the company maintained full functionality of all operations,” relayed Cowart.
Consistently having reliable lead and delivery times, in addition to the avail- ability of the product itself, provides Powell Valves’ customers with the assurance that they can rely on the company. “Our inventory allows us to meet the needs of anyone in an emergency situation,” stated Cowart. “It enables us to be nimble and proactive versus reactive, which in turn showcases how Powell Valves has come to represent stability in the valve market.”
“By approaching each project, we undertake with integrity, having innovative products readily available, and using strategic objectives in order to service our customers and grow their market share, Powell Valves has established a legacy of trust over the last 177 years.”
Putting the Customers First
Every Powell Valves employee, from the front door to the shipping dock, is an entrepreneur and every daily task they perform touches a customer. This belief, and culture, is evident from the CEO, Randy Cowart, all the way throughout the organization and is what elevates Powell Valves’ service over its competitors.
“The work ethic, culture, and compassion that embodies the employees of the company, truly makes all the difference,” added Cowart. “We are fortunate to have a great group of folks who are fully engaged and who fully embrace who we are and what we do. We empower employees with decision-making capabilities, while simultaneously providing them with any tools and assistance they may require, to ensure they can extend the same opportunities to our customers.”
Having a diverse customer base has also been one of the biggest success points for the company. Over the years the world has faced some difficult economic cycles in one industry or another – be it oil & gas, electric power generation, chemical, paper, or industrial gas. Very rarely, however, are all those industries on the downward slope economically at the same time. Having customers in so many different industries has allowed Powell Valves to maintain consistent growth.
“A lot of our products are standard but can be tailored/upgraded for different industries with our immense engineering support and manufacturing expertise behind it. Our product diversity, engineering capabilities, and diversity in our customer base is, therefore, a big part of our success,” stated Cowart. “This is very different from our competitors who may focus solely on one industry; they live and die by the success of that industry. This diversity provides consistency in our business and benefits all our customers.”
Global Presence
Having a global presence is another way that the company has continued to remain competitive and successful in an industry that is fast-paced with urgent needs to be met worldwide. Powell Valves has continued to invest in growing its reach around the world by establishing manufacturing and distribution centers in China to support sales throughout Asia and better service the Middle East. Recognizing the importance of a global infrastructure in support of their business, the Stafford, Texas distribution facility continues to allow Powell Valves to position itself in the center of the valve industry to further support same-day emergency services and provide another contact point for its clients.
“The Houston and Gulf Coast market is really the hotbed of the valve industry. Rather than having our product a day away, we wanted it to be 15 minutes away. We established the facility in Stafford, TX and stocked it up with inventory, so our products are at hand for our customers.”
Powell Valves continues to look for channel partners that have a defined strategy, a good channel infrastructure, and a customer focus. The company’s distributor channel partners are the best of the best with some relationships over 100 years old. “Our casting, forging, and component suppliers are among the best in the industry, and we have total alignment and commitment to each other,” added Cowart.
“We are fortunate to have a great group of folks who are fully engaged and fully embrace what we do. We empower employes with decision-making capabilities, while simultaneously providing them with any tools and assistance they may require, to ensure they can extend the same opportunities to our customers.”
POWELL VALVES AT A GLANCE
As a leading industrial valve manufacturer, Powell Valves offers a wide range of products, including: gate valves, check valves, globe valves, non-return valves, dual-plate check valves, and high-performance. Its mission, coupled with its product line manufactured to the highest quality standards, continues to be what separates it from the competition. All its facilities are recognized with ISO 9001 “Worldwide Quality.”
- 177 Years in the Business
- +20 Global Repair Centers
- Modification Facility Located in Manning, South Carolina That Can Perform a Variety of Valve Services and Modifications
- Finished Valve Inventory
Looking Forward
We strive to make a better valve and offer better service every day. This commitment to better serving the customer and striving to be the best solutions provider for its clients has been a driving factor in all the developments, investments, and efforts Powell Valves has made over its lengthy existence. Powell Valves continues to invest in machinery, training, inventory, and infrastructure at all of its locations.
“Saying ‘the customer comes first’ may sound cliché, but that is really the focus of everything we do, every day. We want to be the customer’s favorite place to call, and we want them to call us first. We come in every day looking for an opportunity to better service our customers and it is with that mentality that we have become a pillar of service and stability for the valve community,” he concluded.
