After opening its first U.S. metals service center in Houston a little more than one year ago, U.K.-based Philip Cornes will begin doing business out of that facility as TW Metals, effective November 1, 2013.
Philip Cornes is a 50-year-old company specializing in distribution and processing of nickel alloy products to the specialty metals market worldwide, and has long been a division of TW Metals, based in Exton, PA. The company had not, however, operated in the U.S. until last year, when it began offering nickel alloy plate, sheet, bar, pipe, and tubing in grades 330, 400, 600, 625, 800, and 825 at the Houston facility, which also offers processing services, including high-definition plasma, shearing, and saw cutting for pipe and tube.
“Having established a unique product line in Houston, composed of products not currently offered by TW Metals’ other 27 facilities, it made sense for the Philip Cornes operation to be folded into the larger company,” said Jack Elrod, President of TW Metals. “In doing so, the Houston facility can take advantage of TW Metals’ broader name recognition to grow its business, while TW Metals can benefit by having an even more diverse inventory of products to offer new and existing customers.”
Along with the name change, the Houston facility’s computer system is being converted to that of TW Metals, allowing all of the company’s other branch operations to have quick and easy access to the expanded product line. Those products have also been added to TW Metals’ website inventory.
Kim Shelton-Brown, a 25-year veteran of the metals industry, will continue to serve as Branch Manager of the ISO-registered Houston facility, which she opened in 2012. She had previously held positions at Philip Cornes in the U.K. in the areas of quality assurance, inside and outside sales, and branch management.
TW Metals is a global leader in the distribution and processing of specialty metals, offering extrusions, fittings, pipe, tube, rod/bar, sheet, and plate in stainless, aluminum, nickel, titanium, alloy, and carbon steel. The company is part of the O’Neal Industries family of companies, which is the nation’s largest family-owned group of metals service centers. With annual sales of approximately $2.5 billion in 2012, O’Neal Industries consists of fourteen leading brands working cooperatively to provide added value to customers in diverse markets throughout the world. O’Neal Industries is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama and has more than 90 locations in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.onealind.com
