Dayton, Ohio-based Winsupply recently purchased Thomas Pipe & Supply, a Phoenix-based distributor of industrial pipe, valves and fittings. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed.

“Thomas Pipe & Supply is the No. 1 wholesale distributor of industrial pipe, valves and fittings in Arizona with 34 years of serving its customers,” said Roland Gordon, president and CEO of Winsupply. “The company offers pipe fabrication and has enjoyed consistently strong performance through innovation, product-line expansion, industry-leading customer service and a superior operating model. Thomas Pipe gives us a strong PVF presence in the Valley of the Sun and beyond to surrounding states.”

In selecting Winsupply as its buyer, Thomas Pipe President Don Helmlinger Jr., said, “Winsupply’s entire acquisition team created a comfort level for us, which allowed both companies to communicate in a positive atmosphere. At that point, my staff and I realized we had found the perfect fit.

“We discovered that our cultures mirrored each other's: Exceed your customers’ expectations every day, involve our excellent suppliers with our clients, out-service and out-work the competitors, provide quality products, develop long-lasting relationships and encourage your customers to depend on you, know your markets conditions, and always create a winning attitude in your arena,” Helmlinger added.

Helmlinger, who co-owned Thomas Pipe & Supply with investment group GenCap America, of Nashville, Tennessee, will continue as president as well as invest equity in Thomas Pipe & Supply with Winsupply. In the Winsupply co-ownership business model, Winsupply has majority equity in each of its locations, while the local company presidents and sometimes employees own substantial equity.