Tyler Pipe & Coupling recently held a grand opening for its new distribution center in South Plainfield, N.J. The 65,000-sq.-ft. facility sits on six acres of property. Tyler Pipe previously had a distribution center in Macungie, Pa., and moved it to the new South Plainfield location.

“What this building does is it gives our customers a big inventory to choose from,” Tyler Pipe Vice President of Sales Sterling Bowman told Supply House Times in a video interview at the grand-opening celebration. “Cast iron is a big product that is hard to stock and hard to move. This opens up customers to be able to ship locally and with ease. They can use us for a blanket to have that inventory.”

The new facility also will feature a will-call option for customers. “We moved to New Jersey to be closer to New York City,” Bowman explained. “This allows us to deliver into New York City and it allows customers to pick up here and deliver to jobsites. We also have a boom truck with a union driver. That allows us to deliver to jobs. This will make us more part of the plumbing community where we had been distant. Now we will be in New York City and will be able to be part of the community.”

Bowman said the service component in the New York City area was one of the key missing pieces to the puzzle. “We have great reps and regionals and we have a great product,” he said. “With us producing quality, our issue is being able to service. Being here in New Jersey will allow us to serve the community.”

The grand-opening celebration attracted distributors, manufacturers reps, contractors and other invited guests. Members of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were on hand, as was a live band. Guests enjoyed networking opportunities, raffles for prizes, tours of the facility and a tasty barbeque lunch. Tyler Pipe was assisted at the event by New York-based manufacturers rep Dellon Sales, which brought a large contingent of employees.

“This facility will cut down on the lead time to get product,” said Nelson Gates, of Passaic, N.J.-based Pashman, an industrial pipe, valves and fittings distributor that has been a Tyler customer for 25 years. “There’s a lot of rebuilding in areas overlooking New York City. This will help us get product quicker.”