TPI January 2014

business & market news

After 45 years of service to Marmon Distribution Services, president Norman Gottschalk Jr has announced his retirement, effective 31 January 2014. Alan Wilkinson, the company’s vice president, has been selected as Mr Gottschalk’s successor. “I have been very fortunate to head a strong, successful company like Marmon Distribution Services; it has been fun to watch Marmon/Keystone and its affiliate companies mature and grow over the years,” said Mr Gottschalk. “It is also very comforting to know that a competent, experienced executive like Alan Wilkinson is in place to see that the team continues to grow and be successful.” In 1968 Mr Gottschalk joined Keystone Tubular Service Corporation, later renamed Marmon/Keystone, as an accountant. He progressed to the positions of accounting supervisor, assistant controller and controller, and in 1984 was promoted to vice president/ controller of Marmon/Keystone. Guess the year! • The use of seatbelts for drivers and front seat passengers became compulsory in the UK. • The one pound coin was introduced in England and Wales. • The top-selling album of the year was Thriller by Michael Jackson. • Compact discs first went on sale in the UK. • The US Space Shuttle Challenger made its first flight. The year was 1983 and this was also the year that DK Jones Ltd commenced business – initially as the UK sales agent for several European fittings and flanges manufacturers. Business went well for the newly established company and the first stocks were purchased during 1988. Now, over 30 years later, DK Jones Ltd has grown to be one of UK’s major

Mr Gottschalk was chosen to lead the company in 1989 as president, a position he held until being named president of Marmon Distribution Services, Inc in 2012. He has served on many metals industry boards through the MSCI and NASPD, and is a past chairman of the MSCI. In 1999 he was named Metal Center News’s Service Center Executive of the Year. Alan Wilkinson will assume the position of president of Marmon Distribution Services upon Mr Gottschalk’s retirement. Mr Wilkinson began working for Marmon/Keystone in 1978, holding a variety of positions including warehouse person, clerk, inside and outside sales, operations manager, branch manager and regional manager. In 1999 he was named regional vice president of Marmon/Keystone, and was promoted to vice president of Marmon Distribution Services in 2012. stockists and international distributors of fittings, flanges and pipe. With more than 4,000 tonnes of fully certified, high quality stock, 50 full time staff and its own in-house machine shop, DK Jones now regularly supplies both standard and non-standard items within a very short time frame to customers both in the UK and around the world. Middlesbrough, UK, site includes an extensive range of seamless chrome moly, low temp, carbon and stainless steels in product forms including butt weld fittings, high pressure forged fittings, weld outlet fittings, flanges and pipe in sizes up to 24" N/B and wall thicknesses up to Sch 160 and XXS. ‘Semi finished’ forgings and flanges plus a range of forged bars are also held in stock, enabling a wide range of high The stock now held at the company’s recently extended 15,000m 2

quality items to be made quickly to suit customer requirements.

The international sales office now exports to more than 60 countries worldwide and the company regularly takes part in major trade exhibitions in many existing and potential markets around the world. Quality of systems and supply has always been an important aspect of business to DK Jones Ltd. The first QA approval was gained as early as 1992, and full LRQA ISO 9001 certification was gained in 1994. In addition to the supply of original manufacturers’ test certificates for all items, positive material identification is available in-house on all materials before despatch.

DK Jones Ltd – UK sales@dkjones.com www.dkjones.com

Marmon Distribution Services president to retire

Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, and has completed MSCI’s Strategic Metals Management programme. He currently serves on the MSCI board of directors. Marmon Distribution Services is a major supplier of metal pipe, tubing, bar and sheet products to the construction, industrial and aerospace markets, among many other industries. Based in Butler, Pennsylvania, USA, the company encompasses Marmon/ Keystone LLC, Marmon/Keystone Canada Inc, Marmon/Keystone de Mexico SA de CV, Bushwick Metals LLC, Future Metals LLC and M/K Express Company LLC. These businesses operate more than 60 sales and service centres in North America, Europe and Asia.

Marmon Distribution Services, Inc – USA

sales@marmonkeystone.com www.marmonkeystone.com

Mr Wilkinson obtained a bachelor’s in marketing and management from

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