business & market news
16
Tube ProducTs INTerNaTIoNal November 2013
Fine Tubes opens Houston facility
Fine Tubes, a manufacturer and global
distributor of precision tubes for critical
applications, has opened a new facility
in Houston, Texas, USA, and appointed
Robin Hodgson to head the new
operation in the position of oil and gas
business development manager.
With oil and gas companies undertaking
exploration and production activities
in increasingly hostile environments,
Fine Tubes is in a position to support
these opportunities. The company’s
experience in manufacturing high
pressure, highly corrosion-resistant
tubes for North Sea drilling projects is
of potential value to operators in areas
such as the Gulf of Mexico.
With primary responsibility for building
on the dual customer interface that
Fine Tubes can offer – commercial
and technical – and for developing
key business relationships across
the immediate region and the wider
Americas, including Brazil, Mr Hodgson
will be working in conjunction with Fine
Tubes’ sister company, Superior Tubes
in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA.
Mr Hodgson joins Fine Tubes from
ContiTech Oil & Marine Corp, with whom
he moved from the UK to Houston in
2002 and where his final position was as
sales manager for high-pressure hose
assemblies in North and South America.
Mr Hodgson commented, “I am very
much looking forward to being part of
a global team and contributing to the
further success of Fine Tubes in the US.
Working together with Superior Tubes
we’ll be able to deliver an exciting
product offering across the spectrum of
oil and gas applications.”
Brian Mercer, Fine Tubes global sales
and marketing director, added, “Whilst
we focus on manufacturing high quality
products for often ‘mission critical’
applications, an important part of the
Fine Tubes offer is the technical support
and advice we can provide across a
broad range of stainless, nickel and
titanium alloys. Robin has the experience
and skill to ensure that our customers
are fully supported in this way.”
The Houston office opened in mid-
July and is already offering sales
and technical support in the region,
complementing the company’s global
operations, which cover more than
35 countries from offices in the UK,
Germany, France, India, and now the
USA.
Fine Tubes ltd
– UK
Fine Tubes ltd
– USA
Brian Mercer and Robin Hodgson
Certification for high purity tubing
RathGibson, a manufacturer of welded,
welded and drawn, and seamless
stainless steel, nickel and alloy tubing,
has earned the American Society
of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
BioProcessing Equipment (BPE)
certification.
The certification was awarded
in recognition of the company’s
commitment to excellence in the
manufacture of high and ultra high
purity tubing.
“After the audit was scheduled, the
process moved quickly,” explained
Michael Aston, manager – quality
assurance.
“The ASME auditor concluded that
the processes that we already had
in place met the requirements of the
standard.”
RathGibson received ASME BPE
certificate #103 on its ASME BPE SF1
and SF4 product lines.
The company’s ASME BPE SF1 tubing
is mechanically polished on the ID to
20µ-in Ra (0.5µm) ID max; ASME BPE
SF4 tubing is electro-polished on the ID
to 15µ-in Ra (0.4µm) max. Both product
lines are available in 12.7 to 152.4mm
(½" to 6") OD, in stock 6.1m (20ft)
lengths.
Paul Sedivy, director – high purity
products, commented, “Earning this
certification is our reward for our
dedication to quality. We are proud
that pharmaceutical and biotechnology
companies turn to us for solutions that
add value. Our goal is to continue
to exceed the expectations of our
customers in order to positively
contribute to their bottom lines.”
RathGibson, a PCC Energy Group
company, is a worldwide manufacturer
of precision engineered straight lengths,
coil, and U-bend tubing for industries
such as power generation, renewable, oil
and gas, petrochemical, chemical, food
and dairy, beverage, pharmaceutical,
and general commercial.
The
company’s
manufacturing
locations in the USA include Janesville,
Wisconsin; North Branch, New Jersey;
and Clarksville, Arkansas (Greenville
Tube).
In addition to sales offices in Janesville
and North Branch, RathGibson has
strategically placed sales offices in
Shanghai, China; São Paulo, Brazil; and
Mumbai, India.
rathGibson
– USA
