SPOTLIGHT ON : Ladish Valves and the Family of Brands
Ladish Valves
To Mark Progress
Ladish Valves has been at the forefront of innovation since the early 1950s . Spanning several industries and with approvals worldwide , Ladish is synonymous with controlled quality and corrosion resistance , having earned its reputation for engineering capabilities and bespoke solutions . The company has remained a front-runner in the market due to its superior customer service , rapid expansions in product offering , and wide range of valves in stainless steel and nickel alloy materials . Through organic and acquisition-based growth , the Ladish Family of Brands provides its customers with a comprehensive portfolio of valves and valve automation products .
Valve World Americas had the pleasure of speaking with Aaron DiStefano , Director of Operations , Barry Hoeffner , Director of Quarter Turn Products , Morgan Keith , Marketing Manager , and Connie Dobson , Sales Manager , about Ladish Valves ’ dynamic history . With their insight , the company ’ s commitment to growth came to light , highlighting its key values and how Ladish Valves intends to maintain its trusted reputation in the industry .
By Angelica Pajkovic and Sarah Bradley
An Unconventional Start to a Booming Business
Herman Ladish began his career in the bustling malting industry in the early 1900s . He quickly established himself in the business , climbing the corporate ladder and assuming the role of superintendent at The American Malting Company . Ladish folklore has it that Herman ’ s interest in metalworking was born from a problematic crankshaft that consistently halted production . Thus began his search for an alternative manufacturing method for metal forging , and the birth of a metal working conglomerate of forgings , flanges , fittings , and industrial valves was born . Herman found immense success in the industrial sector , and it quickly became one of the largest pipe fitting , flange , gate , globe , and check valve companies in the U . S .
The first several decades were incredibly fruitful for Ladish . At the height of its success , it housed 2,000 employees , in two separate facilities , and had more than enough machinery to make it a competitive player in the valve market .
Herman Ladish
“ Since its inception , it has been apparent that Ladish is unique ,” explained DiStefano . “ From the onset , the company did the legwork to ensure that it was aware of the cur- rent pain points in the industry . It also put effort into predicting future pain points , to effectively address the issues before they occurred . By doing so , Ladish was able to develop reliable and timeless products . In fact , we still see inquiries for some of the products we developed in 1965 .”
A New Generation Scales at Rapid Pace
The company relocated to Houston , TX in the 2000s , and a new family-owned generation began . By remaining dedicated to the values on which Ladish Valves was founded : hard work , pursuing innovation , and maintaining uncompromised integrity , the company has continued to scale at rapid rates . “ We started to add current designs like API 594 , 600 , and 603 to our portfolio and worked tirelessly to prefect our gate ,
globe , and check valve styles ,” said Hoeffner . “ We have come a long way over
the years , and we have done so by paying attention , and remaining true to our history ,” stated DiStefano .
After years of successful dedication to growing and evolving the multi-turn product line , Ladish opened its second facility in 2018 to focus exclusively on the production of quarter-turn valves . The company has seen immense success with its API 608 process designs and has been able to grow its engineering and production teams with the most recent development of metal seated and severe service products – all of which are SIL-3 certified . This facility also houses
Ladish T-Series package .
Ladish ’ s sister company , Advanced Industrial Technology ( AIT ), the exclusive North American distributor of Air Torque rack and pinion and scotch yoke actuators .
To round out a successful couple of decades and kick-start a new venture , Ladish acquired all the assets of Smith Valves and Diamond Gear at the end of 2020 . This acquisition provided a seamless reintroduction of forged valves back into the already thriving portfolio of engineered products . Smith Valves is one of the oldest and most trusted names in forged valves and with it came a major boost in commodity product offering . It also expanded manufacturing capabilities and warehouse space to over 80,000
2 Valve World Americas | September 2022 • www . valve-world-americas . net