Marmon/Keystone Corp. has been operating for almost 100 years from its original location at 225 E. Cunningham St.

Some still remember its original name, Keystone Pipe & Supply, when customers bought used pipe or plumbing and oil well supplies.

Not only has the company made tremendous strides in many areas since it opened in 1907, it can now be classified as one of the world's largest distributors of specialty tubular products. A varied inventory consisting of 15,000 sizes and grades of carbon, alloy, aluminum and stainless steel tubular and bar products is available from over 40 service centers and sales offices throughout The United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Marmon/Keystone subsidiaries penetrate markets in Europe as well.

Virtually every industry requires some form of pipe or tubing, especially those in transportation, agriculture, construction, machinery manufacturing, fabrication, fluid power, aerospace, energy and textiles. By adapting to the rapidly changing trends in technology, Marmon/Keystone recognizes the value of innovative marketing tools.

Certain initiatives having a major impact on the company's business include: value added services, ISO certification to 9001:2000 standards, 80/20 business simplification, vendor managed inventory, E-commerce capability, and distributor managed inventory.

Norman E. Gottschalk Jr., president since 1989, initiated the quality improvement process, whereby every employee, regardless of position, undergoes 20 hours of quality training. As a result, quality improvement has become a never-ending procedure.

The quality process gave rise to the SQS, the Supplier Quality System, which requires suppliers maintain certain standards in product quality.

Commenting on the future, Mr. Gottschalk said, "As we approach a century of service, I envision a future of continued growth and expansion. We will pursue the latest advancements in technology, changing our strategies where necessary, and maintaining our strength through our quality people, products, and our customer service."