Tubed Products, LLC history

Other acquisitions followed, including the purchase of United States Broach and Machine Company in 1968.

In 1972, shortly after announcing construction of the MacSteel plant, McHattie died.

1974: The MacSteel plant is opened.

At the same time, Quanex jettisoned its comparatively sluggish Standard Tube Division and the United States Broach and Machine Company, both of which did not complement the company's energy industry focus. It invested heavily to upgrade its MacSteel plant in Michigan and even constructed a new welded-oil-tubing manufacturing facility in 1980 in Bellmont, Texas--closer to its primary customer base.

The MacSteel plant would be the centerpiece of Quanex's thriving energy-related steel business, which was accounting for about 50 percent of the company's total revenues by 1981.

Furthermore, to divert another inventory disaster such as that suffered in 1982, the company adopted a policy of holding almost no inventory; instead, almost every batch of steel was made to order and was even barcoded with the owner's name and address prior to delivery.

The MacSteel plant opened in 1985 but would operate in the red for a few years and drag down the company's bottom line.

In 1990, moreover, Quanex generated $650 million in sales and nearly $30 million in net income.

Sales began to pick up the following year, however, and in 1994 reached the record level of $699 million.

Rising steel prices and increased market share in 1995 boded well for Quanex in the short term.

Piper Impact Inc. was bought in 1996.

In order to shore up funds for investments in high growth areas, the company sold off LaSalle Steel Co. in 1997.

The company reported profits in 1999 that were nearly four times higher than the previous year's results--a sure sign it was well positioned to enter the new century.

The company was founded in September 2004, under the careful guidance of engineers and industry experts, Ameritube began its production and improvement strategy by focusing on the shipped product and moving backwards.

In 2007 with copper prices at all time highs, Ameritube completed a 12,000 tube job of C44300 admiralty brass, 3/4″ x .083″ MW and 3/4″ x .065″ MW for an industry leader in heat exchanger manufacturing.