Celebrating 65 Years
A Fitting Legacy!
We are celebrating Swagelok milestones in 2022! Our Swagelok North Texas Sales and Service Center is celebrating 65 years in the fluid system component industry by representing Swagelok's superior products and services. In fact, Swagelok is celebrating 75 years in business and we couldn't be more proud to be part of an organization that lives its values, is committed to associates and continues to grow and thrive each year.
Our 65 years of success at SNT would not be possible without the support and trust of our customers - thank you. At Swagelok North Texas, the future is bright!
Our Story: Swagelok North Texas History
The origin of Swagelok North Texas dates all the way back to 1957 when the Swagelok distributorship, then named Texas Valve & Fitting Co. (TVFC), opened for business. It began when Thomas A. Read, one of the original Swagelok distributors in Houston, encouraged his brother George to go to Dallas and sell Swagelok products. George did just that, and registered the business name: “Texas Valve & Fitting Co.”George Read successfully introduced Swagelok products, including the revolutionary two-ferrule compression fitting, to prospective customers across the metroplex. After years of working from his home, Mr. Read opened the first TVFC office in Dallas and assembled a team of dedicated salesmen that would carry Swagelok's tradition of quality and service for decades to come.
With 37 years as the distributor principal at TVFC, Mr. Read retired in 1994 and Sales Manager JW Crane was named TVFC's second distributor principal. Mr. Crane focused on extensive product knowledge and local inventory increases to help expand the business out of the original location, to a larger facility in Dallas that could accommodate the growing needs of customers. During Mr. Crane's tenure, the distributorship earned the business of one of the largest semiconductor facilities in the nation, under the leadership of a salesman named Ben Williams. Ben started with TVFC in 1979, and by 1996 was promoted to Sales Manager. Ben's innate ability to connect with customers and excel in business management, combined with his vast knowledge of Swagelok offerings, positioned him to be the ideal choice as Mr. Crane's successor in 2008.
With new leadership came new offerings at TVFC, including its third and current office location in Allen, Texas, as well as the introduction to Swagelok's Custom Solutions department to offer customers in-house, customized fabrication capabilities and turn-key assembly applications. Ben Williams retired in 2020, paving the way for our current distributor principal, Mike Merkel; and in October of 2020, TVFC was rebranded to Swagelok North Texas to better align with the global brand recognition of the Swagelok name. Mike has been with Swagelok for more than a decade in various leadership roles, including Regional Director at Swagelok Corporate in Ohio. His focus is on developing his team to continue providing customers world class service and lifelong partnerships that Swagelok and specifically, this distributorship offers now and into the future.
Throughout our Swagelok history, our core values have defined us, and they are still the driving force behind every decision we make and every action we take.
Customer Focus: Create Value for the Customer to Create Value for Swagelok
Swagelok and authorized sales and service centers work together to help customers achieve their goals—for safety, reliability, efficiency, sustainability, growth, and more. Regularly stocked products are readily available throughout the world, and technical experts are on hand to collaborate on specially designed solutions, on-site evaluations, and training. And we look forward to exploring many more horizons with customers in the future!
Integrity: Choose to Do the Right Thing with Courage and Character
Integrity is at the heart of Swagelok. Our founder Fred Lennon set the standard, and today’s associates continue to be inspired to do the right thing. We understand that each of our decisions impacts more than just our organization. Operating with a holistic, long-term view, Swagelok has the freedom to invest in our business in ways that benefit our customers, our communities, and each other — regardless of the economic climate.
Quality: Provide High Value and High Performance in Our Products, Processes, and Services
Quality is built into our products, every step of the way. Through rigorous raw material requirements and proprietary precision tooling, we ensure and protect the most critical product features. Throughout the organization, our passion for excellence has created a culture of quality that extends to authorized Swagelok sales and service centers. We are proud to provide high-quality products and experiences anywhere in the world.
Continuous Improvement: Systematically and Consistently Do Things Better
Our passion for continuous improvement inspires flexibility. We are always open to new ways of performing more efficiently and developing better solutions for customers. Over the years, even our flagship product—the Swagelok® tube fitting—has benefited from ongoing improvements, including changes to ferrule geometry and metallurgy. As application requirements have changed, we have adjusted our products to meet these demands and we will continue to do so for the next 75 years.
Respect for the Individual: Commit to the Success of Each Associate Through an Environment Where People Are Trusted, Respected, and Treated Fairly
Our founder Fred Lennon created a culture of respect, where associates—never “employees”—feel a sense of connection and pride. Our people-focused culture is evident in our Total Rewards benefits for all associates; open-door policy; no-layoff philosophy; focus on safety; and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are committed to nurturing an environment where all associates feel welcome, supported, and valued. That’s why our associates have tenures of 10, 20, 30, and even 40 years.
Innovation: Challenge Conventional Wisdom to Create New Value for the Customer
Swagelok was first to market with a leak-tight, two-ferrule tube fitting that helped define the fluid system industry. And our unique business model was a game-changer, too; a network of authorized sales and service centers, focused solely on Swagelok’s product line, supports customers with local inventory and expert support. Today, Swagelok holds more than 225 active patents, and as the pace of change continues to accelerate, we are collaborating with customers to bring new products and services to the marketplace.