No-Hub Pipe

I started in the No-Hub pipe business in 1996 and now is 27 years. 

One day in 1996 I received a fax from a Korean company named "Sahm Yook". In the fax, the company said they demand cast iron pipe and the pipe factory is near my company. In the afternoon the driver drove my company's HONDA Accord car to the pipe factory.

The factory is very small and the manager Mr. Li Gang told me the output is about 50 Metric Tons per month. We finalized a 50 Metric Ton order. After at least 60 days the factory completes the order. It is my first time doing this business I do not know how to pack them and transport them to the port? I use square wood and thread rod to bundle the pipes. The packing is very bulky and heavy. 

After the company received the pipes and the company's boss flew to China and met me. He told me pipes have a big market in Korea so we decide to invest in the pipe factory. 6 months later the new factory is completed and the name is "Qiaoshan". "Qiao" is the mountain's name near the new factory and "Shan" is the mountain's pronunciation in Mandarin. As "Qiao" has no spelling in English so my customers who speak in English can't say it very well.

When the new factory started we began to sell pipes to the Korean market. At that time we have no domestic selling because China has no cast iron pipe standard so the architects will do not use it. I attend a lot of fairs in China to introduce cast iron pipes. At that time some US importers purchased no-hub fittings from Canton, China so we build business relationships with the US importers. My first US customer is JRCousin Internation and the boss's name is Rus Kingman. 2001 I have my first Canadian customer Sierra Distributors and the boss's name is Dave Kelm. From we began to do business he sold the company I never met Mr. Dave Kelm. I think this is the credit, I trust him and he trusts me.

From 2000 to now I saw many importers come into this business and quit. Calsak, DWV, Morally wholesale, Matco Norca, Stat pipe... But Li is still here. Because my principle is quality is first. My Canadian importer requires a minimum unit weight of 23 kg of 3" pipe. I scaled 2112 pieces (2 containers) one by one. Am I stupid? One of my Canadian customer's end-user told me that his crews know which piece of pipe is made by Qiaoshan. Because my pipes are heavier than others, LOL.

These years I refused some importers who want to purchase lighter pipes. My 4" pipe actual unit weight is 77lbs(34.95kgs) and they just require 69.5lbs (31.5kgs). I dared not to produce the light pipe. Light pipe means thin wall-thickness and means short life. I saw some plumbers who said not to use Chinese pipes. I know the reason so I only produce thick wall-thickness pipes. 

Today I share this because I want to let my friend, partner, and customers know my history of cast iron pipes, and know Li is a man worth trusting 😀

I attached a photo that my pipe and other foundry's pipe comparison.