Guys, could someone on the East side (of Puget sound) confirm/squelch a rumor? I heard from one of our Japan offices that Alaskan Copper & Brass is going out of business - I've not had time to call and check during working hours - anyone know?
I hope not. Steve
I shop at Alaskan Copper a few times a week. I haven't heard a bit about them closing.
They have been considering shutting down their fab shop. It hasn't turned a profit in years.
Their pipe shop, which makes large stainless and high alloy pipe fittings for ship construction , is in sad shape though. The plant desperately needs to be modernized to compete against their rivals on the east coast.
Alaskan Copper and Brass was originally owned by 1 man. None of his sons wanted to keep the company, so when he died he willed the company to his sons in pieces. The sons would love to sell it, but none of the interested buyers wanted to buy pieces, justteh whole operation. The sons are blocked from merging the company back together for another few years, by stipulations in the will. The sons so far have not been interested in investing any money in updating the fab or pipe shops
I wouldn't be surprised if they closed the pipe shop and the fab shop, but plate, pipe and tube sales is making piles of money. I can't see that closing down soon.
They did sell a bunch of land across the street from their main operation to the city of Seattle for the new light rail station.
Ernie, thanks loads. Lots of great history here. I think that explains our problem - we need reducers and flanges, and they're just not available at short notice. r/ Steve
We take a tour of Alaskan's Pipe shop each quarter with the students from school. There pipe seam welders are like something from junkyard wars. Massive conglomerations for light bulbs, variacs, meters, and blinky lights. I swear they look like they were built by the special effects team from the early frankentsien movies. The shop is absolutely filthy with so much accumulated grinding dust on everything that the entire plant is in a constant state of gloom. Their policy is, if it worked 15 (20, 25, 30) years ago, it is perfectly fine to use now, and never replace old equipment with new, just scab some patches onto the old stuff.
From what I here 2 of their 3 competitors on the east coast have brand new facilities with fully robotic seam welders.
The place would be an EPA disaster to try and clean up. Nickle and Chromium dust in every nook and cranny
Makes me wonder why EPA lets them continue? Some kind of grandfather clause?
Lane
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