Electrosteel USA:

As the first new supplier of AWWA ductile iron pipe in more than 75 years, Electrosteel USA (EUSA) is quickly becoming known for its high-quality, value-adding capabilities.

EUSA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Electrosteel Casting Ltd. (ECL) based in Kolkata, India. As the world’s second largest DIP manufacturer, ECL casts more than one million tons of DIP in its four Kolkata foundries. This large capacity gives ECL opportunities to participate in every major global market including Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas. In most markets, ECL is recognized as a leading supplier due to its product range, quality and delivery capabilities.

In 2009, EUSA began importing AWWA DIP into Savannah, Georgia for distribution throughout the United States. Five years later, EUSA has supplied more than 3 million feet of pipe to 300+ utilities and to almost every state. While still new to many users and contractors, EUSA is quickly recognized for its finish quality, dimensional consistency and joint interchangeability. EUSA DIP integrates seamlessly with other DIP brands including U.S. Pipe, McWane and American.

EUSA offers AWWA-compliant DIP in sizes 3” through 36” also in classes from Thickness Class 50 to 53 and Pressure Class 150–350. Standard push-on pipe is manufactured with EUSA’s proprietary Pushtite bell which is warranted to be 100% interchangeable with all Tyton® branded joints. Pushtite is also compatible with most restrained joint gaskets designed to work within a Tyton® joint. EUSA also produces the Push lock RJ system which provides integrated restraint. EUSA pipe comes standard with NSF 61 certified double cement lining and asphalt coating. Tnemec’s 431 Perma shield® epoxy interior lining is also available. Zinc exterior base coat is standard on all EUSA pipes. EUSA products are ISO 9001, UL, FM and ISO 14001 certified.

EUSA’s product is stored in two North American locations, Savannah, Georgia and Stockton, California. Most of the North American market is reachable in under two days and EUSA prides itself on <12-hour turnaround on any product. As Managing Director Danny Swalley puts it, “We’re in the service business. Our systems and procedures are designed to ship any standard load of pipe in under one hour. Even for non-standard configurations, we rarely need more than 12 hours to get pipe moving.”

What really sets EUSA apart, however, is its commitment to customer service. With ECL serving such a broad world marketplace, its subsidiaries are not designed to be everything to everybody. Instead, subsidiaries like EUSA focus their resources on being an exceptional supplier to select partners. This translates to reliable stocking inventory, engaged customer service reps and a sales process designed uniquely to support EUSA’s partners success. When the supply crisis hit in 2022, not a single EUSA partner missed a delivery or experienced a shipping delay. Swalley said, “We prioritized our inventory so we could keep every promise our team made. We then targeted surplus inventory to help our partners gain market share. Anybody could sell pipe in 2022, we grew relationships.”

Utilities are often surprised when they first learn of EUSA, especially when they ascertain EUSA has been in operation for 15+ years. In most cases, that leads to a quick newfound appreciation for the dynamic value EUSA can bring to their market. “Utilities love how we create a more robust bidding environment in their market,” Swalley said. “Often three suppliers are not enough to create the pricing action utilities want. When we’re invited to bid, utilities feel they are getting more value for their rate payer’s dollar.” One example, EUSA does not charge a premium for its zinc coating. As the pioneer of zinc coatings on AWWA pipe, EUSA has never charged a premium thereby saving utilities 15-20%.

“The next generation of DIP” is not just a slogan for EUSA but the mission it starts with every day. “We are rethinking every aspect of DIP production, supply, design and end-user collaboration,” Swalley said. “Our partnership with IMARK is yet another innovative approach to improving the waterworks’ supply chain and we couldn’t be more excited to start this journey!”