History

If there was ever a story that personified the American Dream, it’s our story. The C&B history is one of entrepreneurship and customer focus.

From 1972 – 1985, Curtis Estes was Product Manager for Clow Corporation. He traveled ½ the United States calling on contractors building water and wastewater treatment plants. In late 1985 Clow was sold to McWane resulting in the elimination of the Birmingham area sales staff. After 13 years of service in this industry, with a young son to care for, and with the strength of many great contractor friends, Curtis and Brenda (C&B) opened C&B Drafting, Inc. in 1985, which later became C&B Piping, Inc. in 1986.

In 2016 we expanded our glass lining operation with the acquisition of the largest oven being used in our industry. This has allowed us to do the largest sizes of ductile iron glass lining.

The business actually began in the basement of their home with Curtis drawing “on the board”. His company was called C&B Drafting, Inc. Curtis’s customers wanted more than drawings from Curtis, so very soon he began packaging for resell. Curtis did take-offs, quotes, drawings, made sales calls, and managed the customer orders. Brenda handed all of the other duties such as billing, invoicing, and order processing. At the time C&B had no inventory. It was strictly a buy, bundle, and resell operation. In 1988 C&B moved into a rented office in Forestdale, AL. Brenda handled office duties for both C&B and an attorney to help cover the office expense, while Curtis stayed focused on his customers. Very soon C&B added an office assistant, a sales person, a draftsman, and an estimator. Six months later C&B leased a building and small yard in Minor, AL, and the company started carrying a small inventory. It was at this time that Curtis began trading in surplus inventory with his contractor customers, which would soon become a service advantage and key to C&B’s early success. In 1990, as the business continued to grow, C&B purchased an office and 4 acre yard in Adamsville, AL. Around this time Alan Foote joined the company and later became a partner.

Curtis and Alan soon were being asked by their customers to manufacture flanged spools in order to service the projects timely. Every time our customers asked for something more, Curtis would find a way to say “Yes!”. In a few weeks, C&B acquired B&R Fabrication in Nashville and moved the fabrication equipment to Adamsville, AL.

C&B operated exclusively in Adamsville until 1999. During this time we added more employees, more inventory, and more capabilities. In 1997, C&B started lining ductile iron pipe & fittings with Protecto 401 Ceramic Epoxy lining for sewer which quickly became the industry lining standard. In 1999, more property was needed in order to support the company growth. C&B acquired 30 acres in Leeds, AL and quickly commenced developing the property into a manufacturing plant built to service water and wastewater treatment plant contractors. In 2003, C&B developed CBGL911 glass lining for ductile iron piping and our glass lining business has experienced tremendous growth since. In 2009 we invested in the construction of a 50,000 square foot linings & coatings production building in Leeds, AL. We are currently the largest volume ductile iron glass lining producer in the USA. We provide glass lined pipe and fittings direct to the United States marketplace, the International marketplace, and also serve as an OEM glass lining provider to DeZurik, Valmatic, InFact Corporation and others. Since 2009, we have expanded our linings and coatings capabilities to offer a more diverse set of products. (In 2016 we expanded our glass lining operation with the acquisition of the largest oven being used in our industry. This has allowed us to do the largest sizes of ductile iron glass lining.) Our Leeds, AL fabrication shop has developed into the largest iron fab shop under one roof in the USA.

In 2012, we moved into expansion mode once again with a focus on the western United States. Since 2012, C&B has furnished a few hundred projects in the western states and developed some fantastic customer relationships. In late 2016, C&B Piping West opened a fabrication and linings facility in Gilbert, AZ to service our western customers.

In 2018 we expanded into Virginia and the Northeastern United States through the aquisition of Higgins Engineering in Amherst, Virginia.

Curtis and Brenda’s son Chad joined the family business shortly after graduating from Auburn in 2001. He quickly learned all the aspects of the business by working diligently in each key functional role  In 2014, Chad earned the position of Vice President of Operations.  

Curtis and Brenda retired from C&B Piping in the fall of 2017 after 31 years.  Chad assumed the role of President and Owner.  Curtis and Brenda attribute their success to their faith in God, a strong marriage, great loyal customers, and some great employees. Curtis, Brenda, and Chad feel they have been more than blessed to have started C&B, and watched it grow from a Mom and Pop team in a basement to a 100+ employee operation with multiple locations.

In 2023 Chad assumed the role of CEO and promoted Stephen Gables to President.    In the same year,  C&B Piping Leeds opened 38,000 sq ft painting facility to handle growth in volume.