Fifth-generation family-run PVF manufacturer, NIBCO, invited plumbers and media members to tour its over 400,000-square-foot Stuarts Draft, Virginia, facility this fall – the company’s only WROT copper fitting manufacturing plant. The Stuarts Draft plant is currently producing 3,085 different SKUs and has a 40-million-pound capacity when fully staffed. Getting to see 99.9% pure copper transformed into various products – fittings, tees, elbows, pipe, adapters and beyond – along with the passionate team of heavily tenured associates, was a true celebration of American manufacturing.

With eleven manufacturing facilities and 12 distribution centers in the U.S., Elkhart, Indiana-based NIBCO celebrated its 120th year in 2024. For more than 100 of those years, the company has been an ESOP, allowing all employees to be owners, prompting a sense of pride throughout the facility that can’t be overlooked.

This visit wasn’t my first trip to the Stuarts Draft facility; I was lucky enough to attend an employee appreciation event back in 2019, where I first learned about NIBCO’s 25-Year Club: The company has so many decades-long employees that it started a club. At the event I attended years ago, associates were recognized for reaching 25 years, 40, and even some 50 years of service. Now in 2025, NIBCO can proudly say that 15% of its roughly 2,300 employees are members of the 25-Year Club. While in Stuarts Draft, we briefly met NIBCO’s longest-tenured employee to date – Norman Smith, Tool Room Leader, who’s been with the business for 62 years.

Depending on the product size and volume, the manufacturing processes we saw on tour were a healthy mix of both high-tech and automated for smaller fittings and impressive hand-loading for larger applications. Even with the robotics and automation built into the manufacturing process, the human element remains essential. Every product run includes regular human quality checks, ensuring that precision and consistency live up to NIBCO’s standards. That balance of advanced technology with experienced craftsmanship reinforces why the Stuarts Draft plant has built such a strong reputation for reliability in the field.

Another highlight of the tour was seeing how sustainability is built into daily operations. All copper scrap is recycled on site through a remelting process that reaches over 2,000 degrees, returning the metal into circulation for future fittings. The facility also operates its own wastewater treatment system, cleaning and returning water to Augusta County.

The pride NIBCO takes in its relationship with plumbers was also front and center. Plumbing influencers like Mary Ann Bowcott, a.k.a. “The Lady Plumber,” Canada-based plumber Terence Chan, and licensed plumber and coach Alan Carlson joined the event, and it was clear that camaraderie between tradespeople and the NIBCO team runs deep. Several plumbers commented on what they call the “NIBCO shine” — the polished finish and anti-rust treatment that distinguish NIBCO fittings on the shelf.

After rounding out the day by completing my very first press fitting connection, I left Stuarts Draft with an even deeper appreciation for American manufacturing and the impact it has on associates building a life from their careers, along with the enduring partnerships with tradespeople NIBCO strives to foster every day.