East Coast Valve Keeps Critical Systems Flowing
What began with one man’s experience repairing industrial valves has grown into a company trusted to keep power plants, shipyards, and naval vessels operating safely across the East Coast.
Most people never think about industrial valves. They don’t see them tucked inside power plants, hidden deep within ships, or quietly regulating the systems that keep factories, hospitals, and water treatment facilities operating. But when one fails, the consequences can be significant.
Based in Chesapeake, East Coast Valve has a second location in Groton, Connecticut, and supports customers from Maine to Florida.
That’s where East Coast Valve Services comes in. Founded by Tim Tant in 2005, the Chesapeake-based company has built a reputation for repairing, rebuilding, and testing the valves and actuators that keep some of the nation’s most critical industries running. Today, with locations in Chesapeake and Groton, Connecticut, East Coast Valve Services supports customers from Maine to Florida, serving power generation, shipbuilding, manufacturing, paper mills, water treatment facilities, and the U.S. Navy.
Tim’s path to entrepreneurship began long before he opened his own doors. He spent two decades at Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock, where he helped establish the company’s dedicated valve shop after years of valve work being split between machine shops. Later, after working for several other valve companies and finding himself unexpectedly laid off, he faced a crossroads.
East Coast Valve has worked aboard naval vessels including the USS Wasp (above).
“I’d made everybody else money,” Tim says. “I knew the customers. I knew the work. I decided it was time to open my own shop.” In July 2005, East Coast Valve Services opened with a single location and about $500,000 in first-year revenue. Nearly 20 years later, the company expects annual sales to approach $13 million. That’s a testament to steady growth built on technical expertise and customer relationships, Tim says.
Workers at East Coast Valve are specially trained to remove valves, disassemble them, repair or remanufacture worn components, test, and then return the valves to service.
While the work may happen behind the scenes, its importance is impossible to overstate. Power plants, for example, often operate continuously through periods of peak demand. If a valve develops a problem, temporary repairs may keep the plant running until scheduled maintenance outages in the spring or fall. That’s when companies like East Coast Valve Services step in, removing valves, completely disassembling them, repairing or remanufacturing worn components, testing them to exacting specifications, and returning them to service.
The company performs similar work aboard naval vessels, including amphibious assault ships such as the USS Wasp and USS Iwo Jima, along with submarines and commercial marine vessels. East Coast Valve Services is also a Level I authorized service facility for several manufacturers, reflecting the technical standards required to work on critical equipment.
“We take the valve completely apart and rebuild it to the manufacturer’s specifications,” Tim explains. That commitment to quality extends beyond the shop floor. The company regularly supports charitable events throughout the region and participates in community fundraisers and golf tournaments. “We also support Children’s Home Society of Virginia’s child and family services programs in Newport News every year,” he says.
When Tim launched East Coast Valve Services, he walked into TowneBank with a business plan, a loan backed by the equity in his home, and plenty of nerves. “I was scared,” he says. “My banker was Tricia Randall who walked me through it, helped me out. We work with Dawn Provost now and TowneBank has been there 110 percent ever since.”
East Coast Valve Services started in 2005 with Tim Tant at the helm after he had spent many years working at other valve companies.
Today, the relationship includes business banking, retirement planning, commercial lending, and personal banking. For Tim, however, the real value isn’t found in a list of financial services. It’s knowing that, to keep their operations running, they require a banking partner that’s been with them since the day the company opened its doors.
For more information, visit EastCoastValve.com.