Brecheen Pipe & Steel fills a niche as dependable, local WBE supplier

May 21, 2023

Sponsored by Brecheen Pipe & Steel Co.

Brecheen Pipe & Steel Co. has found its niche. Its Port Allen location is ideally situated for quickly getting product to industrial plants across all South Louisiana. Not many of the larger supply houses can promise that.

They’re also personally committed to supporting local industry. Brecheen Pipe & Steel has been doing business as south Louisiana's "go-to" supplier of structural steel and pipe in the metals service center industry for decades, offering carbon, galvanized carbon, stainless, aluminum and other exotic alloy steel to the petrochemical, refinery, pulp and paper, sugar, fabricator and construction industries. Their products include a full range of flat, plate, tubing, pipe, bar and structural. They also offer CNC plastic/oxy-fuel, shear, saw and light fabrication.

There are other differentiators. Brecheen's steel service center also stocks a full array of carbon steel items, and offers plate flame cutting services, plasma and oxy-fuel services, cutting slip and spectacle blinds, gussets, parts and decorative items. They have stock lengths of galvanized steel and aluminum products but can cut to specifications when needed. "We can execute CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) on a plasma table," says owner Danielle Brecheen. "If someone has a flange or cog, it will automatically cut steel plate into our customer's specialized shapes.

"I compete with much larger companies by supplying those specialty items that they don't, and doing it more quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively," she adds. "We’re known for our inventory of carbon steel and diverse stock of galvanized structural steel. Not everybody supplies that."

The Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) is also tapping into an industry-wide need for WBEs. The company is one of the only woman-owned and operated steel distributors in the region, and south Louisiana industrial owners are looking to hire more WBEs to meet their own internal goals.

Danielle's father started the business in 1980, at first catering to the marine industry but then diversifying his product and customer base when the oil market went bust a few years later. Then, when Danielle joined the company in the mid-1980s, she began focusing more on industrial maintenance contracts to create a foundation of repeat business.

She says it was slow going in the beginning, as the industrial market was still largely dominated by men in the 1980s. "It was a boys’ club," she adds. "You had to work twice as hard to earn their respect. That's changed a lot. Today, women are in the plants doing the work, handling the procurement … even managing the plants."

Danielle is content to manage everything from their one location in Port Allen. "When you’re small and trying to compete with huge multi-million-dollar conglomerates you must focus on providing a good product, good service and competitive pricing.

"Turnarounds and expansions keep us busy and keep the local contractors busy," she adds. "It's all about service – a lot of our customers forget to order something that they need the next morning. We’re there for them. We’re their go-to ‘just in time’ supplier."