After many years in the family business working for Jackson-Markus supply, Kevin and Andy’s father, Ron Kurstin, started RWK International in 1974, supplying industrial pipe valves and fittings. RWK grew to four distribution centers across the USA; however, in 1993 when the economy collapsed, RWK closed its doors.
Shortly thereafter, Ron Kurstin started Smith Cooper International. He brought in several of his employees from RWK International to head up marketing and sales and hired his uncle, Alvin Markus, as Vice President responsible for overseeing all engineering and quality assurance.
Over the next ten years, Smith Cooper acquired several other companies (Sharpe Valve, Sharon Piping, Flo-Rite Products, Fine Stainless) and merged them into one company. In 2015, Ron Kurstin retired, and the company was purchased by a private equity company. It continues to be a major manufacturer and importer of pipes, valves, and fittings to this day.
