Since its founding, Texcel has sought to offer its customers high quality products paired with excellent customer service. In the beginning, this primarily included a range of rubber hoses, with a particular focus on large diameter hose, as they were challenging for customers to find. Insights from these early days have now transitioned into the strong foundation that allows Texcel to stay ahead of the curve and offer a diverse range of products while continuing to ‘make a difference’.
Hose + Coupling World had the pleasure of speaking with Ed Nasta, CEO and President of Texcel, to discuss the company’s entrepreneurial history, the vitality that drives it, and how, after 40 years of experience, Texcel remains young in spirit and in attitude.
By Angelica Pajkovic
Progressive History
Originally established in 1981, under the name Trelltex Inc., founder Ed Loke and his team took pride in the company’s ability to address the need for quick shipments and reliable products. Trelltex’s attention to detail and large inventory assured its customers that it was a dependable source for their various hose needs. In 1986, the company was recognized for its potential by being ranked #102 on Inc. Magazine’s 500 Fastest Growing Small Businesses List. Four years later, the company changed its name to Texcel and has continued to expand its presence throughout the U.S. ever since.
“When I joined Texcel in 1998, we were still a relatively small company,” explained Mr. Nasta. “Everyone had to wear many hats and we were constantly improving the way we were doing things. Although we have grown quite substantially since then, our standards for dependable quality service remain uncompromised.”
Over the decades, Texcel has broadened its offerings significantly, making its products and services some of the most diverse in the industry. To meet the demands of the ever-increasing number of loyal customers who entrust it with their business, the company has expanded its presence nationwide. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Texcel has warehouse locations in Illinois, Delaware, Alabama, Colorado, and California to provide each of its customers with efficient and effective regional services.
“When I take stock of where we are now, I am very proud of our modest beginnings,” stated Mr. Nasta. “The values that were established then, are still followed today, and they have served as a great foundation on which we have continued to build.”
Vitality Driving Values
The driving force behind each of Texcel’s successes has, and will always be, the dedicated individuals who are committed to upholding the values of the company. With specialized employees who oversee every facet of the company’s operations, from the frontline warehouse employees that make sure customers’ orders are processed correctly, to the knowledgeable customer service representatives, sales team, and technical support team, Texcel is able to approach each unique situation with experience and enthusiasm.
“At Texcel we strive to live by our values every day. Our motto is ‘make a difference,’” explained Mr. Nasta. “We want to have a positive impact on the lives of our employees, our customers, and our supply chain partners, and we do so by approaching each challenge as an opportunity to learn and grow.”
By taking the time to analyze multiple perspectives, Texcel is able to approach issues from new angles and address potential problems. “One of the things that really helped me when I first got here, was the opportunity to visit many of our customers and ask them a lot of questions and learn how our customers used and relied on Texcel to service the needs of end-users. Most importantly I learned to put people first,” said Mr. Nasta. “Today is no different. We still have a variety of perspectives to learn and are excited to implement different approaches; really we are just getting started.”
Dynamic Product Divisions
As a big supporter of teamwork and collaboration, Texcel works as a collective unit to offer leading customer service within its three distinct divisions: Texcel Industrial, Texcel Fluid Sealing, and Texcel Hydraulics. “One of our core values is continuous improvement; it is a part of our DNA,” stated Mr. Nasta. “We are constantly challenging ourselves to make things better and are very excited about some of the products and services we have introduced into the market from each of our divisions.”
Texcel’s Industrial division contains the company’s original product offerings, which have continued to grow in the last 20 years. In the early 2000s, the company expanded its line of industrial hoses, adding the Gamma Series™ of rubber hoses for oil, tank truck, and other applications. The release of this series was closely followed by the addition of the Sigma Series™ of PVC hoses. In 2017, it introduced a line of food and beverage hoses and sanitary fittings for the transfer of liquids and foodstuffs. The variety of hoses and couplings in this division serve a diverse range of applications and the products can be found at oilfields, construction sites and in breweries nationwide.
The Fluid Sealing division is largely comprised of rubber goods, such as skirtboard and sheet rubber, that are used for fabricating gaskets and sealing products, floor protectors and conveyor belt liners.
In 2017, Texcel introduced its Hydraulic Division which offers a full line of SAE and Isobaric hoses as well as hydraulic fittings. After extensive research and development into the needs of the current market, the company launched a comprehensive line of products for use in the construction, oil & gas, agriculture, mining & aggregates, and many other industrial sectors.
Earlier this year, Texcel announced its partnership with Mandals AS to further enhance its product offering with innovative, best-in-class, lay-flat hoses for a variety of markets and applications, including, concrete pumping, water transfer, compressed air, and more.
“We have dedicated a lot of resources to make systems improvements, perform upgrades, increase productivity, and look for ways to integrate automation to minimize errors. We have also greatly enhanced our e-commerce capabilities and our online presence to ensure that we never stagnate,” stated Mr. Nasta. “We do not see ourselves as 40 years old, instead we see ourselves as 40 years young with significant potential for growth.”
Leading Standards
As a founding member of the National Association for Hose and Accessories Distribution (NAHAD), Texcel believes that one of its responsibilities is to set the standard in excellence. The company prides itself on working side-by-side with its distributor partners in order to best serve the industry.
“To this day our entire team prides itself on its commitment to listening to our customers and developing deep partnerships with them, in ways that help us both; it is always a two-way street,” said Mr. Nasta. Whether it is through a simple phone call to help place an order, or through heavy involvement in research and development, Texcel makes sure to provide the best solutions for its customers no matter what obstacles present themselves.
With the global pandemic last year, Texcel kept working to serve its customers to the best of its ability. “When the Covid-19 pandemic hit at the beginning of 2020, we adopted a motto across the organization: ‘absorb the pain but position for gain,’” continued Mr. Nasta. “We were able to adapt and move quickly to overcome many of the obstacles that arose with the pandemic and ensure that our customers’ experience was never compromised. Now, we are exceeding our expectations in terms of recovery, growth, and employee engagement.”
Looking Forward
Deeply rooted in the industry, Texcel strives to be the best supplier nationwide for its distributor partners. With an inherent respect for its distributors, who are at the forefront of serving industry, the company aims to keep aligning itself with their needs, and the needs of end-users.
“My role has changed considerably in the last 20 years. My focus now is to help inspire our team to approach each challenge with optimism. While it may be the Executive Management Team that defines the vision for Texcel, at the end of the day, it is our people that make it happen,” stated Mr. Nasta. “We are excited to see what the future holds and will continue to develop progressive technologies for the hose industry. By rising to this challenge, we will remain young in both spirit and in attitude for another 40 years.”