7 on 7 with Stephen Meeker

STI/SPFA recently spoke with Stephen Meeker, President of Hamilton Tanks, LLC, about his career in the steel fabrication industry.

STI/SPFA: Tell us about the history of your company.

Stephen Meeker: Hamilton Tanks, LLC was originally founded in 1916 as Hamilton Welding & Manufacturing Company in Hamilton, Ohio by Robert H. Kemp and initially produced smoke stacks and repaired boilers.  When Robert went to fight in WWI, his son C. Eugene Kemp took over the company.  During that period, Hamilton Welding was awarded a contract to produce skid tanks for the war effort.  And from that original contract, the future of the business had been established.

In the late 1940’s, Hamilton Welding received its UL permit and began manufacturing 275 gallon home heating oil tanks which are still manufactured today.  A second tank manufacturing facility for the company was formed in Columbus, Ohio in 1955.  The business operated both facilities until 1983 when the operation was consolidated to conduct business exclusively from 2200 Refugee Road in the City of Columbus.

Thomas A. Kemp, son of Eugene Kemp, joined Hamilton Welding after graduating from The Ohio State University in 1958 and eventually became president and a 50% shareholder in the business.  Thomas Kemp sadly passed away in 2004 and as the last family member active in the operation, the shareholders explored selling the business.

In March of 2006, Hamilton Welding was sold to brothers R. Jeffrey and Stephen G. Meeker, and Hamilton Tanks, LLC was formed.  The transition of ownership was smooth, as Meeker Equipment Company, Jeffrey and Stephen’s other business, was already a large customer to Hamilton Welding.  Today, Stephen is president of Hamilton Tanks, LLC while Jeffrey remains president of Meeker Equipment Company.  Recently, Donald W. Garrett and James R. Hurlburt have gained a minority ownership in both businesses.

The primary business of Hamilton Tanks, LLC is manufacturing carbon and stainless steel storage tanks for commercial and industrial users serving the petroleum, chemical, asphalt, oil-field and other industries. As a licensed member of the Steel Tank Institute, it is one of the largest and most respected manufacturers of aboveground and underground steel storage tanks in the Midwest.  Hamilton Tanks’ manufacturing capabilities include UL-142, API-650, ASME, and custom tank designs ranging in size from 150 to 50,000 gallons. Hamilton Tanks’ breadth of products, reputation and service to industry has sustained its history and will continue to support its success moving forward.

STI/SPFA: How did you get your start in the industry?

Meeker: I sold pharmaceuticals for a company named Marion Laboratories based in Kansas City, Mo. after I graduated from Juniata College in 1987 and was with them for four years.

In 1991, I joined our family business, Meeker Equipment Co., Inc, originally located in Harleysville, Pa. just outside the city of Philadelphia.  My father, Bob Meeker, started Meeker Equipment in 1986, a manufacturer’s representative business that sold asphalt plant equipment.

In 1992, I moved to Columbus, Ohio to open a new sales territory for Meeker Equipment that included the states of Ohio and Michigan.  In the late 90s, Meeker Equipment began designing our own asphalt plant equipment which included liquid asphalt storage tanks.  We subcontracted the manufacturer of these tanks and other plant equipment to existing manufacturing companies that would build the tanks and equipment to our specification.  One of these companies was Hamilton Welding Company in Columbus, Ohio, a Steel Tank Institute member owned by Thomas Kemp.

The first tanks we built out of Hamilton Welding Company were in 2001. In 2003, my brother, R. Jeffrey Meeker, and I bought my father’s business in 2003.  In 2004, Thomas Kemp passed away and his business was placed up for sale.  In March of 2006, my brother and I purchased Hamilton Welding Company and formed Hamilton Tanks, LLC.  Jeffrey Meeker continued as president of Meeker Equipment Co., Inc. and I became president of Hamilton Tanks, LLC.

STI/SPFA: Who has inspired you in your career?

Meeker: My biggest inspiration is my father, Robert G. Meeker.  Anyone that knows him knows he was a great man.  Sadly, he recently passed away in November from his battle with leukemia. While he has many given me many lessons, the one that has resonated with me the most through the course of my career and my life has been the lesson to “Take the Initiative.”

What this has always meant to me was to get involved, participate, take risks, take a chance, and make yourself uncomfortable.  Each opportunity to “take the initiative” can bring good fortune or bad, but the exposure to these challenges has always resulted in personal growth and always exposed me to new relationships with others that further developed my career.  When Wayne Geyer and Sonny Underwood spoke to me about getting involved on the Board of Directors of STI, I jumped at the chance!

STI/SPFA: What’s been your favorite or most memorable moment of your career so far?

Meeker: My most memorable moment in my career in the tank industry was the day my brother and I closed on the purchase of Hamilton Welding Company.  While my father no longer was an owner in the business, he still served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of our company.  I remember calling him immediately after leaving the attorney’s office and saying, “Well Mr. Meeker, we’re in the tank business!”  This was truly a transformational moment in our company’s history as we could share with our customers that we were a true manufacturer.

STI/SPFA: What advice would you give someone who is interested in working in the industry?

Meeker: I guess that would depend on what area of the tank industry they would be interested in.  But what I would tell them about the industry is the experience I have had as a member of STI/SPFA.

The first Annual Meeting I attended was in Temecula, Calif.  My wife Dana and I both attended.  I was amazed at the welcoming nature of the staff and how much the different member companies enjoyed one another.  Everyone seemed to share their knowledge freely and were more than just industry relationships, they seemed like they were all friends.

Since that first experience with STI/SPFA, my initial perception became my reality as I too have developed many relationships with people that I consider friends.  Bottom line is, it is a close-knit industry where companies support one another.  I don’t ever feel that I am alone, and I can call any number of members or staff to get assistance.  Therefore, it is a great industry to be in.

STI/SPFA: What do you think will be the biggest challenge facing the industry in the next three to five years?

Meeker: While I’d love to say that I can predict the future, I can’t, and I honestly don’t spend a lot of time trying to. What I do see in front of our company immediately is strong RFQs activity and order placement. I am optimistic about the new administration that will be taking office in 2025. I expect the new administration to be pro-business, generate optimism across all industries and therefore advance what we are currently experiencing as far as activity. We plan to continue investing in our business, which is a challenge, so we can continue to support our customers.

STI/SPFA: How has STI/SPFA Membership helped you and your company succeed and grow in today’s marketplace?

Meeker: Networking with other member companies and staff has been the most valuable aspect of our STI/SPFA membership. To be able to share ideas and business experiences with other companies that face the same challenges or successes is huge – its real.

STI/SPFA also does an outstanding job with education. STI/SPFA tries to not only educate the membership about industry challenges, but also helps us with matters related to running our businesses.

STI/SPFA also provides ample opportunities for members to participate in committees, attend committee meetings for further education and grow as an individual.

Lastly, having the STI/SPFA logo affixed with our company I believe separates us from other manufacturers. It is a symbol of quality and shows that we are truly invested in the well-being of the tank industry.