Champion Valves Inc.

wafercheck.com
Year founded: 2003
No. of employees: 16
Top local official: Matthew Schneider, general manager

Champion Valves Inc. is a heavy industrial check valve manufacturer founded in the Port City in 2003. The company has recently experienced another period of growth and change, according to general manager Matthew Schneider.

“We have undergone a business model transformation on the production side of our operations,” Schneider said. “We traditionally operated as an import-and-resale business. This past year, we have started manufacturing right here in the Cape Fear region.”

Champion Valves is making two, American-made product lines, both entirely in Wilmington. The first is a heavy-duty compressor component for a global HVAC company.

“We are the first to manufacture these zero-emissions products in America,” Schneider said.

The second is a waterworks valve for critical infrastructure. Champion also finalized a patent for a blowout-proof check valve for fracking operations.

“Patents are few and far between in our industry. This valve has a zero-emissions design that will prevent millions of dollars’ worth of equipment failure. We are one of the first in the industry to do this,” Schneider said.

The company is on the verge of doubling its manufacturing capacity as it intends to stay at the forefront of critical infrastructure for the energy industry. “We are right on the edge, packed to the gills,” he said.

The company, located off Blue Clay Road, wants to expand locally and lean on the local supply chain. “We are using vendors in our backyard. It’s rewarding,” Schneider added.

The industry in general has not been without its challenges. Schneider said the global supply chain is the biggest issue, along with commodity prices and global labor rates, among other things. “All have driven a lot of onshoring and domestic manufacturing,” he said.

And that has driven the increase in the number of employees at Champion this past year. “We grew again simply from 15 to 16 employees. We grow organically, hiring one person at a time. We have never laid anyone off, and we never will,” Schneider said. “We take care of employees who take care of our customers who take care of our shareholders. We advance holistically, pushing each other to grow.”

Company officials look forward to creating an internship program next year and will continue its active membership in the Cape Fear Manufacturing Partnership.

“It is quite humbling to be selected for a MADE award, to be honest,” Schneider said. “We are not the attention-seeking type. There is a ton of great talent in our area. We are really just getting going.”