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In The Cradle of Industry and Liberty

An illustrated history of Philadelphia's manufacturing sector paired with the histories of local companies that make the city great.

An illustrated history of Philadelphia's manufacturing sector paired with the histories of local companies that make the city great.

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WICKWIRE<br />

WAREHOUSE, INC.<br />

@<br />

Above: Wickwire Brothers, Cortl<strong>and</strong>,<br />

New York.<br />

Below: Ed <strong>and</strong> Claire Foy.<br />

<strong>In</strong> the manufacturing <strong>and</strong> wire forming<br />

industry, nothing is more basic than steel<br />

wire. Wickwire Warehouse, <strong>In</strong>c. <strong>of</strong> Philadelphia<br />

has earned a reputation as one <strong>of</strong> the top<br />

wire sources in the nation. Wickwire is a<br />

distributor <strong>of</strong> all sizes <strong>and</strong> shapes <strong>of</strong> carbon<br />

steel wire <strong>and</strong> rods, including galvanized,<br />

annealed, <strong>and</strong> stainless steel wire products.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Wickwire family <strong>of</strong> companies also<br />

includes an industrial packaging division,<br />

which distributes baling wire, steel strapping<br />

<strong>and</strong> other industrial packaging products<br />

as well as a roll forming division. Wickwire<br />

products are used for display racks, refrigeration<br />

racks, <strong>and</strong> many other purposes.<br />

“We’re not the biggest, we’re the best,” comments<br />

Edward J. Foy, president <strong>of</strong> Wickwire.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Wickwire steel mill was started in 1873<br />

in Cortl<strong>and</strong>, New York, <strong>and</strong> incorporated in<br />

1892. Around 1910 the Wickwire brothers<br />

opened distribution warehouses throughout<br />

the country. <strong>The</strong> company was liquidated<br />

by the Wickwire family in 1969 <strong>and</strong> the Foy<br />

family purchased the Philadelphia operation<br />

in 1970. During the years the Wickwire<br />

family owned the mill, the company was a<br />

manufacturer <strong>of</strong> steel wire, nails, <strong>and</strong> wire<br />

mesh products. After the closure <strong>of</strong> the<br />

mill, the Philadelphia warehouse became a<br />

distributor for Bethlehem Steel for many years<br />

until Bethlehem went out <strong>of</strong> business. <strong>The</strong><br />

Foys originally headquartered the company<br />

at Second <strong>and</strong> Willow Streets in the Northern<br />

Liberties section <strong>of</strong> Philadelphia. <strong>The</strong> company<br />

remained at that location until forced to<br />

move because <strong>of</strong> the construction <strong>of</strong> I-95.<br />

<strong>The</strong> next stop was a thirty year stint in the<br />

Fishtown area, along the Delaware River.<br />

<strong>In</strong> 1995, Foy purchased the company from<br />

his parents, Ed <strong>and</strong> Claire Foy, <strong>and</strong> he still<br />

operates the company today.<br />

<strong>In</strong> a move to diversify the company’s<br />

operations, Foy purchased United Rollform<br />

in 2000 <strong>and</strong> Parade Strapping <strong>and</strong> Baling in<br />

2007. Both companies were integrated into<br />

the 75,000 square foot warehouse purchased<br />

by Foy in 2005.<br />

Today, the current warehouse is located<br />

at 3300 Tulip Street in Philadelphia’s Port<br />

Richmond area.<br />

For over forty-five years, Wickwire has<br />

been exceeding the needs <strong>of</strong> its customers.<br />

With its extensive inventory, Wickwire<br />

provides its customers with one <strong>of</strong> the<br />

largest selections <strong>of</strong> steel wire products in<br />

the nation. <strong>The</strong> products distributed by<br />

Wickwire are manufactured by many <strong>of</strong> the<br />

top mills in the world.<br />

Wickwire Warehouse is the preferred<br />

distributor for manufacturers <strong>of</strong> such<br />

products as display racks, lamp shades, wire<br />

forms, brushes, hangers, baskets, fences,<br />

mats, luggage, conveyor dryer ovens, florist<br />

supplies, concrete forms <strong>and</strong> other products.<br />

“Many mills that produce steel wire cannot<br />

meet the delivery dem<strong>and</strong>s or small size<br />

requirements that our customers require,”<br />

Foy explains. “That is why our service<br />

provides quick turnaround time, which gets<br />

the product to our customer faster than<br />

ever before. Even though we make sure to<br />

ship our products out quickly, we are still<br />

able to exceed our customers’ requirements<br />

for quality products.<br />

“It may seem hard, but it’s not. We love<br />

what we do. And, if you love something, the<br />

work comes easy.”<br />

<strong>The</strong> employees <strong>of</strong> Wickwire are proud <strong>of</strong><br />

the fact that the company has maintained<br />

the highest st<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>of</strong> excellence for many<br />

decades. <strong>In</strong> fact, the average employee’s<br />

tenure is eighteen years. <strong>The</strong> expertise developed<br />

over the years by our loyal employees<br />

has enabled the company to become one<br />

<strong>of</strong> the leading distributors in the nation.<br />

Customers rely on Wickwire because the<br />

company has stayed at the top <strong>of</strong> the industry<br />

IN THE CRADLE OF INDUSTRY AND LIBERTY<br />

138

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