The higher cost of Byers Pipe originates in the old-
fashioned puddling operation—slow and laborious, but the
only known method of producing the highest quality of
wrought iron. However, to the eye of the layman, genuine
wrought iron looks much like the cheaper metal, steel. It
has therefore been necessary for the Byers Company to de-
vise distinguishing marks for their product, and for more than
ten years the name Byers in raised letters, followed by two
figures indicating year of manufacture, have been rolled
into the metal and repeated each three or four feet on every
ength of Byers pipe.
Since early in 1925, an additional marking has been
provided in the form of a colored stripe which winds around
each piece of pipe from end to end. It is painted on by
machinery in the course of the several inspections to which
the pipe is subjected prior to shipment. This stripe is
visible from any angle, at distances of 50 feet or more, and
makes Byers Pipe, either black or galvanized, the most
zasily identified of any pipe made. Byers nipples are also
marked with the Byers name and the thickness; that is.
whether standard or extra heavy weight.
Among the notable modern structures in which many
miles of Byers Pipe are in service, are the Woolworth Build:
ing and the Pennsylvania Hotel, New York; Stevens Hotel,
Chicago; William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh; Southwestern
Bell Telephone Building, St. Louis; Standard Oil Building,
Baltimore; General Motors Building, Detroit; Dexter-Horton
National Bank, Seattle; Seville-Biltmore Hotel, Havana;
Marunouchi Building, Tokio, and many others equally well
known.
The Byers Company operates a blast furnace, puddle
and rolling mills at Girard, Ohio, and puddle and pipe mills
at Sixth and Bingham Streets, South Side, Pittsburgh.
These two plants employ from 2,500 to 3,000 men.
The principal business office of the company is at 235
Water Street, Pittsburgh, with the general sales office in the
Union Bank Building, Pittsburgh. Branch sales offices are
maintained in Boston, New York, Rochester, Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis, Jacksonville,
Birmingham, Houston, Tulsa and Los Angeles.