Columbia Specialty Company was founded in 1962 by Walter Kent and Jack Burmeister, piping supply men who originally distributed stainless steel pipe to the oil, chemical and power industries in Southern California. In 1975 Columbia Specialty moved to a 15,000 square foot facility in Paramount, California. During the late 1970s and 1980s Columbia expanded its operation to include a machine shop with the capability to make specialty pipe fittings and modified piping products. It was during this time that Columbia began to develop a reputation for having the ability to supply almost anything related to industrial piping systems with the motto “if you can’t find it, we’ll make it!”  Throughout the 1980s and 1990s Columbia Specialty continued to develop as one of the premiere suppliers of stainless steel and alloy piping products and began offering welding fabrication to compliment the thriving machine shop. The turn of the century saw new ownership and expansion at Columbia Specialty Company.