Conklin Metal Industries is a distributor of all types of sheet metal, HVAC and duct fabrication supplies. Our founding dates back to 1874, and is now in its fourth generation as a family owned and operated business.
We service the entire southeastern U.S. out of fourteen (14) warehouses. Our customers include sheet metal contractors, mechanical contractors, duct fabricators, residential\multi-family new construction contractors, and HVAC contractors who specialize in service and replacements.
We are a one stop shop for every component used in the construction and installation of a commercial or residential HVAC Duct system. This includes the sheet metal for the rectangular or spiral/round duct, plus all of the materials to connect, fasten, insulate, attenuate sound, control vibration, reinforce, direct air flow, provide access, and ultimately hang and seal. We also stock the most wide array of sheet metal forming machinery in the southeast.
Our new Plan & Spec Division is based in Memphis and provides quotations directly from prints on commercial projects.
What We Do…
Our core customers/partners are Sheet Metal Contractors, Mechanical Contractors and Duct Fabricators that specialize in designing and building HVAC Duct plans for Office Buildings and Commercial offices, tenant space build-outs, Schools and Universities, Military bases, VA Hospitals, Prisons, and other Federal Buildings; Churches, Stadiums and Arenas, Aquariums, Theaters, Hotels and Condominiums.
Conklin’s primary business is as a one stop shop for every component used in the construction and installation of a commercial HVAC Duct system. This includes the steel that, when formed, becomes the rectangular or spiral/round duct; it also includes all of the materials to connect, fasten, insulate, attenuate sound, control vibration, reinforce, direct air flow, provide access, and ultimately hang and seal.
Our History…
Our Past Presidents
1874-1929
1929-1949
1949-1953
1953-1971
1971-2003
Conklin originally operated as a stove, tin ware and house furnishing business on Whitehall Street in Atlanta under the name A.P. Stewart & Co. This business was managed by Andrew P. Stewart, who was “one of the most popular men in Atlanta”, and who later became the Fulton County Tax…
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Charles A. Conklin begins employment with Lyon Conklin & Co. in Baltimore, eventually becoming a partner.Born in New York City July 1848, Charles grew up in Baltimore and started working in 1866 for Lyon, Conklin & Company, a company founded in 1860 by his father Daniel, along with William Lyon.…
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Mr. Conklin moves to Atlanta and bought AP Stewart & Co., operating under the name Charles A. Conklin Mfg. Co. The nature of the business was “Tin Plate, Metals, Tinner’s Stock, Stoves, Etc.” He continued to operate the Whitehall store as the retail department.
Conklin ad from the Atlanta Constitution from March 1889 promoting the Wire Gauze Oven Door for your stove or oven.
Marietta Street WarehouseConklin builds four‐story, 40,000 sq. ft. warehouse on Marietta Street for $24,000 – (60¢/ft.). At the time, it was one of the largest factories in the U.S. for tin ware manufacturing.
Having sold the largest segment of the company, the focus shifts to that of the wholesale trade of “Tin Plate, Metals, Solder, Sheet Copper, Sheet Iron, Conductor Pipe, Tinmen’s Machines and Tools”.
The tinware manufacturing portion of the business was sold to the American Can Company. The business continued out of the same warehouse under the new name of Conklin Tin Plate and Metal Company. Having sold the largest segment of the company, he closed the retail department on Whitehall Street and…
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By Robbie ThompsonToday’s steel market can be difficult to navigate. However, I cannot imagine what it must have been like in 1918.I was digging thru some old Conklin paperwork, and came across this tattered document that had gotten stuck to an old stock certificate from 1919. It was a “Special…
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Five-V Crimped Galvanized roofing panel that we sold prior to World War II. It would have been between 1902 when we changed the name to “Conklin Tin Plate and Metal Company” and mid-1940’s when we closed the Savannah branch when the United States entered WW2.It is likely from the 1920’s,…
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Even 100 years ago it was about reaching out to specific customers in hopes of selling specific products. Though our product offering has changed over time, the fundamentals of our customer service have remained the same.
The Miami News — October 8th, 1923
Conklin builds a 40,000 sq ft. warehouse located at what is now 236 Moore Street.
Harry B. Thompson Jr. comes to Conklin upon graduating from Georgia Tech.
John N. Goddard is named president after Charles Conklin passes away.By the 1930’s the product offering was all types of sheet metal with a heavy emphasis on roofing – including gutters and downspout. In the late 1930’s, with the advent of HVAC, sheet metal was being used to fabricate round…
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After more than 50 years with the company, Harry B. Thompson, Sr. is named president. Originally, Harry Sr. had started at Conklin in 1898 as a teenage office clerk. He held that position for only four years but by that time had established a foundation for a family legacy that…
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Conklin adds more machines to fabricate round pipe for both HVAC and rain downspouts. Photo: Conklin Warehouse workers in 1955 running 4″ Conductor Pipe.
Sales Meeting circa 1955(Left to Right) Paul McKenney — Executive Vice President, Ned Murphy — Sales Manager, Harry B Thompson, Jr. — President, Delmar Brinkley — Controller
Harry B. Thompson III starts with the company on 9/20/62. Also a graduate of Georgia Tech, Harry III came to Conklin in 1962 and became Company President in 1971. He held this position until his retirement on 6/1/03; it had been 105 years since his grandfather first started as a…
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Vice President, 3/21/64 to 7/1/04
Conklin opens a new branch in Greenville, SC. The Thompson family begins negotiation of stock purchase from Conklin and Goddard estate.
In the days before Evernote, companies used to hand out small 3″x 5″ notepad like this one from Bethlehem Steel. They must have been great for note taking! A young Harry Thompson IV must have liked them too, as evidenced by this picture from the early 1970’s!
Photo: Harry Thompson IV, Atlanta office in 1991. Note the map of Georgia only; this is before Conklin expanded into other markets.This era is marked by a continued investment in manufacturing including production of hollow vane & punch rail, spiral pipe, gored elbows and spiral fittings.
Pictured from left to right: Harry Thompson IV, Harry Thompson III, and Robbie Thompson
James Bradford retired in June 1995 after 44 years at Conklin. He was buried wearing his Conklin uniform after his death in February 2002.
From Left to Right: Johnny Hines (Manager), Greg Little (Outside Sales), Mike Burleson (Inside Sales), Iva Baumann Hines (Inside Sales), Mark Miller (Driver), Zane Fleck (Driver). 1997 moving in to branchRobbie Thompson (left) with Johnny Hines (right)
Present day we use these flatbeds throughout our branches.
Logo redesign is throwback using Conklin’s retro script used in marketing decades prior. Also added are four stars symbolizing four generations of the Thompson family ownership and our four core values.
“Our new Red Bud coil line has arrived into Birmingham and should be operation in several weeks. Capable of 14 ga Galvanized, this line will run 275 ft per minute, handle coil weights of up to 50,000 lbs, breakdown and recoil larger coils into smaller ones. It’s drop stacker and stacking…
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Conklin remains a strong, growth-oriented company with the goal of being a world class distributor and a company where people enjoy and find satisfaction in their work.
