construct many boat dock material styles, as well as the necessary
mooring hardware to attach them to piling poles, bulk
heads, etc.,” said Diserio. “We not only fabricate and produce
marine-specific products, but also many other metal products
for a range of customers and applications.”
In its metal boat dock hardware category the company’s
biggest seller is piling hoops, including external hoop pile
guides, which attach piles to floating docks. It also sells external
and internal square pile guides in various sizes, strengths
and with options such as different materials of rollers, which
allow the pile guides to ride up and down more easily on the
piling poles.
“Some 80 per cent of our built docks are moored with
piling poles, and the most popular item we fabricate is the
piling hoops,” said Diserio. “Our hope is to be a reliable source
to those in the marine piling industry, and be able to grow
and expand the products we offer.”
In the beginning
American Muscle Docks was born Valley Manufacturing, a
metal fabricating and stamping business that specialized in
producing stamped metal for window screen frames. Paul J.
Diserio, who founded the company in 1963, ran the business
successfully for 25 years, due to the demand in this niche
market.
In 1988, he passed the company to his son, Paul R. Diserio.
That same year, the company shifted its focus to fabrication
American Muscle Docks & Fabrication’s
facility in Wellsburg, W.V.
and bought seven acres of land outside Wellsburg, West
Virginia on which to build a new manufacturing facility.
Ten years later, Valley Manufacturing became the sole
supplier of metal goods for Follansbee Dock Systems, an
international manufacturer of floating dock systems and
components. Between 1999 and 2012, Valley manufactured
steel truss frames and hardware, wood dock hardware, ladders,
metal dock frames and specialty fabricated metal parts
for Follansbee to then resell.
In January 2012, the owners of Follansbee Dock Systems
announced their intent to sell the business, which put Valley
Manufacturing in a difficult position, as manufacturing
for the company had become more than 70 per cent of its
business.
During this time, Paul R. Diserio, his wife Kathy, and his
two sons Luke and Kurt, decided to start their own dock manufacturing
company and called it American Muscle Docks &
Fabrication. Luke, who at the time was a professional golfer,
decided to change his course in life for the opportunity to
help run the new business. His brother Kurt, who owned several
businesses of his own, came on to handle all the website,
computers and graphic imaging for the new company.
Valley Manufacturing, which was now American Muscle
Docks & Fabrication, made an offer to purchase Follansbee
Dock Systems. After a couple of months the deal was finalized,
and it began operating as American Muscle Docks &
Fabrication at the 20,000 square foot facility in Wellsburg.
COMPANY PROFILE
1963 1988 1999 2012 2012-PRESENT
Paul J. Diserio incorporates
The business is turned
Valley becomes the
Valley purchases
American Muscle
Valley Manufacturing in
over to Paul’s son,
sole metal manufacturer
Follansbee Dock
Docks operates as a
West Virginia
Paul R. Diserio
for Follansbee
Systems and both
manufacturer and
Dock Systems
businesses recombine
supplier of metal boat
under a new name,
dock hardware, a builder
American Muscle Docks
of completed floating
& Fabrication
dock systems, and
distributor of marina
accessories worldwide, as well as a
local source for steel, welding, repairing,
fabrication and more for local
businesses and government divisions
marina accessories worldwide, as well as a local source for steel, welding, repairing, fabrication and more for local businesses and government CONTINUED ON PAGE 69
66 Q3 2015 www.pilingcanada.ca
/www.pilingcanada.ca
