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In an era where family businesses often struggle to survive beyond the second generation, Conklin Metal Industries stands as a testament to enduring entrepreneurial spirit. Today, under fourth-generation leadership, the Atlanta-based company has transformed from a modest tin shop into one of the Southeast’s leading distributors of HVAC supplies and sheet metal, with 18 branches throughout the region.
The company’s journey began in 1874 when A.P. Stewart & Co. opened its doors as a humble stove, tin ware and house furnishing business on Whitehall Street in Atlanta. The watershed moment came in 1886, when Charles A. Conklin, a Baltimore businessman, moved to Atlanta and acquired the company, setting in motion a legacy that would span three centuries.
Today, under the leadership of brothers Robbie Thompson and Harry Thompson IV, Conklin Metal Industries continues its expansion while maintaining its core values. The company recently opened new locations in Raleigh and Tampa, adding to its growing network of branches that serve HVAC contractors and sheet metal fabricators across the Southeast.
The History of Conklin Metal Industries
The Thompson family’s connection to Conklin began in 1895, when Harry Thompson Sr. joined as an 18-year-old office boy. His dedication and business acumen earned him an ownership stake within 15 years, and after a remarkable 50-year tenure, he assumed the presidency. This began a family legacy that would transform a local metal distributor into a powerhouse serving the entire southeastern United States.
“My great-grandfather started as just an office boy, doing whatever the owners wanted him to do,” said current CEO Robbie Thompson. “But he gained their trust, and within maybe 10 or 15 years, had even acquired a bit of ownership in the company.”
The business underwent a significant transformation in 1902 when Charles Conklin sold the tin manufacturing portion to American Can Company, pivoting to focus exclusively on wholesale distribution. This strategic decision set the stage for decades of evolution in the company’s product offerings and market focus.
Today, Conklin Metal Industries employs approximately 325 people across 15 branches, with two more locations opening in Tampa and Raleigh in early 2025. The company’s revenue has grown more than tenfold over the last 20 years specializing in everything needed to fabricate, install, and service HVAC duct systems—though notably, not the HVAC units themselves.
“If you see a crane in the air, there’s a pretty good chance one of our customers is buying products from us to do the work,” Thompson explains, noting that the company’s materials go into everything from residential construction to schools, hospitals, data centers, and manufacturing facilities.
The company’s modern era of expansion began in the 1990s when the third and fourth generations of Thompsons recognized the need for technological advancement and geographic growth. “When my brother and I arrived in the early ’90s, we were a 125-year-old company with just two locations, no ERP system, and we tracked all inventory with pencil and paper,” Thompson recalled. “We realized that model wasn’t going to survive forever.”
What followed was a strategic expansion that saw the company first move into Birmingham in 1997 and Orlando in 1999. After weathering the Great Recession with five branches and no debt, Conklin embarked on an ambitious growth phase starting in 2011, adding ten more locations over the next decade.
The company has also evolved its product mix. While sheet metal once represented 60% of sales, it now accounts for roughly 30%, as Conklin has broadened its offering to include a comprehensive range of HVAC supplies and shop fabrication equipment. The company maintains its competitive edge by operating a state-of-the-art Red Bud coil processing center in Birmingham, where they cut their own sheets from mill-direct steel purchases.
Spoke of the Southeast
The company’s growth mirrors the broader economic expansion of the Southeast, a region experiencing unprecedented development. Thompson has witnessed this transformation firsthand, particularly in Florida, where Conklin is aggressively expanding its footprint with locations in Orlando, Miami, and a new branch opening in Tampa.
“Throughout our footprint, as people move to the Southeast, we’ve definitely seen growth,” Thompson explained. “Every bit of infrastructure that goes with population growth requires our products – whether it’s single family, multi-family, schools, hospitals, data centers, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, (or) hotels.”
This infrastructure boom has created a ripple effect in the HVAC and sheet metal industries. While Conklin primarily serves mechanical contractors and HVAC duct fabricators, their materials also find their way into diverse applications, from bank vaults to OEM manufacturing. The company has strategically positioned itself to meet this growing demand by not only expanding geographically but also diversifying its services.
Recent additions to their portfolio include an engineered products division in Memphis handling plan and spec work for air distribution packages, and a new pipe insulation division in Atlanta focusing on mechanical and industrial applications.
“These are all complementary products to what we’ve always done,” Thompson noted, highlighting the company’s adaptability to market demands.
TIN KNOCKERS: With humble beginnings in the tin industry, then sheet metal supplying, Conklin has expanded their offerings.
A Partnership Philosophy to Metal
While Conklin’s geographic expansion and product diversification tell one part of their success story, their approach to customer relationships reveals another. The company has deliberately positioned itself as a consultative partner rather than just a supplier, leveraging decades of industry experience to help contractors optimize their operations.
“We take a very consultative selling approach,” Thompson explained. “We provide best practices and labor-saving advice on how our customers do their work, whether it’s a machine that’s going to save them time or a product that’s going to save them labor.”
This advisory role is supported by what Thompson describes as “a very educated team that has many years of experience” and understands how different shops approach similar work in various ways. “We have the benefit and luxury of having a more comprehensive view, often being able to give them good advice on something they ought to consider to improve their efficiency,” he added.
Perhaps the most telling example of Conklin’s commitment to its customers came through a pivotal decision as their footprint grew. Despite having successfully manufactured many of their own products for many decades — including snap lock pipe, fittings, slips and drives, and spiral pipe — the company made the conscious choice to step back from manufacturing entirely.
“We found it more successful to partner with them rather than compete,” Thompson explained, referring to their customers who were manufacturers. This decision to focus exclusively on distribution wasn’t just about business efficiency — it was about maintaining trust and supporting their customers’ success rather than competing against them.
Today, the company’s only value-added processing operation is their Birmingham coil line, where they cut sheets from mill-direct steel purchases. This specialized service complements their distribution business while staying true to their core philosophy: supporting the manufacturers and fabricators who rely on them.
