Our History

In the manufacturing and wire forming industry, nothing is more basic than steel wire. Wickwire Warehouse/Parade Strapping and Baling of Philadelphia has earned a reputation as one of the top wire sources in the nation. Wickwire/Parade is a distributor of all sizes and shapes of carbon steel wire and rods, including galvanized, annealed, and stainless steel wire products.

The Wickwire/Parade family of companies also includes an industrial packaging division which distributes baling wire, steel strapping and other industrial packaging products as well as a roll forming division. Wickwire/Parade products are used for display racks, refrigeration racks, and many other purposes.

“We’re not the biggest, we’re the best,” comments Edward J. Foy, President of Wickwire/Parade.

The Wickwire steel mill was started in 1873 in Cortland, New York and incorporated in 1892. Around 1910, the Wickwire brothers opened distribution warehouses throughout the country. The company was liquidated by the Wickwire family in 1969 and the Foy family purchased the Philadelphia operation in 1970.

During the years the Wickwire family owned the mill, the company was a manufacturer of steel wire, nails, and wire mesh products. After the closure of the mill, the Philadelphia warehouse became a distributor for Bethlehem Steel for many years until Bethlehem went out of business.

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Quote From The President

We’re not the biggest, we’re the best.

-Edward J. Foy, President of Wickwire

Quote From The President

Things that get measured, get improved.

-Edward J. Foy, President of Wickwire

Quote From The President

You can't sell from an empty basket, ours is always full.

-Edward J. Foy, President of Wickwire

The Foy’s originally headquartered the company at 2nd and Willow Streets in the Nothern Liberties section of Philadelphia. The company remained at that location until forced to move because of the construction of I-95. The next stop was a 30 year stint in the Fishtown area, along the Delaware River. In 1995, Edward J. Foy purchased the company from his parents, Ed and Claire Foy, and he still operates the company today. In a move to diversify the company’s operations, Foy purchased United Rollform in 2000 and Parade Strapping and Baling in 2007. Both companies were integrated into the 75,000 sq. ft. warehouse purchased by Foy in 2005. Today, the current warehouse is located at 3300 Tulip Street in Philadelphia’s Port Richmond area. For over 45years, Wickwire/Parade has been exceeding the needs of its customers. With its extensive inventory, Wickwire/Parade provides its customers with one of the largest selections of steel wire products in the nation. The products distributed by Wickwire/Parade are manufactured by many of the top mills in the world. Wickwire Warehouse/Parade Strapping and Baling is the preferred distributor for manufacturers of such products as display racks, lamp shades, wire forms, brushes, hangers, baskets, fences, mats, luggage, conveyor dryer ovens, florist supplies, concrete forms and other products.

 

“Many mills that produce steel wire cannot meet the delivery demands or small size requirements that our customers require,” Foy explains. “That is why our service provides quick turnaround time, which gets the product to our customer faster than ever before. Even though we make sure to ship our products out quickly, we are still able to exceed our customers’ requirements for quality products.

“It may seem hard, but it’s not. We love what we do. And, if you love something, the work comes easy.”

The employees of Wickwire/Parade are proud of the fact that the company has maintained the highest standards of excellence for many decades. In fact, the average employee’s tenure is 18 years. The expertise developed over the years by our loyal employees has enabled the company to become one of the leading distributors in the nation. Customers rely on Wickwire/Parade because the company has stayed at the top of the industry for many years and they know the firm’s products and services are superb.

Wickwire/Parade’s services include assisting customers with technical expertise and serving as a source of supply for the difficult or small size requirements the mills are unable to supply. Many of our clients are amazed by our staffs’ ability to source even the most difficult requirements. Wickwire/Parade can handle even the most complex demands a customer might have.

“Customers always ask us how we are able to provide such fast and efficient service, and still meet the high standards set by our industry,” says Foy. “Well, we are able to do so because we employ skilled, experienced operators who are dedicated to getting the job done right and on time. Customers have spread the word about our unmatched reliability, quality control and excellent customer service.”

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