In 1978, a 20-year veteran of Parker Hannifin’s Fluid Connector Group branched out on his own to open a private distributorship in New Orleans, LA. Parker’s fluid connector products were the centerpiece of his line. His long relationship with corporate headquarters in Cleveland, OH proved to be a valuable asset and his success in the New Orleans area was a direct result of this association. Edward Sutton, along with his wife, Joy, had laid the foundation for Connector Specialists Incorporated, a company that would grow to be a leader in the Gulf South marketplace.
In 1982, with the growth of the Louisiana oilfield and marine activity powering the fluid connector marketplace, Connector Specialists (under the name CSI) opened its doors in Lafayette to cater to the many oilfield service companies popping up in Acadiana. Today, the Lafayette location has become the largest single branch within the organization with a diverse line card and unique capabilities that make them a formidable player in Louisiana and beyond.
In 1990, Connector Specialists broke ground in Baton Rouge, LA. Servicing the state capitol’s many heavy equipment wholesalers, construction companies, and original equipment manufacturers, this location has developed its inventory to meet the needs of its unique customer base. Baton Rouge was also the first Connector Specialists location to install a ParkerStore in 2000.
The new millennium brought new challenges to the company. Following the opening of the Baton Rouge ParkerStore, Connector’s second ParkerStore (Lafayette) went on-line in November of 2002. In early 2003, tragedy struck as Edward Sutton died at the age of 71. For 26 years, he had manned the helm of Connector Specialists and had led the company through many of its toughest challenges. The loss was mourned by all who knew him and his legacy remains today.
The company pressed on, however. Joy Sutton, who had been Ed’s business partner through all the years, assumed the leadership role in the company. Under her guidance in October of 2003, the newest location of Connector Specialists opened its doors in Pearl, MS. This location marked the fourth full-line distributorship and the third ParkerStore.
In 2005, the company grew again. Responding to the needs of our many customers "down the bayou," Connector Specialists entered the Houma, LA market with its fifth location. Today, this location has grown by leaps and bounds. The many oilfield service companies in the Bayou Region have quickly learned how easy it is to do business with a company you perceive as a PARTNER, and not just a vendor.
Western Louisiana was a market that had been primarily served by our Lafayette location until 2008, when Connector Specialists came to Sulphur, LA. Operated as a stand-alone ParkerStore, the Sulphur location serves the needs of the many petrochemical and refining industries in the Lake Charles Region. This store marked our 6th location and our 5th ParkerStore.
Performing large-scale, on-site fluid connector installation projects had always been a service offered by Connector Specialists, but had never had a dedicated team to drive its growth. In the summer of 2013, Connector Specialists Field Services was born. With dedicated project managers and field technicians on staff, this service offering took off. Teams deployed to virtually every corner of the globe to support the offshore drilling industry. From surveys and asset-management, to on-site build and installation projects, this focused team set Connector Specialists apart in the world of fluid power field service.
In late 2013, Connector Specialists acquired Bay Shore Fluid Power in Mobile, AL. Bay Shore was a long-time "tri-technology" Parker distributor serving all of Alabama and the Florida panhandle. The addition of a Parker Hydraulic and Pneumatic Technology Center was a major strategic win for the company and it expanded the contiguous coastal territory eastward as far as Panama City, FL. Two years later, Bay Shore Fluid Power was retired as the trade name and the business was fully integrated as the 7th Connector Specialists location.
Meanwhile, Field Services' fleet continued to grow. What started with multiple hose assembly trailers quickly pivoted into DNV containers and dedicated "job boxes." Often, our customers wanted to be able to send projects to a Connector Specialists facility. In 2016, Houston (TX) was chosen as the new base of operations for Field Services as a result of Houston's status as entry point for so much of the US energy market's heavy equipment.
Early in 2019, another acquisition expanded Connector Specialists sales geography northward into western Tennessee and southeastern Arkansas. Bluestar Industries (formerly Fluid Power of Memphis) was another tri-technology Parker distributor. In addition, Connector Specialists acquired Ace Machine of Memphis--giving the company it's first opportunity to get into custom manufacturing of components. Bluestar's trade name was retired immediately, but Ace Machine continues to operate as a separate business entity under the corporate umbrella.
That same year, Connector Specialists acquired the Complete Piping Solutions Center from Parker Hannifin's Tube Fitting Division. Integrated into the Field Services facility in Houston, this addition boosted the capabilities of the fluid connector services offering. Now able to offer an end-to-end field solution with hose, tubing, and large bore piping, Connector Specialists boasts one of the most well-rounded service teams in the fluid power industry.
Through all those new locations and acquisitions, Joy Sutton continued to be the steady hand encouraging the corporate leadership team with a fearless spirit. Sadly, during the summer of 2021, she died at the age of 88. She was never content to merely maintain the business as it was when her husband passed in 2003. She wanted to grow and, most importantly, she wanted to see the business legacy continue beyond her leadership. She considered many of her long-time employees as family. It was her goal to see every one of those extended family-members have a place to continue to thrive. She is greatly missed, but her spirit lives on amongst the Connector Specialists family.
As the company enters its 44th year, continued growth and an unwavering commitment to customer service remain top priorities. Each year, more and more customers depend on Connector Specialists for those same core principles that we’ve demonstrated since 1978. Service, solutions, and quality products… our partners have learned to expect these things from Connector Specialists, YOUR SOLUTIONS PARTNER.
