Who We Are

We are pipe and tube industry professionals focused on helping improve your business by providing data and expert analyses in regular and custom reports and presentations on a wide range of industry topics.

Where We Started

Preston Publishing Company was created in 1982 to track shipments and consumption of steel pipe & tube. Over the years, Preston evolved into the premier pipe and tube industry resource for data, statistics and analysis.

In 2007, Preston was acquired by Rick Preckel and Paul Vivian, two experienced pipe and tube professionals from the manufacturing and distribution sectors of the pipe and tube industry. Since that time, Preston’s capabilities have expanded to include consulting services in the areas of business planning, marketing, acquisitions and divestitures, economic research, and other areas.

Rick Preckel, Principal Paul Vivian, Principal

Rick Preckel, Principal

Rick worked for a pipe and tube manufacturer from 1985 through 2006 in roles including subsidiary CEO, Vice President of Canadian Operations, Vice President of Investor Relations & Business Development, Vice President of Shared Services, Marketing Manager and Controller. Experience represents all key functions of running a business and includes accounting, marketing, supply chain, human resources, information technology, logistics, startups, acquisitions and divestitures, investor relations, strategy and expansion and overall business management. Rick has been part owner of Preston Pipe since 2007.

Rick has a BS in Business with an emphasis in accounting. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri. He has been in management roles since 1981.

Areas of experience include:

Paul Vivian, Principal

Paul has been in multiple sectors of the pipe and tube industry since 1979. He started his pipe and tube career in distribution, moved to manufacturing in later years and has been part owner of Preston Pipe since 2007. While in the distribution business, time was spent on the purchasing/inventory management/supply chain side of the business before a switch to sales and site selection. While in manufacturing, focus was on business plan development, forecasting, international trade and sales issues.

Paul Vivian has a PhD in Economics with an emphasis on statistics. He is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

Paul began his professional career in 1975 and is experienced in the following areas: