Zidell Companies
Zidell Companies is a Portland-based family-owned industrial group with businesses in marine construction, ship dismantling, industrial valves, and welded pipe fittings.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Zidell Companies is a family-owned industrial group headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Its origins date to 1912, when Sam Zidell, whose original name was Yeschie Zajdell, began selling secondhand machinery in Roseburg before moving to Portland and establishing Zidell Machinery and Supply Company. The business supplied equipment and industrial materials to the region’s expanding industrial economy and later diversified into marine and metal-related activities. The company’s most significant postwar expansion came after World War II. In 1946, Emery Zidell acquired the Portland shipyard of Commercial Iron Works and converted it into a ship-dismantling operation. The resulting Zidell Ship Dismantling Company benefited from strong demand for scrap steel during the reconstruction period. Over approximately three decades, the operation dismantled 336 vessels, including Liberty ships, naval auxiliaries, and other warships. By the 1960s, the business, then known as Zidell Explorations, had become the largest shipbreaking operation in the United States. Ship dismantling also created a source of reusable industrial components. Beginning in 1948, Zidell recovered valves from ships and resold them, eventually establishing the Zidell Valve Corporation. That company was sold in 1997 to Pon Holdings of the Netherlands. In 1955, Emery Zidell founded Tube Forgings of America Inc. (TFA), a manufacturer of carbon-steel welded fittings used in industrial and infrastructure applications. TFA became one of the group’s continuing manufacturing businesses and was the first United States producer in its category to receive ISO-9002 certification, according to the referenced historical material. Zidell Marine Corporation was established in 1960 to build barges, initially using steel recovered through the group’s shipbreaking operations. As recycled steel supplies proved insufficient for demand, the company shifted to using newly manufactured steel. From 1961 through 2017, Zidell Marine built 277 barges ranging from approximately 150 to 400 feet in length. During its final fifteen years of production, the company concentrated mainly on double-hulled tank barges. The South Waterfront operation reached a peak workforce of about 90 employees and became a prominent part of Portland’s industrial waterfront. The group remained under family leadership. Jay Zidell, Emery Zidell’s son and Sam Zidell’s grandson, became head of the companies in 1996. Emery Zidell’s grandson Matt French joined the organization in 2010 to explore and develop opportunities for Zidell Companies. The businesses have been described as employing roughly 200 people in the Pacific Northwest, with Tube Forgings of America accounting for a substantial share of the manufacturing workforce. Zidell’s Portland waterfront holdings also became part of environmental remediation and redevelopment efforts. In 2011, the company participated in a project to clean up contaminated shoreline along the Willamette River. The work included capping or removing contaminants, restoring habitat, and regrading and replanting portions of the riverbank. Part of the former industrial property was designated for redevelopment as Zidell Yards. In September 2016, Zidell announced plans to permanently end barge construction and close its South Waterfront factory. Zidell Marine launched its final barge on June 16, 2017, ending a manufacturing run that had lasted more than five decades. Equipment removal continued afterward, while a separate barge-leasing business was expected to remain in operation. The closure changed the group’s relationship with shipbuilding, but did not eliminate Zidell Companies as a family-owned industrial enterprise; Tube Forgings of America and other activities continued.
History
Zidell Companies began in 1912 when Sam Zidell established a machinery and supply business in Portland after initially selling used machinery in Roseburg, Oregon. The company served the industrial economy of the Pacific Northwest and gradually expanded beyond equipment distribution. After World War II, Emery Zidell acquired Commercial Iron Works’ Portland shipyard in 1946 and converted it into a shipbreaking facility. The operation, first known as Zidell Ship Dismantling Company and later as Zidell Explorations, dismantled 336 vessels over roughly thirty years. Scrap steel was in high demand during the postwar industrial rebuilding period, and the business grew into the largest shipbreaking operation in the United States. Its work included Liberty ships, naval auxiliaries, and other military vessels. The shipbreaking operation supported related businesses. From 1948, Zidell recovered valves from dismantled ships and sold them into industrial markets. This activity developed into Zidell Valve Corporation, which was sold to the Dutch company Pon Holdings in 1997. Emery Zidell also founded Tube Forgings of America in 1955. TFA manufactured carbon-steel welded fittings for industrial uses and achieved ISO-9002 certification as the first United States carbon-steel welded-fitting manufacturer to do so, according to the cited account. In 1960, Emery Zidell created Zidell Marine Corporation. The marine business initially used steel recovered from dismantled vessels to construct barges, but eventually relied on new steel because demand exceeded the available recycled supply. Between 1961 and 2017, Zidell Marine built 277 barges between approximately 150 and 400 feet long. Its later production emphasized double-hulled tank barges. The South Waterfront complex employed as many as 90 production workers at its peak. Jay Zidell, Emery’s son and Sam’s grandson, took leadership of the companies in 1996. Matt French, another member of the extended family, joined in 2010 to investigate and develop opportunities for the organization. By the mid-2010s, the group’s continuing operations included Tube Forgings of America and marine-related activities, including barge leasing. Zidell’s Portland waterfront land also became associated with environmental cleanup and redevelopment. In 2011, the company participated in a Willamette River shoreline project designed to address hazardous contamination, improve wildlife habitat, and restore the riverbank. Some of the property was planned for redevelopment as Zidell Yards. The company announced in September 2016 that it would close its South Waterfront barge-building facility and permanently discontinue barge manufacturing. Zidell Marine launched its final barge on June 16, 2017. The closure ended one of the group’s longest-running industrial activities, although equipment removal continued for several months and a separate barge-leasing operation was expected to continue. Zidell Companies therefore shifted away from active barge construction while retaining its family-owned industrial and manufacturing identity.
- 2017
Final Zidell Marine barge launched
[1]Zidell Marine launched its last barge on June 16, ending production after 56 years.
- 2016
Barge-building closure announced
[1]The company announced plans to end barge construction and close the South Waterfront factory in 2017.
- 2011
Willamette River cleanup participation
[1]Zidell joined a Portland waterfront remediation and habitat-restoration project.
- 1997
Zidell Valve Corporation sold
[1]Zidell sold its valve business to Pon Holdings of the Netherlands.
- 1996
Jay Zidell assumes leadership
[1]Jay Zidell became head of the family companies.
- 1961
Barge production begins
[1]Zidell Marine began a barge-building program that ultimately produced 277 vessels through 2017.
- 1960
Zidell Marine established
[1]The group established Zidell Marine Corporation to build barges.
- 1955
Tube Forgings of America founded
[1]Emery Zidell founded Tube Forgings of America to manufacture carbon-steel welded fittings.
- 1948
Industrial valve recovery begins
[1]The company began recovering and reselling valves from dismantled vessels.
- 1946
Entry into ship dismantling
[1]Emery Zidell acquired the Commercial Iron Works shipyard in Portland and converted it into a shipbreaking operation.
Products and positioning
A family-owned Pacific Northwest industrial group whose historical capabilities have combined marine construction, ship dismantling, materials recovery, and industrial component manufacturing.
Marine vessels · 1961
Commercial barges
Zidell Marine built barges from 1961 until 2017, producing 277 vessels ranging from approximately 150 to 400 feet in length. The company initially used steel recovered from ship dismantling but later shifted to newly produced steel. During its final fifteen years, its principal output consisted of double-hulled tank barges.
Industrial components · 1955
Welded pipe fittings
Tube Forgings of America manufactures carbon-steel welded fittings for a broad range of industrial and infrastructure applications. Founded by Emery Zidell in 1955, the business became a continuing manufacturing operation within the family group and achieved ISO-9002 certification.
Industrial components · 1948
Industrial valves
Zidell developed a valve recovery and resale business from components salvaged during ship dismantling. This activity was eventually organized as Zidell Valve Corporation and sold to Pon Holdings in 1997.
Marine services
Barge leasing
A separate barge-leasing business was expected to continue after Zidell ended new-barge construction in 2017. The available reference material does not provide further details about its current scale or operating structure.
Brand decisions
2016
Discontinuation of barge manufacturingStrategyBackground
After more than five decades of barge production, Zidell announced plans to close its South Waterfront factory and end the manufacturing operation permanently.
Action taken
The company planned to discontinue barge construction and vacate its 33-acre South Waterfront property during 2017.
Aftermath
Zidell Marine launched its final barge on June 16, 2017. Equipment was subsequently removed, while a separate barge-leasing business was expected to continue.
1997
Sale of Zidell Valve CorporationM&ABackground
Zidell’s valve-recovery and resale activity had developed into a separate valve company.
Action taken
The group sold Zidell Valve Corporation to Pon Holdings of the Netherlands.
Aftermath
The valve business left the Zidell group, while the remaining companies continued under family ownership.
Sources1 sources
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