In 1893 Wirtz Company in Gelsenkirchen Germany started doing business as a job shop galvanizer and fabricator of galvanized sheet.

The success of the V&S group started in 1956. Mr. Robert Voigt, an experienced manager with the German airline "Lufthansa", and Mr. Harald Schweitzer, Director and Shareholder of the Oceana Werke in Berlin, put their strength together and purchased the majority interest in Wirtz Company.

Family-owned and driven for success, the business started to expand gradually and was able to accelerate in the seventies to 10 major European interests as job shop galvanizers and manufacturers of galvanized products.

In 1985 V&S started in the United States with Columbus Galvanizing. The business grew in the eighties to 21 companies. In the nineties the unification of Germany gave the opportunity to build and acquire six companies in Germany, two in France and one in Belgium. The U.S. operations have grown to eight companies with 7 galvanizing locations. In 2008 V&S Galvanizing LLC became part of Hill & Smith Holdings PLC, and looks forward to further growth. Part of that further growth has been the addition of the V&S Memphis Galvanizing LLC in Millington, TN and the new replacement of the V&S Columbus Galvanizing LLC and Corporate offices in Columbus, Ohio.

The mission of the founders, who trusted each other, was "work hard," save a penny and serve your customer with quality work and reliability.