Commercial Metals history

1926 Shipping far and wide Moses Feldman’s eldest son David is sent to oversee a rail salvage job in Florida, leading to CMC’s first international shipment of scrap metal out of the Port of Miami.

1932 What’s in a name The name Commercial Metals Company is used for the first time.

1936 Change is a good thing CMC incorporation papers are amended.

Though Feldman remained titular head of the company, Charlie Merritt, who joined Commercial Metals in 1937 as a stenographer, essentially assumed control of the company's day-to-day operations.

Operating in Rancho Cucamonga and San Marcos, Fontana Steel, Inc. had been started in 1946 by Paul Ware.

1949 Iron clad assets CMC purchases assets of Southern Iron & Metal in Beaumont, Texas.

1951 Reduce reuse recycle CMC opens a recycling plant in San Antonio to serve Mexican accounts.

1953: Charles Harley Company is CMC's first acquisition.

1957 Another notch on the belt CMC acquires Liberty Iron and Metal Co. in Dallas.

In 1960, ownership of Commercial Metals changed from private to public hands when the company became the first independent metals firm to be listed on the American Stock Exchange.

Annual sales swelled from slightly less than $60 million in 1963 to nearly $150 million four years later, while the company's net income leaped from just under $600,000 to $1.85 million during the four-year period.

In total, the growing Commercial Metals empire comprised 32 plants and offices in the United States and abroad by the late 1960s, positioning it as a major competitor in what was becoming an increasingly important and lucrative global industry. Its sixth international office was opened at the end of 1967 in Zug, Switzerland, complementing the company's other trading offices in Amsterdam, Tokyo, Taipei, Montreal, and Mexico City.

1970 Check the list, the name is “CMC” CMC is named a Fortune 500 company for the first time.

Annual sales eclipsed $320 million in 1973, then nearly doubled the following year, reaching $643 million, while earnings nearly quadrupled, soaring to more than $19 million.

“Scrap Is Beautiful,” Forbes, May 1, 1975, p.26.

1978 Swing for the fences CMC purchases Price Steel, a fence-post finishing business in Houston, and renames it Southern Post Company.

1979 Another strong leader Stanley Rabin, age 40, is appointed CMC president and chief executive officer.

1982 It’s electric! CMC’s minimill in Seguin, Texas, completes its transformation from a regional operation to a world-class steel mill due to the impact from a new electric arc furnace and caster.

C&M Steel, Inc. was a 40-employee, Fontana company that had been founded in 1983.

In 1984, the company acquired Connors Steel Co.’s mini-mill in Birmingham, Alabama.

The following year, 1985, marked Commercial Metals’ 70th year of business, a milestone that marked the passing of two world wars and numerous economic hills and valleys since Moses Feldman had arrived in Galveston and founded American Iron & Metals Company.

1986 Riding high CMC reported a 33% increase in cash flow compared to the prior year, as well as record earnings and shipments at the SMI, Seguin minimill.

1987: Operations begin at minimill in Magnolia, Arkansas.

During the first nine months of 1993, the company's revenues increased 44 percent, while its profits exploded exponentially, jumping a prodigious 135 percent.

With scrap prices remaining at enviable levels, Commercial Metals moved to expand its operations in 1994.

As these financial records were being achieved, the company strengthened its processing capabilities further, acquiring the assets of three Texas scrap processing facilities, Atlas Iron & Metal, Federal Iron & Metal, and Laredo Scrap Metals, in September 1995.

1999 Steel from all angles CMC’s Arkansas mill adds a new product line: angles used to make bed frames.

A CMC press release on May 2, 2000 announced the company's acquisitions of two southern California rebar fabrication companies.

A still growing United States economy in mid-2001 also helped.

In 2002, the company sold its heavy structural fabrication assets of SMI-Owen Steel, resulting in $20 million of proceeds.

2003 Beyond borders CMC makes its first international manufacturing acquisition with the purchase of a steel mill in Zawiercie, Poland.

2006 Passing the baton Murray McClean succeeds Stan Rabin as CEO of CMC.

2009 The smaller the better CMC commissions its first “greenfield” steel mill in Mesa, Arizona.

2010 Let it roll A new flexible rolling mill comes online at CMC Poland, increasing capacity to 1.9 million tons and making it the 2nd largest steel mill in Poland.

In June 2011, the company acquired G.A.M. Steel Pty.

2012 Just another touch The myCMC portal launches allowing customers and suppliers to connect with CMC.

2013 Let’s shred some metal CMC installs a new nonferrous metals recovery system to more efficiently extract copper, aluminum and stainless steel from automobile shredding operations in Seguin, Texas.

2015 From strong history to promising future Commercial Metals Company celebrates 100 years.

2016 Stretch beyond CMC acquires Concrete Structures, Inc. expanding its post-tension cable operations into the Southeast.

2017 Wrap it up CMC announces it will be the first steel producer in the United States to manufacture spooled rebar.

2018 What’s colder than cold CMC expands its product portfolio with CryoSTEEL, a cryogenic rebar primarily used in the construction of LNG facilities.

2019 Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’ CMCs’ second rebar spooler comes online at its micro mill in Mesa, Arizona, extending spooled rebar availability to the West Coast.

2020 Proven protection CMC acquires GalvaBar, an innovative continuous hot-dip galvanizing operation that produces corrosion-resistant, galvanized rebar.