Tricon Metals history

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Company was founded in Los Angeles on February 3, 1939 by Thomas J. Neilan.

In 1944, the name was shortened to Reliance Steel Company.

Emmet O’Neal, Kirkman’s son and former Chairman of O’Neal Steel, joined the company in 1946 setting the company on a strategy of geographic growth.

In 1948, Reliance Steel also began manufacturing products of aluminum and magnesium.

With the purchase, Reliance also acquired the services of Joe D. Crider, who had joined Drake in 1949 as a billing clerk and worked his way up to Fresno sales manager.

In 1952, the company opened the first satellite district in Jackson, Mississippi.

1957: William T. Gimbel succeeds company founder Thomas J. Neilan as president.

Under Gimbel, Reliance began its long-running territorial expansion, naming a resident sales agent in Phoenix in 1958.

1960: Phoenix competitor Effron Steel is acquired.

With the purchase of another competitor, the Westates Steel Company, in Santa Clara, Reliance Steel expanded into Northern California in 1961.

In 1966, Reliance extended its reach into Texas by acquiring metals service centers in Dallas and San Antonio from Delta Metals, Inc.

Founded in 1971, it had sales of $18 million a year.

Reliance ventured into the eastern part of the United States for the first time in 1975 when it acquired the Purchased Steel Products Conmpany, in Atlanta.

1976: The company's first "specialty store" is set up in Santa Fe Springs, California, through its Tuber Service Company subsidiary.

1977: California's Bralco Metals is acquired.

In 1981, Reliance purchased the Cd'A Service Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, from Spokane-based Cd'A Steel Service Center.

The Portland operation foundered and then closed in 1984.

The move never panned out, however, and Reliance sold the center in 1987.

In 1988, Reliance also acquired the Los Angeles Sheet & Steel Division from Earle M. Jorgensen Company.

1996 Tricon founded In 1996, Ignacio Torras, active President and CEO, founded Tricon Energy in Houston, TX, USA. The Company started with 4 employees, trading Liquid Caustic Soda and Acetone.

Growth continued into the 90’s with the 1997 acquisition of Metalwest, the company’s first stand-alone subsidiary.

Reliance bought Phoenix Metals of Atlanta for $21 million in January 1998.

The first overseas office opened in Korea in 1999 following the Asia financial crisis.

It had revenues of $6.6 million in its 2000 fiscal year.

An aggravating factor was the dramatic drop-off in commercial airliner orders following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Reliance acquired assets of Central Plains Steel Company in April 2002.

Valex shut down its Phoenix distribution site in 2003.

At the time of Emmet O’Neal’s unexpected death in 2004, O’Neal Steel closed on Aerodyne Alloys, the first acquisition into high-value nickel, cobalt and titanium bar products.

In the fourth quarter of 2005, the company purchased TW Metals (TW), the largest acquisition in the company’s history expanding the geographic reach worldwide.

In 2006, Tricon celebrated 10 years’ of business along with forming Tricon Plastic.

In 2012 the acquisition of Iowa Laser represented a significant move for ONI. The addition of Iowa Laser’s capabilities and expertise increased manufacturing offerings and improved overall growth.

Tricon surpassed $4 billion in total sales in 2013, a growth factor of nearly 15 times 10 years prior.

In 2014, Tricon also moved more than 5 million metric tons.

In 2016, Tricon celebrated 20 years’ of business and founded Lighthouse Chartering, a chartering company focused on optimizing freight and logistics.