The story of CMC is an epic journey that spans more than a century. It’s an extraordinary tale of scrap yards and steel mills, hardworking employees and visionary leaders, steady progress and dramatic breakthroughs. Most of all, it’s a shining example of how remaining true to a core set of abiding principles — providing superior customer service, acting with integrity, dedicating ourselves to safety, delivering outstanding shareholder value, and serving the communities in which we operate, among others — can provide the foundation for remarkable success. From a single scrap yard in Dallas, Texas, CMC has grown into a Fortune 500 company with hundreds of facilities and more than 10,000 employees serving our valued customers around the world.
Timeline
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1915
From humble beginnings
Moses Feldman establishes his first scrap operation in Dallas.
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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.
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1932
What’s in a name
The name Commercial Metals Company is used for the first time. The company is formed by Jacob Feldman as a scrap trading brokerage, capitalized at $100,000, with Jake owning 98%. His co-director is his high school friend Tom Kleinman who will handle the company’s finances for decades. It is a two-man brokerage, with Jake and Lou Broad as traders.
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1932
Passing the torch
Moses Feldman signs control of American Iron & Metals over to his son Jacob.
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1936
Change is a good thing
CMC incorporation papers are amended. American Iron & Metals lists $51,000 of materials in its inventory.
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1940
First acquisition
CMC acquires Hutchison Pipe & Waste Material Co. in Fort Worth.
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1947
From cornfield to steel mill
Marvin Selig buys a cornfield in Seguin, Texas, for $300, and officially establishes Structural Metals, Incorporated (SMI). The SMI mill will become the first Commercial Metals Company mill in 1963.
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1949
Iron clad assets
CMC purchases assets of Southern Iron & Metal in Beaumont, Texas.
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1949
FOR SALE: Reinforcing bar
First rebar for commercial sale is produced at SMI. In its first year the company is profitable and produces 2,300 tons of rebar. Customers include fabricators, supply companies, contractors and the Texas Highway Department.
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1951
Reduce reuse recycle
CMC opens a recycling plant in San Antonio to serve Mexican accounts.
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1957
Another notch on the belt
CMC acquires Liberty Iron and Metal Co. in Dallas.
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1959
Innovation never sleeps
SMI prepares to be a steel manufacturer, experimenting with ways to melt scrap steel in an electric arc furnace to cast ingots.
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1960
A wise investment
CMC goes public, becoming the first secondary metals company listed on a major exchange, the American Stock Exchange.
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1962
It’s all about the rebar
SMI opens Dallas Rebar, a new rebar supply and fab operation.
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1970
Check the list, the name is “CMC”
CMC is named a Fortune 500 company for the first time.
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1970
Climbing the steel ladder
Serving in several roles starting with the company back in 1937, Charlie Merritt becomes President.
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1978
Swing for the fences
CMC purchases Price Steel, a fence-post finishing business in Houston, and renames it Southern Post Company.
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1979
Another strong leader
Stanley Rabin, age 40, is appointed CMC president and chief executive officer.
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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.
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1982
Take stock in our strength
CMC begins trading on the NYSE with the ticker symbol, ‘CMC’.
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1983
A new addition
CMC acquires Connors Steel, in Birmingham, AL.
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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.
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1987
Good fences make good neighbors
CMC begins production at its Arkansas mill, focused on manufacturing and fabricating steel fence posts.
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1989
On a roll
SMI installs a new state-of-the-art rolling mill in Seguin.
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1993
A concrete move
CMC acquires Shepler’s Equipment Co. and Construction Materials Inc., expanding its concrete-related products operations in central Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
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1994
Growth by acquisition
CMC acquires Owen Steel in Cayce, South Carolina.
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1999
Steel from all angles
CMC’s Arkansas mill adds a new product line: angles used to make bed frames.
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2000
Go west, young man
CMC acquires several rebar fab shops on the West Coast, expanding services to include rebar placing.
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2003
Moving the mothership
CMC relocates its corporate headquarters to Irving, Texas.
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2003
Beyond borders
CMC makes its first international manufacturing acquisition with the purchase of a steel mill in Zawiercie, Poland.
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2006
Passing the baton
Murray McClean succeeds Stan Rabin as CEO of CMC.
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2009
The smaller the better
CMC commissions its first “greenfield” steel mill in Mesa, Arizona. CMC Steel Arizona is the first successfully operating, highly efficient micromill in the world.
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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.
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2011
Solid steel experience
Joe Alvarado becomes CEO of CMC.
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2012
Just another touch
The myCMC portal launches allowing customers and suppliers to connect with CMC.
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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.
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2015
From strong history to promising future
Commercial Metals Company celebrates 100 years.
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2016
Aloha opportunity
CMC acquires Associated Steel Workers, Limited (ASW), expanding its rebar fabrication capabilities into the state of Hawaii.
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2016
Stretch beyond
CMC acquires Concrete Structures, Inc. expanding its post-tension cable operations into the Southeast.
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2017
Wrap it up
CMC announces it will be the first steel producer in the United States to manufacture spooled rebar.
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2017
Dump it, crush it, melt it, form it
CMC expands its recycling division in the Southeast, purchasing seven facilities that are strategically located to support CMC Steel South Carolina in Cayce, SC.
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2017
You can’t spell succession without “success”
Barbara Smith, who started with CMC in 2011 as SVP & CFO, is appointed CMC president and chief executive officer on September 1, 2017.
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2017
Stronger together
CMC acquires MMFX Technologies Corporation, expanding CMC’s range of steel performance products to include ChromX, a line of high strength, corrosion-resistant rebar.
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2018
We built this city
CMC Steel Oklahoma is officially dedicated to manufacturing the steel that builds America.
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2018
What’s colder than cold
CMC expands its product portfolio with CryoSTEEL, a cryogenic rebar primarily used in the construction of LNG facilities. CMC is the first and only producer in the United States.
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2018
The friendly giant
CMC makes its largest acquisition in history, almost doubling its mill and fabrication capacity with 4 new EAF mini mills and 34 new fabrication facilities.
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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.
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2020
Proven protection
CMC acquires GalvaBar, an innovative continuous hot-dip galvanizing operation that produces corrosion-resistant, galvanized rebar.
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2022
Steelmaking growth
CMC announces plans to build its fourth state-of-the-art, environmentally-friendly EAF micro mill to support operations in eastern United States.
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2022
Sustainable steelmaking
CMC launches RebarZero, providing customers with a carbon-neutral line of steel products.
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2022
On stable ground
CMC completes the acquisition of Tensar, a leader in innovative ground stabilization, geosynthetic and geotechnical construction solutions.
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2022
Scrap metal expansion
CMC expands its scrap recycling operations by acquiring metals recycling facilities in Fontana, CA; Texas City, TX; Rockwood, TN; and Crossville, TN.
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2023
More than just basic cable
CMC acquires Tendon Systems, LLC, greatly increasing its post-tension cable offerings and further enhancing its status as a leader in construction reinforcement.
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2023
Anchors away
CMC acquires EDSCO Fasteners, a leading producer of anchor bolt cages, systems and related products, and establishes the CMC Anchoring Systems line of business.
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2023
New leadership at CMC
Peter Matt, who has served on CMC's Board of Directors since 2020, is appointed President and CEO, effective September 1, 2023.