Company History
Calstrip - Commerce, CA
Calstrip Steel Corporation traces its origin back to the mid 1930′s initially operating as a cold rolled reducing facility for carbon and alloy products. The original plant began operation in Maywood, California, relocating only a few years later to the City of Commerce where its headquarters and main operations have remained. In 1964 ownership changed from a private company to a public entity when the company was purchased by Washington Steel Corporation, a fully integrated stainless steel producer located in Pittsburgh, PA. With this acquisition by Washington Steel, Calstrip was able to expand by adding stainless steel to its product lines.
Ownership again changed in 1979, when the Blount Corporation in Montgomery, AL purchased Washington Steel and all their subsidiaries, including Calstrip Steel. Working with the new parent company, Calstrip was able to expand still further by purchasing a nine head, traverse-wound slitting line, giving Calstrip the capability to process coils up to 4,000 lbs. each. In 1985 Calstrip, along with several other Blount subsidiaries, was put up for sale. In early 1986, Calstrip’s current management team made its own successful offer to purchase the corporation. Expansion continued for Calstrip Steel through the acquisition in l998 of a cut-to-length leveling line and shear line installed to produce stainless steel flat products with gauges ranging from .125 to .500.
Calstrip Industries’ ownership remains constant today through the ESOP established in 1986. The Company has seen continued growth in each successive year and continues to evolve with new product additions. In 1992 Omega Steel, Inc. was formed as a wholly owned subsidiary to produce slit products. Omega Steel has the ability to process 50,000 lb. coils up to 60″ wide. A rail spur was installed at the receiving dock for incoming rail-transported raw materials. Along with the new equipment purchases (cut-to-length leveling and sheet lines), Omega operates a variety of slitters, from 24″ up to 60″. Ten thousand tons per month are processed through the Omega facility. Omega ships product direct to customers and provides slit coil to Calstrip Steel for further processing.
Calstrip’s Los Angeles operations consist of 150,000 sq. ft on eight acres in the City of Commerce. The facility is served by a rail spur and strategically located to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Calstrip - Santa Teresa, NM (El Paso)
Calstrip’s latest expansion is the formation of its newest subsidiary, Southwest Steel Coil, Inc., in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, located in the greater El Paso, Texas area. Southwest Steel Coil operates from a new 55,000 sq. ft. high bay facility, serviced by heavy capacity overhead cranes. The facility is situated on seven acres in an industrial park five miles from a port of entry into Mexico. A new Braner 60″ wide slit line provides the capability of processing 10,000 tons per month of slit coil. The facility is equipped to handle coils up to 60″ wide weighing 55,000 lbs and is served by a rail spur into the plant. Southwest Steel Coil will serve the El Paso, Texas and Juarez and Chihuahua, Mexico markets.
Just-In-Time & Kanban
Calstrip has built its success upon delivering service to our customers. We seek to truly partner with our customers and create the highest value possible in the supply chain. Calstrip and Southwest Steel Coil will work closely with each customer to tailor programs using Just-In-Time and Kanban techniques to reduce lead times and reduce customer inventories.
Both the Los Angeles, CA and the Santa Teresa, NM (El Paso, TX) facilities have flat bed trucks for local deliveries. Both facilities are served by private rail spurs off Union Pacific railroad tracks to allow for maximized logistical advantage for raw material.
