Stainless Determination
A HISTORY OF SANDMEYER STEEL COMPANY
1952
Paul Sandmeyer was 41 years old in 1952 when, for $45 per month, he leased a modest storefront on Philadelphia’s Ogontz Avenue and launched Sandmeyer Steel Company.
1953
The company merged production and office functions at the Cramps Shipyard in 1953. This new address, 2071 Richmond Street in Philadelphia, was better suited to the rapidly growing business.
1963
Sandmeyer Steel purchases Budd Company foundry, located in Northeast Philadelphia, where the company still operates from today.
1969
Paul C. Sandmeyer was at his vacation home in Fort Lauderdale on the evening of October 29, 1969, when he suffered his third and final heart attack. Ronald P. Sandmeyer, Sr. assumed responsibilities of President and CEO. He and Paul von Zech could not have kept the company operating without the support of the workforce.
1979
Sandmeyer Steel Company’s production plant has more than 85 pieces of equipment and the company stocks some 5,000 tons of inventory.
1980
Ron Sandmeyer, Jr. joins the Company as a Special Projects Manager. With his leadership, less than a year later Sandmeyer Steel Company acquires its first computer.
1985
Like his older brother, Rodney Sandmeyer opted to work elsewhere before joining the family business in 1985.
1985
Sandmeyer Steel seized an opportunity to provide for the company?s long-term growth when the former Budd Company machine shop building across the street was offered for sale. When the company had moved from Cramps Shipyard to the industrial park in the 1960s, Paul Sandmeyer and Paul von Zech had chosen the old Budd foundry (now the Main Building) over the Budd machine shop building, as the company could not afford to buy them both. Although there was no immediate need for the additional space, this location was well suited for heavy-duty manufacturing, and Sandmeyer Steel wasn?t about to pass up this prime location a second time.
1993
It is a rare achievement for a company to flourish into the third generation of family management, and one that the Sandmeyer family is duly proud of. Rodney (left) and Ron Jr. (right) flank their father, Ron Sandmeyer Sr., in this photo.
1997
Ron Sandmeyer, Sr. becomes chairman, Ron Jr. is promoted to fill the position of President and CEO, Rodney Sandmeyer is named Executive Vice President.
1997
Friends and colleagues for nearly half a century, Paul von Zech and Ron Sandmeyer Sr. collectively gave 85 years of dedicated service to the company and ensured the survival of Sandmeyer Steel Company into a third generation of leadership.
2000
In the summer of 2000, the company introduced its newest technological advance, abrasive waterjet cutting. Waterjet is state-of-the-art technology, able to cut plate of a thickness up to 6 inches and produce edges similar in quality to machined edges.
2006
The Bandsaw Cutting Center was designed to process the largest full-size plates. Additionally, the saws can cut narrow bars, especially useful for supplying bars cut from plate for non-standard bar sizes and types.
2013
R. Paul Sandmeyer, III, joined Sandmeyer Steel Company as Materials Procurement Manager. “It’s not that many companies that make it to even the third generation. For us to have a member of the fourth generation come on board is a significant milestone in the history of our Company and a proud moment for me personally,” said Ron Sandmeyer, Jr.
2013
Sandmeyer’s state-of-the-art laser cutting system assured many customer benefits, such as high-speed cutting, minimal heat-affected zones enabling tighter nesting when compared to plasma cut parts, and cuts of different thicknesses without operator intervention.
2019
Sandmeyer Steel Company received the 2019 Member Company of the Year Award from the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia during the 17th Annual World Trade Center Day Awards ceremony held on May 15, 2019, at The Water Works. This award recognizes Sandmeyer Steel Company’s significant contributions to economic growth in the Philadelphia region, investing in its people and leading the way with outstanding customer satisfaction. “We are blessed to have a dedicated and loyal team in Northeast Philadelphia, many of whom are multi-generational families beyond the Sandmeyer family. Our mantra is, each and every day, we strive to create an extraordinary experience for the customers we have the privilege of serving,” said Ronald P. Sandmeyer, Jr., President, and CEO. “I look forward to continuing to grow our export business as well as being a strong economic contributor to the Philadelphia region.”
2022
Sandmeyer Steel Company, which has been family owned and operated since its inception, will achieve another milestone in May of 2022, when it will be 70 years since its establishment in 1952.
2023
Rodney C. Sandmeyer retired after a distinguished 38-year career with Sandmeyer Steel Company. His tenure marked decades of dedicated service, during which he championed continuous growth and innovation. Rodney’s legacy is reflected in the company’s strong foundation and enduring commitment to excellence as a trusted supplier in the stainless steel and specialty alloy industry.