NYSE: WS

Our History

Our Story Starts with Steel
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Our origin story is humble, but mighty. Our founder John H. McConnell seized an opportunity in 1955 that would advance the course of metals processing forever. But being an industry leader doesn’t mean we’ve lost sight of what’s important. At the core of who we are is who we serve – our people. We owe our success to them.

History

Our Timeline

Seven Decades of Driving Steel Forward

See the strides we’ve made since our founding in 1955.

1950s

With a $600 loan borrowed against his 1952 Oldsmobile, a young steel salesman named John H. McConnell bought his first load of steel then set up a custom-processing shop in Columbus, Ohio. And with that entrepreneurial, forward-thinking momentum, Worthington Steel was born.

1960s

During this decade of growth, McConnell continued adding processing facilities to the Worthington network. In 1966, he started sharing his profits with the people he worked with, while also putting all production workers on a salary rather than an hourly schedule. In 1968, Worthington made its first public stock offering of 150,000 shares at $7.50 each.

1970s

In 1971, we purchased a small pressure cylinders business and changed our name to Worthington Industries to reflect our expanding offerings.

1980s

This decade brought rapid expansion, as we continued fortifying our processes and building deep relationships across the industry.

1990s

Our joint venture with the TWB Company launched in 1992, creating the tailor welded blank market in North America. And in 1993, John H. McConnell passed the leadership torch to his son John P. McConnell, who would serve as CEO and then Chairman three years later.

2000s

At the dawn of the new millennium, we moved to the New York Stock Exchange.

2010s

Our robust acquisition strategy opened us to new markets and customers around the world this decade as we continued to pursue our vision of sustainable innovation.

2020s

A milestone decade for our company, we welcomed new leadership with Andy Rose in 2020 and our largest acquisition to date in 2021 with the purchase of the global electrical steel market leader, Tempel Steel.

TODAY

At the close of 2023, following two years of record earnings, Worthington Industries separated into two standalone public companies, and we renamed our business Worthington Steel. With President and CEO Geoff Gilmore at the helm, we’re well-positioned to return our focus to what we do best – steel.

Andy Rose continues to lead our sister company Worthington Enterprises, the designer and manufacturer of market-leading branded products.

John H. McConnell, Founder

We treat our customers, employees, investors and suppliers as we would like to be treated.
Employee with helmet and glasses on in warehouse staring into camera

Worthington Steel Today

Our Full Circle Moment

Our strategic decision to separate Worthington Industries into Worthington Enterprises and Worthington Steel reflects our position of strength and clarity as we enter a new age of metals. 

We started as Worthington Steel and now that we’ve returned to our roots, we’re ready to continue driving steel forward.

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