Craft O’Neal, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of O’Neal Industries Inc., recently sat down with Business Alabama to celebrate O’Neal Steel’s 100th anniversary and discuss the expansion of the company his grandfather started in 1921. Below is a snippet from the article published by Business Alabama.

 

O’Neal Industries Turns 100

At the Metals Service Center Institute’s 2020 annual meeting, its chairman of the board shared his outlook for the industry and said more metal will be needed to modernize and revitalize infrastructure, machinery and equipment.

That prediction bodes well for Birmingham’s O’Neal Industries, which celebrates its 100th year of continuous operation in 2021.

O’Neal Industries (ONI) is one of the largest, oldest and most diversified U.S. companies serving the worldwide metals marketplace. ONI companies provide products and services across the metals industry, ranging from carbon and stainless steel, aluminum and specialty alloy products to complex manufactured components and tubing.

The company reported $2.4 billion in sales in 2019 and was ranked 171 on the list of America’s largest private companies. It takes the fifth spot on the Alabama list.

O’Neal Industries began with founder Kirkman O’Neal in 1921 as O’Neal Steel. O’Neal Industries was formed in 2008 and includes several closely related companies, all engaged in the metals industry. The companies — G&L Tube, Leeco Steel, Locate Supplies, O’Neal Manufacturing Services, O’Neal Steel, Stainless Tubular Products, TW Metals and United Performance Metals — have more than 70 specialized facilities throughout North America, Europe and Asia with about 3,000 employees. 

At the helm is Craft O’Neal, the company’s third generation chairman and chief executive officer.

“I am proud we have been able to continue in business for so long and not only survive but thrive,” O’Neal says. “It is a testament to the leadership and quality of the people we have been so blessed to have worked at our company and the support we have had from our shareholders, customers, suppliers and communities. It has been an amazing journey and we plan for it to continue.”

The company has had inquiries about whether it would have an interest in selling or going public but it has steadfastly remained one of the nation’s largest family-owned companies.

SOURCE: Business Alabama, 01.14.2021

To learn more, check out the full interview with Craft O’Neal .

To continue reading more articles, visit our blog, The Knowledge Tree.