Steel King is proud to celebrate 50 years!
From its humble beginnings in 1970, Steel King has grown to be a premier supplier with a national reputation for manufacturing competitively priced, quality non-powered material handling products. So much has changed over the past five decades, but our dedication to delivering a quality product and customer satisfaction has not.
May 15 - Steel King Industries, Inc. is incorporated by Russ Gerhard and Fred Anderson with 5,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 9 employees in Stevens Point, WI. Product lines consist of portable racks, bolted tubular pallet rack and other custom fabrications. Columbia Cold Storage in Hammond, IN places the first order with the newly incorporated Steel King Industries, Inc.
The King logo makes his debut.
Sales surpass the $1 million mark, and Stevens Point facility is expanded to 18,000 square feet.
Production facility in Stevens Point is again doubled in size. Crown Products division formed. Primary products include trailers jacks and agricultural implements.
The Hold 'N Fold collapsible container debuts. Product is aimed primarily at the automotive industry and typical customers include Ford Motor Company, John Deere and American Motors.
New London, WI manufacturing facility opened. Stevens Point, WI plant expanded once again.
Among Steel King's other product offerings was the Log Cleaver, c1980.
New London facility converted to produce wood burning stoves and boilers.
Boltless teardrop-style pallet rack introduced. The product is a hit in the new and emerging "warehouse-style" retail industry - which includes Home Centers and Office Supply retailers.
The Steel King logo is introduced.
Wide Span shelving introduced for light-duty hand loading. New, improved Hold 'N Fold design is patented.
Steel Guard protective railing is introduced.
New manufacturing plant opens in Rome, GA.
Steel Guard Protective Guard Railing is marketed through Industrial Supply catalogs. By 1990, Regional Managers have been hired for the Southwest, Midwest, Central regions and East Coast states, giving the company nationwide representation.
SK2000® brand closed tube boltless pallet rack is introduced. New London facility is expanded and a tube mill is installed to aid in the manufacture of the new SK2000® product. Premier Distributor program is introduced to forge a stronger link between the company and its distributors.
New London facilities again expanded. A new powder coat paint system is installed that substantially increase the durability and rust resistance of products. Rome, GA plant is doubled in production size.
Founder, Fred Anderson retires and owner Rob White becomes President of Steel King Industries, Inc.
Quick Ship program is introduced providing 48-hour shipping from a stocking warehouse in Madison, IL (St. Louis area). Products include SK2000 pallet rack, Steel Guard, containers and portable racks. Company introduces its own Pushback rack storage and Multi-level order picking systems.
New ERP (enterprise resource planning) software is examined and implementation is begun. The software fully integrates accounting, manufacturing and sales and marketing functions.
February - Rob White steps back to oversee his other companies, Jay Anderson is named President.
Rome, GA plant is expanded to 220,000 square feet. A powder coat paint system is installed to enhance superior durability, quality and rust resistance of the finish.
National Accounts Manager is hired to focus on the sales of containers, portable racks and custom shipping solutions.
Quick Ship warehouse and distribution center is relocated to Milwaukee, WI.
Establishment of Project Manager position, to better address jobsite and scheduling issues/tasks. Steel King begins Business Process Lean events.
Introduce Armor Guard protective railing.
First high-rise ASRS rack supported building.
First large-scale Mini-load ASRS project. Installation of tallest ASRS rack supported building in USA.
Installation of strut mills in New London. First Steel King University (SKU) event for dealer training.
First MODEX trade show in Atlanta.
Steel King is rebranded; the king symbol gets a new look, and Steel King launches its new tagline “Built to Deliver”.
Steel King completes its 1.5 year-long expansion of its New London, WI, production facility, nearly doubling the size of the plant and incorporating state-of-the-art robotics.
Today Steel King engineers hold PE licenses in more than 30 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Steel King Industries launches NexCaliber Structures, a business group focused on providing platform and mezzanine solutions for the material storage and handling industries.
