About Us
For 60 years, customers in North America have turned to Worthington Industries for value-added steel processing.
Worthington is also the leading global supplier of pressure tanks and cylinders. The company designs and delivers solutions for industrial gas and cryogenic applications, transportation and alternative fuel storage, oil and gas equipment, and consumer brand retail products, including Bernzomatic, Coleman and Balloon Time.
Our expertise in materials science, purchasing, manufacturing, supply chain and insights & analytics allows us to deliver a wide range of capabilities, products and services to a variety of markets including automotive, construction and agriculture.
Our History
In 1955, a young steel salesman named John McConnell saw an opportunity for custom-processed steel—and he took it.
He purchased his first load of steel by borrowing $600 against his 1952 Oldsmobile. With this money, he founded Worthington Industries in Columbus, Ohio – which remains the company’s global headquarters.
Throughout the late 1950s and 1960s, McConnell continued to add processing facilities. In 1966, he started sharing his profits with the people he worked with.
In 1968, Worthington Industries made its first public stock offering of 150,000 shares at $7.50 per share.
In 1976, the company celebrated $100 million in sales. Throughout the 1980s, business continued to expand rapidly.
In 1996, John McConnell’s son, also named John, took over as chairman and CEO after 20 years with the company. He started as a general laborer and later advanced to sales, operations and personnel.
During the 1990s, many non-core businesses were sold so we could focus on our core strengths: steel processing and metals-related businesses. In 2000, we moved to the New York Stock Exchange.
We continue to lead the diversified metal manufacturing industry guided by our philosophy.
Philosophy
The first corporate goal for Worthington Industries is to earn money for its shareholders and increase the value of their investment. We believe that the best measurement of the accomplishment of our goal is consistent growth in earnings per share.
Earnings
- The first corporate goal for Worthington Industries is to earn money for its shareholders and increase the value of their investment.
- We believe that the best measurement of the accomplishment of our goal is consistent growth in earnings per share.
Our Golden Rule
- We treat our customers, employees, investors and suppliers, as we would like to be treated.
People
- We are dedicated to the belief that people are our most important asset.
- We believe people respond to recognition, opportunity to grow and fair compensation.
- We believe that compensation should be directly related to job performance and therefore use incentives, profit sharing or otherwise, in every possible situation.
- From employees we expect an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.
- We believe in the philosophy of continued employment for all Worthington people.
- In filling job openings, every effort is expended to find candidates within Worthington, its divisions or subsidiaries.
Customers
- Without the customer and their need for our products and services we have nothing.
- We will exert every effort to see that the customer’s quality and service requirements are met.
- Once a commitment is made to a customer, every effort is made to fulfill that obligation.
Suppliers
- We cannot operate profitably without those who supply the quality materials we need.
- We ask that suppliers be competitive in the marketplace with regard to quality, pricing, delivery and volume purchased.
- We are a loyal customer to suppliers who meet our quality and service requirements through all market conditions.
Organization
- We believe in a divisionalized organizational structure with responsibility for performance resting with the head of each operation.
- All managers are given the operating latitude and authority to accomplish their responsibilities within our corporate goals and objectives.
- In keeping with this philosophy, we do not create excessive corporate procedures. If procedures are necessary within a particular company operation, that manager creates them.
- We believe in a small corporate staff and support group to service the needs of our shareholders and operating units as requested.
Communication
- We communicate through every possible channel with our customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers and financial community.
Citizenship
- Worthington Industries practices good citizenship at all levels.
- We conduct our business in a professional and ethical manner.
- We encourage all our people to actively participate in community affairs. We support worthwhile community causes.
Policy
Guided by the Worthington Philosophy, we are committed to serving:
Our People – Health & Safety
Our successes are a product of our people, and we aspire to provide a safe, healthy work environment and create a world class safety culture. We believe that it is the company’s responsibility to ensure that our system complies with all applicable regulations and requirements and that it is each employee’s responsibility to work safely and participate in safety programs. As a team, we work to eliminate hazards, reduce risk and continually improve our Health & Safety Management System, as measured by our performance.
Our Community – Environmental
We believe that each of our facilities is part of a community and we are committed to being good stewards of the natural resources we share. We recognize the importance of compliance with legislation, regulations and requirements and will meet or exceed all applicable standards. We are committed to protecting the environmental and have empowered each employee to minimize waste and prevent pollution. As a team, we work to
continually improve our Environmental Management System, as measured by our performance.
Our Company – Operations
We are committed to managing our costs and improving our profitability, thereby ensuring our long-term success. We will monitor and measure our critical processes, identify opportunities and drive innovative improvement, for the benefit of our shareholders, our employees, our customers and our suppliers.
Our Customers – Quality
We believe that each of our facilities is part of a community and we are committed to being good stewards of the natural resources we share. We recognize the importance of compliance with legislation, regulations and requirements and will meet or exceed all applicable standards. We are committed to protecting the environmental and have empowered each employee to minimize waste and prevent pollution. As a team, we work to
continually improve our Environmental Management System, as measured by our performance.
Our Customers – Quality
We are committed to our quality philosophy, which emphasizes product quality and safety, regulatory compliance, customer satisfaction and the continual improvement of the Quality Management System. By achieving established goals and objectives, we provide products, services and solutions that meet or exceed customer expectations.