News & Events

PRESS RELEASE – July, 2006

UMC 100th Year Anniversary Activities Planned

Public Dedication (Invitation Only) — August 15, 2006
Employee and Retiree Open House — October 8, 2006

Union Metal has scheduled a Public Dedication ceremony for August 15th. This invitation-only event will be attended by Local, County, State, and Federal government leaders, Local Business and Labor leaders, Educators, Customers, Suppliers, and Elderly Retirees. On this day, we'll be publicly acknowledging our company's 100 year anniversary. We will dedicate a UMC “100 Year Archway and Mast Arm Pole” together with two bollards positioned at our front office entrance. Additionally, we have designed a commemorative plaque to be displayed prominently in a small park like setting, near our visitors parking area. We believe our employees and our visitors will be proud of all these additions. The plaque will state...

“This plaque is dedicated to the founders and past employees of Union Metal by the current employees of Union Metal Corporation, in recognition of their talents and efforts on behalf of the Company over its 100 year history.”

Planning has also progressed for our 100th year employee celebration. Our seven “Value Teams” have all undertaken assignments for an October 8th Open House at UMC. We have a wonderful day planned for Union Metal employees and their families, as well as our retirees. A special focus will be placed upon children's activities, product and historical displays, plant tours, and special drawings.

Union Metal's future is built on its past, and that history on which our Company's future will be built began 100 years ago. On October 8th, 1906, seven incorporators headed by Christopher Columbus Barrick formed the Union Metal Post Company. They soon launched their business of making and selling architecturally-fluted steel porch columns in an old broom factory near the railroad tracks and the site of our factory on Maple Avenue in northeast Canton, Ohio.

Today, in 2006, Union Metal continues to play an important role in the North American pole manufacturing industry, by designing, manufacturing, and marketing steel and aluminum poles for traffic, lighting, and decorative streetscape applications, continuing its rich history of providing poles for a safer America over these past 100 years.

Our employees have brought success to Union Metal throughout its past and their energy, imagination and enthusiasm for the business is making it successful today and will in the future.

Did you know some of our Company milestones?

The first large order for light poles was to Nashville, TN in 1909, the last of which stood until 1955.
Sales reached $1 million in 1924.
The company began producing steel buildings, primarily gas stations, in 1925.
The company was saved from the Great Depression by a 4,800 ornamental pole order for Evanston, IL
UMC produced such varied products as the Dual parking meter, a one ton steel trailer, sheet piling called Unilok, guard rail, steel boxes through the 30's, 40's and early 50's.
During WWII, the company produced armored cabs, tank booms, and practice bombs for the military, and converted the Monotube pilings to cargo booms and mast arms for the cargo vessels supplying the troops.
The first free standing antenna pole was developed by UMC in 1953.
The first 24 inch-diameter pole was produced in 1959.
Production started at a new plant in Fremont, California in 1960.
All-time financial performance highs were achieved in 1975 by Union Metal a public company.
In 1977, just two years later, a record loss was reported.
In 1979, plant closings and employee cutbacks ensued. A new management team structure was employed and a new President was hired.
A year later the company returned to profitability and Sales began growing again.

Through the 80's and 90's Union Metal was transformed on several occasions and changed permanently in many ways. Today it's a growing, profitable company, with over 400 employees in Canton, Ohio and Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Our future is being built upon our past successes.

Sincerely,

Darryl J. Dillenback
President and CEO

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