Gerber Metal Supply Company opened for business on July 26, 1963.
Gerber Metal Supply Company was founded by Warren Gerber Sr., with an investment of $2000 and his 25 years of experience in the Steel Service Center Industry.
The business started in a 100-year-old building on South Street in Newark, NJ.
The company started as a processor of customer’s material utilizing a second-hand shear.
The company’s first employees included Warren’s brothers, Bobby and Richard. They were soon joined by their brother, George. George soon assumed the duties of Secretary/Treasurer and Richard became the Plant Superintendent.
By early 1970, the company had evolved into a general line steel service center selling Cold Finished Bars, tubing, as well as sheet steel and processing.
Warren soon moved the company to a 28,000 square foot building in Hillside, New Jersey. It was during this time that Warren decided to become Flat-Rolled Specialists. The choice to specialize in blanks, sheets, and strips set the course for the future of Gerber Metal Supply Company.
In 1969, Warren’s nephew Glenn Gerber joined the company. Under Glenn’s direction the company purchased its first leveling line from Delta Brands in 1978. That original line was subsequently replaced in the late 1980’s with a Herr-Voss leveler coupled with a Red Bud Grip/Feed system.
In 1982, Gerber Metal entered the world of Domestic Mill Field Claim Programs. This eventually expanded to include programs with importers of Foreign Steel. This new venture became the Direct Sales Division.
In 1986, Warren Sr. sold the business to Glenn Gerber and Warren’s son Warren “Chip” Gerber Jr. A short time later Glenn added 3 additional stockholders, Charles Calabrese, Peter Morison, and Joseph Trainor.
In 1992, Charles Calabrese became President and COO, and Peter Morison became Executive Vice President. Joseph Trainor continued his role of Secretary/Treasurer until his retirement in November 2019.
In 2001, Gerber Metal moved into a brand new 55,000 square foot building in Readington, New Jersey.
In January 2005, Warren “Chip” Gerber Jr. left the company to pursue other interests.
In July of 2013 Gerber Metal celebrated 50 years in business.
In 2016 Charles Calabrese became the first non-Gerber Family member to become President and CEO. Glenn Gerber remains the Chairman of the Board.
Since moving into the Readington, New Jersey plant, Gerber Metal has increased its processing equipment and fleet of company owned delivery trucks.
