Company History & Milestones

Our company’s rich history was set in motion in 1929, the year Tadeusz Sendzimir left for America. Having been fascinated by machinery since childhood, Sendzimir designed galvanizing lines in both Butler, Pennsylvania and Middletown, Ohio with the ARMCO company. Tadeusz eventually moved to Waterbury, Connecticut and founded the company we now know as T. Sendzimir, Inc.

Though he chose to become an American, he did maintain his identity as a Polish-American. His lifetime contacts and relationship with Poland earned him many honors, including Poland’s largest steel mill in Krakow being renamed “Sendzimir” in his honor during the 90’s.

Innovating Since The Beginning

From the start, Tad Sendzimir revolutionized the steel industry. His innovations included stainless steel rolling and the continuous process for galvanizing steel that we continue to use today. The rolling of stainless steel was eventually implemented on the first 20-High Cluster Mill that was used for light-weight machinery, such as radar designed for mounting on World War II aircraft. Without the Z-mill, there would not have been airborne radar. Later, the skin for the Apollo spacecraft was manufactured on one of his steel mills.

With Sendzimir’s vision, it was not long before his company became a global success. In 1953, he introduced the first productive 20-High Cluster Mill to Great Britain, Japan, various European countries, and Canada. Not one to be limited in his pursuits, in 1974 he additionally founded Sencor, an engineering company, and invented the spiral looper used in the United States and Japan.

A Legacy of Manufacturing

As Sendzimir became an established manufacturer, Tadeusz’s son, Michael, offered his talents to the company and began working with his father. Soon Michael held the position as President of T. Sendzimir, Inc., and remained the face of the company for over four decades.

In the 1960’s, Michael proposed to use tandem 20-High mills in reversing mode, then got to work with Nisshin Steel to specify, engineer, and install the first ZR type 6-stand Tandem mill in the Shunan works. He conceived the principle of the Z-High® Mill, applying its abilities in continuous lines for both new or retrofit mills. Being involved in everything from the development of the Sendzimir planetary hot strip mills to creating the only double rocker mill for rolling copper and non-ferrous alloys, Michael continued his father’s dream for his company by taking the technology to new heights and setting the tone for the industry.

Looking Forward

Today, T. Sendzimir, Inc. maintains its commitment to continuing the legacy of innovation started by Tadeusz under the leadership of his grandson, Tad. With locations in 4 countries, the company continues to market products, services, and know-how to many industries all over the world.

By the early 1980’s, up to 90 percent of the world’s stainless steel passed through the Sendzimir process. Overall, T. Sendzimir, Inc. has helped to change the shape of the steel rolling industry over the decades.

Milestones

1930’s

1931

FIRST Continuous Galvanizing Line Put into Operation at Kostuchna, Poland.

1932

FIRST Z-Mill Put into Operation at Nowy Bytom, Poland (Low Carbon Strip)

1936

FIRST Galvanizing Line Started in the USA At Armco in Butler, Pennsylvania

1939

FIRST Z-Mill in the USA

1940’s

1945

FIRST Planetary Mill in Chicago, IL

1950’s

1953

FIRST production Planetary Mill started in the United Kingdom

1956

FIRST Z-Mill In Japan

1960’s

1966

FIRST Wide Stainless Production Planetary Mills in Japan and Canada

1968

FIRST Sendzimir Tandem Mill at the Shunan Works of Nisshin Steel Japan

1970’s

1974

FIRST Zero-Crown Housing

1975

FIRST Eccentric Press in Tandem With a Planetary Mill at Ductile Steels Ltd

1976

FIRST Super Powerful ZR 21 Type Mills on Stainless

1979

FIRST Z-High® Mill in the USA

1980’s

1983

FIRST Tandem Z-High® Mill in Canada

1986

FIRST 85″ Stainless Strip Mill (ZR 618A-85) at Avesta KBR in Sweden, Widest in the World

1990’s

1990

FIRST Complete Mill Contracted Directly by TSINC (ZR 22b-52)

1990

FIRST Process Line Z-High®in A&P Line at Avest Nyby

1992

FIRST Double As-U-Crown Control on the KZR (ZR 21AN-52) at Nippon Metal’s Kinura Works In Japan

1992

FIRST Split Housing Mill (ZR 21BB-54) with Additional Bottom Crown Pre-Setting

1996

FIRST 2 Stand Process Line Z-High®(ZR 613A-64), Isbergues Ugine

1997

FIRST 2 Stand Z-High®in Hot Rolled Stainless Processing Line at J&L Special Metals, Midland, PA

2000’s

2005

FIRST 3 Stand Process Line Z-High, LISCO China

2008

FIRST 4 Stand Process Line Z-High®(ZR 613A-52), POSCO China