Gerber Metal Supply Company was founded in July, 1963 by Warren Gerber, Sr., with an investment of $2000 and his 25 years of experience in the steel distribution business. From its inception, Gerber Metal Supply Company has stressed service and quality.

The business began in Newark, New Jersey, in a 100 year old building, processing customer's material on a second-hand shear. The company's first employees included Warren's brothers, George and Richard. George was a metallurgist working for a heat treating firm in Clifton, New Jersey and Richard was a shop foreman in the same facility. George assumed the duties of Treasurer-Secretary and Richard became the Plant Superintendent. By early 1970, the company had evolved into a general line steel distributor, selling cold finished bars, tubing and sheet. Within one year, however, the firm decided to discontinue the sale of cold finished bars and tubing. Warren found that the bars and tubing were taking more than one third of the capital to bring in only 15% of the company's sales.

At the same time, the company moved its entire operation to a 28,000 square foot facility located in Hillside, New Jersey. It was during the move that the company made the decision to become flat-rolled specialists. The choice to specialize in strips, blanks and edge processed material proved to be the step to move the company into the next generation of "niche" business.

In 1969, Glenn Gerber, Warren's nephew, joined the firm. Under Glenn's direction, the company purchased its first leveling line from Delta Brands in 1978. The original line has since been replaced by a Red Bud System with a Herr-Voss Leveler.

Warren Gerber Sr., sold the entire operation in 1986 to Glenn and Warren's son, Warren "Chip" Gerber. Within a short period after the original sale, three additional stockholders were added. Charles Calabrese, Peter Morison and Joseph Trainor are currently officers of the company and remain stockholders of the corporation. At the end of January, 2005, Warren Gerber, Jr. left the company to pursue other interests.

The company added its line of Non-Prime Sales in late 1982. The offerings of Non-Prime steel allowed the corporation to increase sales by brokering steel without processing the material. Today, the "Direct Sales Division" offers all grades and gauges. Please visit our Offerings link.

In 1990, the company expanded its product line to include commercial quality square, rectangular and round welded tubing. The KMT Cold Saw was added in early 2002.

Over the next 20 years Gerber Metal Supply Company increased its processing equipment and fleet of trucks to its current levels. The company moved to its current facility in early 2001. After two years of attempting to find an existing facility closer to the Hillside plant, Gerber Metal made the decision to build a new facility. A 55,000 square foot state of the art facility was built on 7 acres in Readington, New Jersey.