Thomas Steel Inc was founded in 1963 by Stephen E. Thomas. After returning home from WW2 as a structural engineer, Mr. Thomas began his career in the structural steel industry. It was then that he saw an opportunity to start a fabrication company to support local builders and the booming housing market. He was later joined by his brother-in-law, Terry Ruppert, and together they began to grow TSI into a fully functional Structural Steel Supply Company.
In 1992, Stephen’s son, Daniel J. Thomas, purchased the company and focused on supplying the booming automotive market in the Midwest. For years TSI had supplied this industry on a smaller scale. One area that they had been most successful in was long-span steel trusses. Danny and his team continued to pursue this market supplying fabricators and general contractors from all over the county with the trusses their projects would call for. It was during his time that TSI became an AISC Certified Fabricator and Danny would later serve on the board of directors of the AISC from 2000-2005 when he passed away from a sudden illness.
After Danny’s death, his wife Lynne Thomas, stepped in to run the company. She and her team would go on to run the company from 2005 until 2012 when she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. It was in 2012 when Dan and Lynne’s son, Jacob S. Thomas, purchased the company from his family and began the aggressive growth model they have been on since.
