Gerlinger Steel & Supply Co. Building

The Gerlinger Steel & Supply Company was originally established by Fred Gerlinger, Sr., and his son, E.E. "Burt" Gerlinger in 1929 as the Gerlinger Foundry and Machine Works. It has traditionally served a number of industries in Northern California, including lumber, precious metal, agriculture, aggregate mining, and construction. It is one of the oldest companies in Redding.

Although the company initially faced some tough years during the 1930s with the onset of the Great Depression, it has adapted and survived. Over the years, Gerlinger Steel & Supply Company has had a hand in many groundbreaking and important projects within the region. It has provided materials and supplies for the construction of the Shasta Dam, the Trinity Dam, the Keswick Dam, the Oroville Dam, Highway 44, and the Interstate 5 project, among others.

In the 1980s, the company also added metal fabrication and processing to its services. Thereafter, the company contributed fabricated materials for many other projects in Shasta County and beyond. In the 1990s, Gerlinger Steel also opened additional branches in Sacramento and Nevada City. Although the original foundry closed with the introduction of EPA regulations, the Gerlinger Steel & Supply Company current offers welding and fabrication, as well as steel, aluminum, ornamental iron, pipe fittings, and machinery.

The company is currently run by Fred Gerlinger, Jr., and his wife, Jo, as well as their sons, Tim and Scott. Now a fourth-generation family-owned and operated business, the company is also committed to sustainability. Fred Gerlinger has noted that metals are one of the original "green" materials because they can be recycled. Thus, 95% percent of the materials sold by Gerlinger Steel are in fact recycled.

The roof of the Gerlinger Steel building in Redding features a historic steam whistle, which is also called a "hooter." It blows at designated times each weekday from the roof to signal the official start of the work day, the lunch hour, and the close of business at the end of each day. Although this steam whistle is mainly a nod to history and tradition, it is also something of a novelty in this current age of digital technology. You can listen for it at 8 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 p.m. on weekdays when you are in the neighborhood.

"About Us", Gerlinger Steel. Accessed March 14th 2020. https://gerlinger.com/about-us.

Olson, Wyatt. "Steel in Business". Enjoy Magazine. March 19th 2013. Accessed March 14th 2020.https://www.enjoymagazine.com/2013/03/19/16291/steel-in-business

Smith, Dottie. "Travelin' in Time: Dottie Smith: Historic places in Redding", Redding.com. January 28th 2016. Accessed March 14th 2020. https://www.redding.com/story/life/columnists/dottie-smith/2016/01/28/travelin-in-time-dottie-smith-historic-places-in-redding/93437694/.