Ulbrich (company)

Ulbrich was founded in 1924 by Frederick Christian Ulbrich Sr. as The Fred Ulbrich Company, in Wallingford, Connecticut. Ulbrich was originally a scrap yard, but gradually expanded and pivoted to stainless steel in 1936 after a merger between two corporations that prevented Ulbrich Sr. from selling to one of his top buyers. 1937 saw the creation of Victory Cutlery Company, a now defunct subsidiary of Ulbrich that produced cutlery.

During World War II, Ulbrich supplied stainless steel mess kits to the United States Army after receiving multiple government contracts. The cutlery division was sold off in the 1950s, and Ulbrich shifted to rolling and slitting strip metal. The company invested in rolling mills to meet demand, and sales increased.

In 1963, Ulbrich began producing nickel alloys and various types of special metals for aerospace manufacturers. In an attempt to become a certified supplier for Pratt & Whitney, the company invested a year of profits into a testing laboratory, which ultimately led to more success in the aerospace industry and was a mechanism for their contract for a supplier of the United States Air Force's B-70 Valkyrie and later the Rockwell B-1 Lancer.

Ulbrich's second location, Ulbrich of Illinois, is opened in 1968 in Alsip, Illinois as a stainless steel strip plant.

The company continued to work with the federal government to supply certain metal components of NASA's Apollo 11 spacecraft. Shortly after the successful landing, Ulbrich incorporated and adopted the current name, Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals, Inc. During this time, company ownership changed from Frederick Ulbrich Sr. to his three sons. Five years later, the founder passed away.

The remainder of the 20th century saw many attempts at substantial growth, both nationally and internationally. From 1982–1986, two new locations were founded in Connecticut, one in Georgia, and one in Fresno, California. The acquisition of Diversified Stainless of Canada granted Ulbrich two facilities in Canada, and in 1998, a new service center was opened in Queretéro, Mexico. From the 2000s onward, Ulbrich continued expanding internationally, and saw increased sales and revenue.[4][5][6]

On January 31, 2022, Ulbrich acquired an additional facility in California from Allegheny Technologies, which was subsequently named Ulbrich of California.[7]

Ulbrich offers a variety of stainless steel and metal-based products. The company's main product offerings are rolled strip metal, stainless and metal foil, flat, round, shaped and fine wire, PV ribbon for solar products, metal and stainless steel sheet and plate, and the application of steel in long products, though these are limited to Ulbrich's Canada locations.

As of 2023, Ulbrich states they have a selection of over 165 alloys in their production.[2][8]