Public Steel Inc History

Complete History of Public Steel Inc

Public Steel Inc has been an Amarillo, TX-based business for over 74 years. It was founded in 1948 by Jeoffroy Manufacturing Company, a farm implement manufacturer, with the primary purpose of allowing Jeoffroy to purchase steel directly from the mills.

Public Steel expanded it's warehouse business and hired Jack Gleason in 1958 as the general manager, bringing years of experience in the steel industry from Oklahoma. In 1968, Jack and a partner purchased Public Steel and served as the president until his death in 2002. Jack grew the company into a prominent structural steel supplier. 

Expanding the Company

In 1972, the company began expanding into structural steel fabrication and hired fabrication expert, Roy Duck. Roy began growing the fabrication side of the business with little more than some space carved out in one of the warehouses and a few welding machines. Focusing from the beginning on quality, Public Steel soon made a name in the region as a top-tier steel fabricator.

In 1978, Jim Gleason joined his father at Public Steel after buying out Jack’s original partner. He brought a degree in business and experiences acquired during a successful career with the Oklahoma Crime Commission. Under Jim’s direction, Public Steel added an additional 115,000-square-foot facility to the company’s existing 30,000-square-foot warehouse. 

Family-Owned and Operated

Jim’s wife, Eva Gleason, began a regular and active role at Public Steel in 1996, serving as office administrator following the sale of her partnership interest in an Amarillo-based tax preparation business. 

In keeping with the pride of family ownership, the children of Jim and Eva, Chris and Jenni, regularly cleaned the offices and performed other tasks as needed throughout their teen years. During the summers of their college years, Chris and Jenni worked full-time performing various roles ranging from clerical to delivery of orders to welding. 

Chris Gleason graduated from Baylor University in 1997 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Following graduation, Chris enjoyed a successful career in commercial banking in Houston and Fort Worth but began to feel a desire to return to the family business. In 2003, he returned to Amarillo and joined Public Steel working alongside his father until Jim’s death in 2007. 

Upon Jim’s passing in 2007, his widow Eva assumed the role of CEO, and her son Chris assumed the role of President. Under their leadership, the company has continued to prosper and expand into new fields all while continuing the company’s longstanding commitment to quality and customer service.