A Day with Penny at Copperweld Steel

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In 1925, five American men pooled their knowledge and resources to establish The Copper Clad Steel Company in Rankin, Pennsylvania. The entire workforce consisted of 23 men who produced copper-covered steel wire. Later renamed The Copperweld Steel Company, the company thrived through a less complex welding method that created a molten weld between copper and steel.

In 1941, a catastrophic lightning strike hit the mill, devastating the wire mill, dye room, and both shipping and testing departments. Remarkably resilient, Copperweld rebuilt and continued to prosper. Just four years after the fire, the company’s copper wire stretched across the Smoke Canyon River in Idaho, earning the title of the longest span of wire in the world at that time.

The Copperweld Steel Company quickly outgrew its plant in Rankin, PA, and moved to the Axe and Tool Works in Glassport, PA, in May of 1961. It became the standard for wire and electrical cable in the U.S., where Penny would dedicate the next 36 years of his life.

COPPERWELD BIMETALLICS, Glassport, PA

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When asked about his days at the mill, Penny would reply, “I loved my job, and do you know why? Because it was HOT, HEAVY, and HARD, and it paid good money!” He worked in the rolling mill as a catcher, where he caught hot copper rods and moved them from one conveyor belt to another. The heat was so intense and the work so grueling that he could only labor for 15 minutes at a time before taking a 15-minute break.

The job was extremely perilous, so he wore long underwear and a safety mask year-round to prevent copper dust from irritating his skin. Nonetheless, accidents occurred, and a few close calls left him with scars on his arms and hands. Throughout his 36 years at the mill, he only missed five or six days of work, and he never complained; he felt truly fortunate to be employed at Copperweld.

Yet, for all his love for his job, he cherished his family even more. On paydays, many millworkers would stop at a bar in town, spending much of their paycheck before returning home, but not Penny. He brought every last cent home to his wife and children, treasuring the moments they shared over dinner or in front of the TV in the evenings. He would sip hot cocoa and occasionally scratch under his arm or at his pant leg, where copper dust had irritated his skin. Rose would sit nearby, proudly showcasing the charms Penny had received from his years of service at Copperweld, which she wore until her passing.

During summer, Penny and the mill workers received packs of Chuckles® candy to maintain their sugar levels. Knowing how much his kids loved this candy, Penny refrained from eating them. He trudged through the eight-hour workdays and brought the candy home at the week's end, relishing the joy on his kids’ faces far more than his own comfort. I'm not certain how he endured those sweltering summer days at the mill, except to say he was made of steel. All the qualities that made Copperweld steel a beacon in the industry—strength, conductivity, and permanence—mirrored Penny's role as a beacon for his family.

When his son, Wayne, was a junior in high school, Penny brought him to the mill to show him what a day's work entailed. Wayne’s body couldn't withstand the heat and dust, leading him to step outside frequently for fresh, cool air throughout the eight-hour day. However, Penny remained a workhorse. Well into his 50s, he managed the hot copper rods with the strength and energy of men half his age.

At the conclusion of the day, he patted Wayne on the shoulder, looked him directly in the eye, and said,

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“Now do you see why you need to go to college?”

Penny laughed, and though he genuinely enjoyed the daily grind of his job, he was serious; he aspired to provide their children with more opportunities.

What he did not realize was that he had already given them more than they could ever hope for.

Rose's Copperweld charms

Penny & family circa 1980s