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TMS International Celebrates 100th Anniversary
04/06/2026 - Founded in 1926, TMS International announced it is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
The company said it will celebrate its anniversary at multiple trade shows and host celebrations at some of its facilities.
“To mark 100 years of existence is an extraordinary achievement and shows the resilience and excellence of TMS. The company has overcome the Great Depression, World War 2, 9/11, the Great Recession, COVID-19 and more, and every time we have emerged stronger,” said Joel Hawthorne, TMS president and chief executive officer.
“By focusing on people, investing in communities and solving customer problems, TMS has built a strong foundation for growth, becoming a premier industrial and environmental services leader,” Hawthorne continued.
The company’s name took several decades and owners to get to what it is today. It was founded by Lithuanian immigrant David Coslav, who got his start processing scrap iron and steel in McKeesport, Pa., USA. The city had one of the largest tube mills in the world, National Tube, in operation at the time which gave it the nickname “The Tube City.” This nickname is what inspired the original company’s name, Tube City Iron and Metal.
In 1928, the company moved to Glassport, Pa., USA. In 1987, the company was passed on to David’s grandson, I Michael Coslav, and renamed Tube City, Inc.
In 1936, Hugh Nelson and Jack Kaiser-Nelson created the company International Mill Service (IMS) in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. In 2004, Wellspring Capital Management LLC bought out IMS and got a majority interest in Tube City from Blue Point Capital. Later that year, Tube City and IMA combined to make Tube City IMS Corp.
In 2014, the company was bought by The Pritzker Organization of Chicago, Ill. Two years later, Tube City IMS Corp. was finally renamed TMS International Corp. What was once a one-person operation is now an international organization with more than 4,200 employees at more than 70 worldwide locations, the company said.
“To mark 100 years of existence is an extraordinary achievement and shows the resilience and excellence of TMS. The company has overcome the Great Depression, World War 2, 9/11, the Great Recession, COVID-19 and more, and every time we have emerged stronger,” said Joel Hawthorne, TMS president and chief executive officer.
“By focusing on people, investing in communities and solving customer problems, TMS has built a strong foundation for growth, becoming a premier industrial and environmental services leader,” Hawthorne continued.
The company’s name took several decades and owners to get to what it is today. It was founded by Lithuanian immigrant David Coslav, who got his start processing scrap iron and steel in McKeesport, Pa., USA. The city had one of the largest tube mills in the world, National Tube, in operation at the time which gave it the nickname “The Tube City.” This nickname is what inspired the original company’s name, Tube City Iron and Metal.
In 1928, the company moved to Glassport, Pa., USA. In 1987, the company was passed on to David’s grandson, I Michael Coslav, and renamed Tube City, Inc.
In 1936, Hugh Nelson and Jack Kaiser-Nelson created the company International Mill Service (IMS) in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. In 2004, Wellspring Capital Management LLC bought out IMS and got a majority interest in Tube City from Blue Point Capital. Later that year, Tube City and IMA combined to make Tube City IMS Corp.
In 2014, the company was bought by The Pritzker Organization of Chicago, Ill. Two years later, Tube City IMS Corp. was finally renamed TMS International Corp. What was once a one-person operation is now an international organization with more than 4,200 employees at more than 70 worldwide locations, the company said.
