Gerdau Metalúrgica is one of the largest companies in Brazil and the world in the manufacturing and exploration of products such as steel, iron, and other metals.
The company operates in several countries: Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Canada, Guatemala, the United States, and the Dominican Republic.
Regarding the trading of its shares, Gerdau Metalúrgica went public in Brazil in 1968, and since then, its shares have been available for trading on the stock exchange. Additionally, Gerdau's shares are traded in New York and Madrid.
In terms of the company's numbers, it has 32 steel production units, 2 iron mines, 350 direct and indirect employees worldwide, and 75 Gerdau Commercial stores.
Despite being a highlight in the manufacturing and export of metals, Gerdau Metalúrgica's main activity is the management of steel-producing companies.
Thus, it is a holding company that controls Gerdau S.A., with a 97.26% stake in the common shares. Gerdau S.A. is another holding that oversees the various steel operations of Gerdau.
The only operation that Gerdau Metalúrgica S.A. (GOAU) directly holds is a 28.9% stake in Aços Villares S.A., while the other 58.4% is controlled by Gerdau S.A.
Another important factor is that Gerdau Metalúrgica S.A. has greater liquidity in its shares than Gerdau S.A. Access to check everything about Gerdau S.A.
The history of Gerdau Metalúrgica began in 1901 when Johannes Heinrich Kaspar Gerdau (known in Brazil as João Gerdau) bought a nearly bankrupt nail factory. He led the business until his death in 1917.
In the following years, his descendants ran the business, which consolidated and expanded. The first to take over the company after João Gerdau's death was his son Hugo Gerdau, responsible for the company's consolidation.
Next, it was the turn of Hugo Gerdau's son-in-law, Curt Johannpeter, to take over the business and expand Gerdau's operations in Brazil.
By the 1980s, the direct heirs of Curt Johannpeter, Jorge Gerdau Johannpeter and his brothers, were responsible for the company and transformed it into the most international among Brazilian companies.
The first step for the company to become so international occurred in Uruguay, through the acquisition of Laisa in 1980. After that, came the acquisition of Courtice Steel from Canada in 1989.
In the following years, Gerdau's business expanded into the markets of Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, the USA, Spain, Venezuela, Mexico, India, and the Dominican Republic.
In 2018, Gustavo Werneck became the new CEO of the company. As a result, the members of the Gerdau Johannpeter family began to dedicate themselves solely to the boards of directors.
Finally, in 2020, Gerdau created Gerdau Next to accelerate and expand the businesses that the company has created in recent years, in activities related to the steel chain and adjacent areas.
Thus, the Gerdau Ventures startup accelerator was created, and a stake was acquired in Construtech Brasil at Cubo.
The year 2020 was also marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused a reorientation of Gerdau's social investments.
Therefore, the company dedicated about R$ 20 million to pandemic-related actions. Currently, Gerdau is the largest Brazilian steel producer and one of the main suppliers of long steel in the Americas and special steels in the world.
Additionally, Gerdau is the largest recycler in Latin America and, worldwide, transforms millions of tons of scrap into steel annually.
