Centuries of copper

With the demand for copper skyrocketing in the past few years, Revere Copper remains committed to serving its markets and customers sustainably

With over 221 years of experience, Revere Copper (Revere) is recognized as one of the finest copper manufacturers in the world. Operating with over one million square feet of manufacturing space, the company serves customers in a wide range of markets including architectural, electrical, telecommunications, air conditioning and industrial machinery. With its three main copper mill buildings, located in Rome, New York, the company’s capabilities include melting, casting, rolling, annealing, slitting, coating, and cutting-to-length.

The company takes great pride in the quality of the materials it uses, which has helped it to earn an excellent reputation in the industry. ISO 9001-certified, Revere has adopted a thorough and robust quality control system, which includes a fully equipped laboratory where the chemical composition and mechanical properties of the materials can be carefully analyzed.

The company has the capacity to trace the progress of its materials right the way through from raw material to finished product, and its process engineering staff work very closely with the operators. This helps Revere to ensure that it is always meeting a high-quality standard and remaining the best at what it does in the market.

Continued legacy

The rich history of the company dates all the way back to the early 19th century, when American patriot, Paul Revere, wrote a letter to the new nation’s first Secretary of War requesting a loan of $10,000 to build the first copper rolling mill in the US. This was done amongst growing concerns of another conflict with the

British, who had a superior naval fleet due to the use of copper covering the hulls of their ships. The use of copper helped to prevent the growth of barnacles on the ship’s hull, meaning their boats could move much faster through the water. Paul Revere was awarded the loan, using the money to build a copper rolling mill in Canton, Mass, and so the entire copper industry in the United States was born. After suffering a period of bankruptcy in the late 1980s, during which a number of the company’s plants were forced to close down, the decision was taken to become an employeeowned company, with every employee owning shares in the business. This unique ownership structure reflects the company’s determination to continue the legacy of Paul Revere, who had always adopted the fundamental understanding that the success of the business was based on the combined efforts of a skilled workforce.

Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Amy O’Shaughnessy, explains the three different groups of people who help to make the business run: “We couldn’t operate as a business without our customers, our local community and our employees. Our customers are our backbone and we have spent time cultivating long-lasting partnerships over our years in business. Then, we have the community of the greater Rome, New York area which has always shown commitment to our company and our people. Finally, our employees. They are the heart and soul of the business and many of our workforce are second, third and fourth generation employees. We have parents, children, siblings and spouses all working alongside each other and this really contributes towards the feeling that, here at Revere Copper, we are a family.” The company proudly shoulders the responsibility of ensuring the success of its employees by creating a safe working environment, removing barriers to growth and development and supporting the upskilling of its workforce through regular observation, feedback and transparency.

Raising awareness

Sustainability is a core focus for the business and the adoption of an environmentally friendly mindset is underpinned by the company mission statement. Copper itself is a sustainable material and it can be used and reused without losing any of its important engineering qualities. Revere uses as much recycled copper as possible in its mixes and has even won a local award for the number of materials it recycles, including copper, cardboard, wood and other metals. The company has also taken steps to reduce its carbon footprint by choosing to buy the majority of its copper from within a 500-mile radius as well as using river water in its plant, which is then carefully cleaned and returned to the river. Copper plays a crucial role in the building of a more sustainable future and it is an essential material for every goal within the green economy. However, some green policy decisions have driven mining and metals manufacturing practices away from the US and towards areas such as China with far less environmentally friendly capabilities. The effect this has is to reduce the local carbon footprint in the US at the expense of the planet’s, a huge backwards step in the fight against climate change. Revere is making huge efforts to raise awareness of these issues, playing an active role in industry, trade and American manufacturing associations so that genuine solutions can be sought.

Major expansion

In recent years, the demand for copper has rapidly increased due to growth in the production of electric vehicles, data centers, electrical devices and household appliances. Given the drastic changes taking place within the industry, the company has announced a major expansion of its operations, deciding to invest in increased capacity for copper sheet, strip, plate and bar. The company plans to invest in a new coreless furnace at its facility which will increase the company’s casting output by 30 million pounds. Over the next three months, Revere will be opening a new facility in Mebane, North Carolina, which will add continuous rotary extrusion lines to the company’s technology portfolio, enabling it to produce 30 million more pounds of copper bar. As we witness the greater electrification of our society, an increased demand for copper has highlighted the importance of establishing a strong American supply chain and Revere Copper is well-placed to be a key player in this endeavor. ■ www.reverecopper.com