Early Life
Clayton Zekelman, along with his brothers Barry and Alan, inherited Atlas Tube after their father's passing in 1986. The company, at the time, had only 5 employees.
Rise to Success
Under the leadership of the Zekelman brothers, Atlas Tube experienced substantial growth, eventually leading to over $1 billion in sales with a workforce of 2,000 employees. In 2006, the company merged with JMC Steel and was later acquired by the Carlyle Group for $1.2 billion. The Zekelman family repurchased the company in 2011, rebranding it as Zekelman Industries in 2016.
Key Business Strategies
Zekelman Industries operates with three primary segments: Atlas (structural tubing), EFM (electrical conduit, fittings, and couplings, fence pipe, and mechanical tubing), and Pipe (standard pipe and fire sprinkler pipe). The company's key competitive advantage lies in its scale, enabling it to leverage purchasing volume and market insights to obtain favorable terms from suppliers.
Philanthropy
Clayton Zekelman is known for his charitable contributions. Some of Zekelman's donation recipients include the Mishkan Israel Synagogue, Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus and The Lori E. Talsky Center for Human Rights of Women and Children.