History

Continental's expertise and capacity span the globe, but our people continue to deliver trustworthy service the way they have for four decades.

In the mid-1970s, North America was moving to reduce its dependence on imported oil. Paul Benditz, an Ohio-born salesman, had been transferred to Texas by his company in 1970. Paul saw the need for a reliable, service-oriented supplier of high-quality steel to support the growth of the domestic oil and gas industry.

He started Continental Casing in 1976, selling OCTG out of a small office close to downtown Houston. At the beginning, Paul didn't have the money to buy inventory. Instead, he used his people skills to build trusting relationships with suppliers. This relationship-building set the tone for how Continental does business today.

Continental soon moved to larger headquarters. After Paul's sons Dan and Dale joined the company in the mid-1980s, it diversified into mechanical tubing and solid bar product lines, and added manufacturing capabilities.

The company thrived even when the energy industry did not. Through mergers, partnerships and expansion, Continental reached out into Canada, Mexico, the U.K., Malaysia, Singapore and Dubai.

Today, Continental Alloys & Services is a subsidiary of Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., a Fortune 500 company with access to a vast network of the world’s best steel resources. Our journey has taken us from Texas to the world, but hasn’t changed our philosophy. We are a family-oriented team of uncompromising professionals who take pride in reliability, quality, service and value, and in creating a great workplace for our employees.