OREANDA-NEWS. October 17, 2012. The Gerdau steel mill in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. is assisting the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in the melting of approximately 8,000 confiscated weapons on Thursday, July 12 at 10 a.m. The mill has partnered with the Sheriff’s department for 19 years to help reduce the amount of weapons on the streets in the Greater Los Angeles area. The company will host a news conference with Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy Baca that morning, and will perform the gun melt following the news conference.

"Our partnership with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department allows us the opportunity to make an impact in our community," said Jim Crompton, vice president and general manager of the Gerdau mill in Ranch Cucamonga. "We are taking weapons that could destroy our community and repurposing them into steel that will literally help build our community."

The unique recycling program is named "Project Isaiah" after a biblical passage in the Book of Isaiah. Gerdau donates the use of their furnace to the project, which is used to melt the confiscated weapons that will ultimately be converted into steel products used for a wide variety of construction projects.

For safety and security purposes, law enforcement agents are present while the items are disposed of in the mill’s furnace to ensure that they are properly and fully destroyed. Prior to their arrival, weapons are examined to make certain they are free of ammunition, and are then bent so they can no longer be used.

"Gerdau’s continuous effort in creating partnerships with law enforcement agencies and the community is an example of true leadership," said Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy Baca.

Gerdau has a robust social responsibility program that is committed to providing community support in the locations where its business operates. Gerdau supports organizations such as the United Way, Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement and local law enforcement groups at its locations throughout North America.

The Gerdau steel mill in Rancho Cucamonga was purchased from TAMCO steel in 2010. It mill has been operating in Southern California since 1956. It recycles ferrous scrap metal into reinforcing bar used in the construction of buildings, freeways, bridges, parking garages and other concrete structures throughout the Western United States. The mill is capable of recycling over 550,000 tons of ferrous scrap a year and is one of the largest recyclers in the state.

Gerdau is the leading producer of long steel in the Americas and one of the largest suppliers of special long steel in the world. It has over 45,000 employees and industrial operations in 14 countries with operations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia, which together represent an installed capacity of over 25 million metric tons of steel per year. It is the largest recycler in Latin America and around the world it transforms millions of metric tons of scrap into steel every year. Gerdau is listed on the stock exchanges of Sao Paulo, New York, and Madrid and has approximately 140,000 shareholders.