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Gibraltar Steel Corporation Business Information, Profile, and History

3556 Lake Shore Road
Buffalo, New York 14219-0228
U.S.A.

Company Perspectives:

Gibraltar's primary mission is to place the highest possible emphasis on quality, excellence, and continuous improvement, in a dedicated effort to exceed customer expectations and to maximize the total return to shareholders over the long term.

History of Gibraltar Steel Corporation

Based in Buffalo, New York, the Gibraltar Steel Corporation is a leader in the intermediate steel processing industry, operating 52 facilities in 19 states and Mexico. Once highly dependent on its automotive customers, the company has in recent years engaged in an aggressive program of acquiring smaller businesses to become active in construction products, heat treating services, materials management, the manufacture and distribution of strip steel and steel strapping, as well as general consumer products such as mailboxes. Controlled by the second generation of the Lipke family, Gibraltar Steel went public in 1993.

Dr. Ken Lipke buys Gibraltar Steel in 1972

Buffalo, with its access to the Erie Canal and Great Lakes, as well the power provided by Niagara Falls, was once a major center for the manufacture of steel. The industry in America was highly integrated, with companies controlling raw materials, manufacture, as well as the distribution of steel products, but some smaller businesses still found a niche. One such venture was the Gibraltar Steel Corporation, a marginally profitable, single facility, specialty steel processing company. Its modern history began in 1972 when Dr. Ken Lipke and two partners purchased the company for $1 million.

Although Gibraltar Steel posted modest annual earnings of $9 million, Lipke vowed to increase sales to $100 million within ten years. What to some seemed an unrealistic goal would be aided by changes in the steel industry. Steelmakers began to restructure their business to concentrate on manufacture. Likewise, major users of steel, such as automakers, eliminated facilities that processed steel to concentrate on the building of their final products. The result of this fundamental shift left a gap in processing, the preparation of steel for its actual use. A multitude of small companies like Gibraltar Steel were the beneficiaries.

Lipke came to the steel business by an unusual route. He was a chiropractor by training and ran a successful practice for 20 years. However, he was also a risk taker who enjoyed the competition of business. In the 1960s he established a stock brokerage, before raising the money to purchase Gibraltar Steel. His new business was a cold reduction strip mill that bought hot-rolled black steel, then produced sheet metal that was primarily used by automakers. Lipke's first major step in growing the business came in 1975 when he acquired another area cold-rolling operation, Seneca Steel. In that year he also added Buffalo's Beals, McCarthy & Rogers, as well as the Rochester firm of Follansbee Metals. In all, these transactions added $24 million in annual sales.

Lipke installed a management team that included two of his sons, Brian and Neil. By 1977 Gibraltar Steel posted sales in excess of $50 million dollars. By 1982 Brian Lipke was named corporate president. Although Dr. Lipke did not realize his ambitious sales goal for Gibraltar Steel, the company did reach the $100 million mark in 1984, in 12 years rather than ten. By 1987 he turned his attention to other interests, and sold the majority of the business to his four children. The management team he nurtured took over day-to-day operations of Gibraltar Steel. In addition to Brian Lipke as president, Neil Lipke was in charge of marketing; Walter Erasmus, finance; Joseph Rosenecker, commercial; and Carl Spezio, manufacturing. (In 2000 the team remained intact, providing stability during a period of exceptional growth for the company.)

Management quickly began to realize that it was too dependent on the often cyclical automotive industry. As much as 40 percent of Gibraltar Steel's business came from General Motors alone. To begin the process of diversifying its risk, the company in 1987 acquired another cold-rolling operation, this mill located in Cleveland with customers in a range of industries. In 1989 Gibraltar Steel entered into a joint venture in Ohio with Samuel Steed for steel pickling (a finishing process). In 1990 Gibraltar Steel opened its first materials management facility, Integrated Terminals, that serviced a Buffalo Ford Motors plant.

Gibraltar Steel goes Public in 1993

In 1992 Gibraltar Steel reached a turning point: Dr. Lipke passed away, and management realized that the company was still too dependent on automakers. In order to fuel growth, the company decided to convert from a Subchapter S corporation to a Subchapter C corporation and make a public offering of its stock. Not only would Gibraltar Steel shed $27 million in debt, it would be in a position to use its stock in order to acquire larger companies. Thus, on November 4, 1993, Gibraltar Steel sold 2.5 million shares of common stock at $11 per share, which began to trade on the NASDAQ exchange.

As Dr. Lipke had done when first purchasing the company, his son Brian announced an ambitious ten-year goal, this time to reach $1 billion in annual sales, a number that would require an average sales increase of 20 percent per year. As it formulated an acquisition strategy to make the goal a reality, Gibraltar Steel upgraded existing facilities as well as opening a new cold-rolling processing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which gave the company a foothold in the rapidly expanding southeastern market. Sales in 1994 surpassed the $200 million mark.

Gibraltar Steel opted to grow more by acquisition than by starting new operations. According to Brian Lipke, 'If we were to build a brand new plant somewhere, it would take a year to design the plant, a year to build it, and a couple of years to build up the business to the point where you are making a profit. But if you make an acquisition, you get $60 million or $70 million worth of [annual] sales the day you close the deal; then you can refine the business and improve its profitability.' Looking to diversify its product offering to make the company less dependent on the automotive industry, as well as broadening it geographic base, Gibraltar Steel established strict guidelines for potential purchases. First, the target had to be involved in the steel or metals industry, in order to best utilize management's experience and the company's infrastructure. The target also had to be profitable, with the clear potential for Gibraltar Steel to realize even greater revenues out of the business. A complimentary corporate culture was also a priority. Dr. Lipke had impressed on Gibraltar Steel management the concept of teamwork. In this regard, the company also looked to buy family-run businesses with committed leaders who were willing to stay on after the purchase. Many steel businesses created after World War II were single facilities either run by aging founders or, like Gibraltar Steel itself, run by the founder's children, and now lacked the desire and means to expand at the rate necessary to properly compete in a contemporary environment. Unlike many corporations on acquisition sprees, Gibraltar Steel was not looking to cut work force in order to reduce costs. Its commitment to maintaining staff while gaining more business made it a desirable suitor to many companies looking to sell in an industry that was becoming increasingly more consolidated.

In 1995 Gibraltar Steel made its first acquisition employing these guidelines when for $39 million it purchased all of the stock of the Wm. R. Hubbell Steel Corporation, an Illinois processor. The move established Gibraltar Steel in the residential and commercial buildings industry. In addition to adding $70 million in annual non-car-related sales, Hubbell gained modern, well-maintained facilities in Illinois, South Carolina, and Florida.

The following year, Gibraltar Steel acquired Carolina Commercial Heat Treating (CCHT), based in North Carolina, for $25 million in cash. (Heat treating enhances the hardness and durability of steel products.) Whereas Gibraltar Steel was already involved in the business--heat treating coiled steel that it shipped to other firms for manufacture--CCHT gave the company a presence on the other end of the process. CCHT heat treated steel parts after manufacture, working for automotive, hand tool, construction equipment, and industrial machinery firms. Only 25 percent of its sales came from the auto industry. The purchase of CCHT added more than $20 million in annual sales to Gibraltar Steel, as well as adding to its presence in the South with plants in Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

In June 1996 Gibraltar Steel made a secondary public offering of two million shares of stock, raising an additional $34 million. Again, the purpose of the offering was to reduce debt and provide money for expansion and acquisition. Since going public in 1993, the company had grown from nine facilities to twenty-two, located in ten states and Mexico. Employment had increased from 470 people in 1991 to 682. Annual sales were also significantly ahead of the pace necessary to reach the $1 billion goal by 2003.

In 1997 Gibraltar Steel expanded its presence in the residential and commercial construction industry with the $40 million purchase of the Jacksonville, Florida-based Southeastern Metals Manufacturing Company. The deal was a direct result of the earlier acquisition of Hubbell, the executives of both companies being acquainted with each other. The two companies also complemented each other in product lines. Hubbell primarily sold prepainted, galvanized, and Galvalume steel to roofing and siding businesses, whereas Southeastern's 3,500 products included steel framing for buildings and sheds, metal roofing, storm panel systems, gutters, and metal trim. The acquisition contributed $90 million in annual sales, and customers in 20 U.S. states, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It also increased the Gibraltar Steel work force by 500, adding plants in Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, San Antonio, Houston, Nashville, and Lyons, Georgia.

One of the Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies in 1997

Gibraltar Steel increased its share of the heat treating business in 1997 with the purchase of an Athens, Alabama, facility from Specialty Heat Treating Inc. In addition to $2 million in annual sales, the new plant provided presence for Gibraltar Steel in a new state. The company, in the meantime, continued to upgrade existing operations, adding two annealing furnaces to its Cleveland plant, as well as beginning operation of the nation's widest cold-rolled strip mill that would by itself increase annual sales by $80 million. An auto strike hurt profits, prompting a steep drop in the price of Gibraltar stock, but it quickly rebounded, as analysts realized that the company was still enjoying a record-breaking year in sales. Management's effort to make the company less reliant on the automotive industry was already proving wise, despite the fact that sales to automakers still comprised 36 percent of annual sales. In September 1997 Fortune magazine recognized Gibraltar Steel by naming the company to its list of America's 100 fastest growing companies, ranking it 94th.

Gibraltar Steel increased its involvement in the building products markets with the March 1998 acquisition of the Mississippi-based Solar Group for $35 million in cash. Adding ventilation equipment to round out the line of construction products offered by the Southeastern Metals Manufacturing unit, Solar also brought with it the distinction of being the nation's leading manufacturer of mailboxes, made from galvanized steel as well as aluminum, brass, and plastic. The deal helped to make Gibraltar more involved in consumer product manufacturing, at the same time bringing an immediate $45 million in annual sales in the United States and from overseas.

The company continued to beef up its buildings product business with two more acquisitions in 1998. It purchased Wisconsin-based Appleton Supply Company for $28.5 million, followed two months later by United Steel Products Company for $35 million. United's Livermore, California, plant gave Gibraltar a West Coast presence, plus an additional $40 million in annual sales. Gibraltar Steel also augmented its heat-treating business with the acquisition of Harbor Metal Treating Company, allowing the corporation to service other types of customers, including tool and die manufacturing, medical equipment, and aerospace.

Gibraltar continued to acquire new companies at a steady pace in 1999. A heat-treating facility in Asheville, North Carolina, was added to the CCHT division. Hi-Temp Inc, an Illinois heat-treating company was also purchased, adding $23 million in annual sales and four more facilities. Yet another heat-treating company, Brazing Concepts of Coldwater, Michigan, added 200 employees and $14 million in annual sales, bringing the total of heat-treating sales to $80 million a year, well ahead of the $100 million goal for that portion of the business by 2003. Gibraltar Steel added to its share of the construction business by acquiring Weather Guard Building Products, a Denver-based manufacturer and distributor of gutters, roofing, and other related products. It also purchased Hughes Manufacturing, Inc., a Florida-based company that produced highly engineered steel lumber connectors, with $12 million in annual sales.

Despite generating $622 million in sales for 1999 and a net income of $25 million, which completed an impressive eight straight years of sales and earnings growth, the price of Gibraltar Steel stock lagged behind the rest of the rapidly escalating stock market. Whereas the company had increased sales since going public in 1993 by an average rate of 27 percent per year, and had increased profits by 22% per year, the value of its stock grew at an annual rate of only 15 percent. While many companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 were trading at more than 30 times earnings, and smaller companies in the Russell 2000 index at more than 60 times earnings, Gibraltar Steel traded at less than 12 times its annual earnings. Its many acquisitions of recent years may have saddled the company with $199 million in long-term debt, but the main reason that investors shied away seemed to be a preference for 'growth' stocks over 'value' stocks. Although management was confident that over time the long-term performance of the company would be reflected in the value of its stock, Gibraltar Steel announced in 1999 that it would begin to pay a modest dividend in an effort to lure institutional investors and individual investors who only purchased dividend-bearing stocks. Early in 2000 the company also hired an investment banker to find ways to boost the price.

In 2000 Gibraltar Steel sold a flat-rolled steel processing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Metals USA Inc. Citing that the operation simply did not fit its move to higher-profit operations, management insisted that no other divestitures were expected. In fact, later in the year the company made yet another acquisition, buying Milcor L.P., an Ohio-based manufacturer of building products, including registers, vents, bath cabinets, and doors for the residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial markets. Annual sales of $50 million were added to the balance sheet and increased Gibraltar Steel's presence in building products to seven companies, operating 23 facilities in 13 states.

Gibraltar Steel also made a move in 2000 to take advantage of business opportunities available through the internet. The company retained Xpedior to help it explore eBusiness opportunities, initially focusing on its construction products. The eventual goal was to improve operating efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen sales throughout the corporation. Later in the year, Gibraltar Steel allied itself with FerrousExchange Inc., an internet-based service for the iron and steel industries, by making a minority investment and signing a multi-year commitment to purchase and offer significant quantities of steel products over the global on-line marketplace. Gibraltar Steel hoped to improve supply chain efficiency, as well as to broaden and diversify its supplier and customer base, in a continued effort to meet the aggressive goals that were a hallmark of the company ever since Dr. Lipke purchased it for $1 million in 1972.

Principal Subsidiaries: Southeastern Metals Manufacturing Co.; Carolina Commercial Heat Treating; Wm. R. Hubbell Steel Corp.; Gibraltar Strip Steel.

Principal Competitors: Cold Metal Products, Inc.; J & L Specialty Steel Inc.; Steel Technologies, Inc.; USX-U.S. Steel Group.

Related information about Gibraltar

36°09N 5°21W; pop (2002e) 27 000; area 6·5 km²/2·5 sq mi. Narrow rocky peninsula rising steeply from the low-lying coast of SW Spain at the E end of the Strait of Gibraltar; length, c.5 km/3 mi; width 1·2 km/¾ mi, narrowing to the S; gateway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea; important strategic point of control for the W Mediterranean; British Crown Colony, playing a key role in Allied naval operations during both World Wars; military base; 8 km/5 mi from Algeciras; official language, English, with Spanish widely spoken; units of currency, the Pound Sterling (GBP) and the Gibraltar Pound (GIP); timezone GMT +1; airport; car ferries to Tangier; limestone massif, ‘The Rock’, height 426 m/1398 ft, connected to the Spanish mainland by a sandy plain; extensive limestone caves; home of the Barbary apes, the only native monkeys in Europe; settled by Moors, 711; taken by Spain, 1462; captured by Anglo-Dutch force, 1704; ceded to Britain by Spain, 1713; Crown Colony, 1830; British monarch represented by a governor; 18-member House of Assembly; economy largely dependent on the presence of British forces; Royal Naval Dockyard converted to a commercial yard in 1985; transshipment trade, fuel supplies to shipping, tourism; Moorish castle; proposal to end British rule defeated by referendum, 1967; Spanish closure of frontier, 1969–85; Spain continues to claim sovereignty; British–Spanish talks ongoing, with a backdrop of inhabitants' demonstrations against shared sovereignty, 2002; referendum (Nov 2002) results in 99 per cent rejection of joint sovereignty by Gibraltarians; collapse of talks, 2003; celebrations marking 300 years of British rule strongly criticized by Spain (Aug 2004).

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Gibraltar is a British overseas territory. It is located on the south of the Iberian Peninsula, overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar which links the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. Gibraltar has historically been an important base for the British Armed Forces and is the site of a British naval base.

The name of the Territory is a Spanish corruption of the original Arabic name Jabal a?-??riq (??? It refers to the Berber Umayyad general Tariq ibn-Ziyad, who led the Moorish invasion of Iberia in 711.

History

Human settlement in Gibraltar can be traced back to the Phoenicians around 950 BC, although there is earlier evidence of habitation by the Neanderthals, an extinct species of the Homo genus. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, Gibraltar came briefly under the control of the Vandals, and would later form part of the Visigothic Kingdom of Hispania until its collapse due to the Muslim conquest in 711 AD. At that time, Gibraltar was named as one of the Pillars of Hercules, after the legend of the creation of the Straits of Gibraltar.

On April 30, 711, the Umayyad general Tariq ibn Ziyad led a Berber-dominated army across the Strait from Ceuta. Little was built during the first four centuries of Moorish control.

The first permanent settlement was built by the Almohad Sultan Abd al-Mu'min, who ordered the construction of a fortification on the Rock, the remains of which are still present. Finally, it was reconquered definitively by the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1462, ending 750 years of Moorish control.

In the initial years under Medina Sidonia, Gibraltar was granted sovereignty as a home to a population of exiled Sephardic Jews. Pedro de Herrera, a Jewish converso from Córdoba who had led the conquest of Gibraltar, led a group of 4,350 Jews from Córdoba and Seville to establish themselves in the town. One year later, the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella granted Gibraltar a coat of arms.

The naval Battle of Gibraltar took place on 1607-04-25 during the Eighty Years' War when a Dutch fleet surprised and engaged a Spanish fleet anchored at the Bay of Gibraltar. During the 4-hour action, the entire Spanish fleet was destroyed.

During the War of the Spanish Succession, British and Dutch troops, allies of Archduke Charles, the Austrian pretender to the Spanish Crown, formed a Confederate fleet and attacked various towns on the southern coast of Spain. Terms of surrender were agreed upon, after the majority of the population (some four thousand) chose to leave Gibraltar.

Franco-Spanish troops failed to retake the town, and British sovereignty over Gibraltar was subsequently recognised by the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, which ended the war. Spain ceded Gibraltar and Minorca to the United Kingdom, which has retained sovereignty over the former ever since, despite all attempts by Spain to recapture it.

Gibraltar subsequently became an important naval base for the Royal Navy and played an important part in the Battle of Trafalgar. Its strategic value increased with the opening of the Suez Canal, as it controlled the important sea route between the UK and its colonies in India and Australia. Guns on Gibraltar controlled the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, but plans by Nazi Germany to capture the Rock, codenamed Operation Felix, were frustrated by Spain's reluctance to allow the German Army onto Spanish soil. Canaris was a leader of the German high command resistance to Hitler, and it is thought that he frustrated the attack to limit Germany's aggression.

In the 1950s, Spain, then under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, renewed its claim to sovereignty over Gibraltar, sparked in part by the visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 1954 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Rock's capture. In response, Spain completely closed the border with Gibraltar and severed all communication links.

In 1981 it was announced that The Prince and Princess of Wales would fly to Gibraltar to board the Britannia as part of their honeymoon. In response, the Spanish King, Juan Carlos I refused to attend their wedding in London.

In 1988, SAS troops foiled an attempted terrorist attack on the British Army Garrison by members of the IRA, an event that was subsequently the subject of a controversial British television documentary, Death on the Rock.

The border with Spain was partially reopened in 1982, and fully reopened in 1985 after Spain's accession into the European Community. The question of Gibraltar continues to affect Anglo-Spanish relations.

In September 2006 representatives of the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Spain concluded in Cordoba, Spain, a landmark agreement on a range of cross-cutting issues affecting the Rock and the campo Gibraltar removing many of the restrictions imposed by Spain.Details of 18th September tripartite agreement

Politics

As an overseas territory of the UK, the head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who is represented by the Governor of Gibraltar. There are three political parties currently represented in the House of Assembly: the Gibraltar Social Democrats, the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party, and the Gibraltar Liberal Party.

New Gibraltar Democracy and the Progressive Democratic Party have been formed since the 2003 election. The Reform Party and Gibraltar Labour Party, having failed to achieve any popular support, ceased operating in 2005.

Gibraltar is a part of the European Union, having joined under the British Treaty of Accession (1973), with exemption from some areas such as the Customs Union and Common Agricultural Policy.

After a ten year campaign to exercise the right to vote in European Elections, from 2004, the people of Gibraltar participated in elections for the European Parliament as part of the South West England constituency. www.electoralcommission.org.uk/media-centre/newsreleasereviews.cfm/news/226

As a result of the continued Spanish claim, the issue of sovereignty features strongly in Gibraltar politics. In view of the UK Government's repeated commitment to respect the wishes of the people of Gibraltar, as laid out in the Constitution, the proposal for joint sovereignty is now considered dead.

In March 2006 Jack Straw announced that a new Gibraltar constitution had been agreed upon and would be published prior to a referendum on its acceptance in Gibraltar that year.

In July 2006, Geoff Hoon Minister for Europe, in a statement to the UK Parliament confirmed that the new Constitution confirms the right of self-determination of the Gibraltarian people.www.gibnet.com/texts/hoon1.htm

Geography

The territory covers 2.53 square miles (6.543 km²). the East Side, which contains the settlements of Sandy Bay and Catalan Bay, and the West Side, where the vast majority of the population lives.

The climate is Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers. It now has a desalination plant using reverse osmosis, built into the Rock itself.www.aquagib.gi/gibraltar_water_supply.html

Gibraltar is one of the most densely populated territories in the world, with approximately 11,154 people per square mile (4,290/km²). Most of its upper area is covered by a nature reserve, which is home to around 250 Barbary Macaques, the only wild monkeys in Europe. This has however diminished in the last twenty years, and it is estimated to account for only 7% of the local economy, compared to over 60% in 1984.

Today, Gibraltar has an extensive service-based economy, dominated by financial services and tourism. Referred as an International Finance Centre Gibraltar Financial Services Commission Building a good reputation, Gibraltar was among 35 jurisdictions identified by the OECD as a Tax haven in June 2000 OECD, March 2002 Gibraltar Commits to Co-operate with OECD to Address Harmful Tax Practices. It may also be referred to as an Offshore Financial Centre, by international institutions such as the IMF IMF, June 4, 2006 Offshore Financial Centers (OFCs): IMF Staff Assessments. After an agreement with the European Union in 2005, this tax-exempt regime is due to disappear on the 31st of December 2010 .

Financial services and persons involved in the industry are regulated by the Financial Services Commission, which operates in a similar manner to the United Kingdom Financial Services Authority.

A number of British and international banks have operations based Gibraltar. Many of the large British high street chains have branches in Gibraltar, including Marks and Spencer, BHS, Dorothy Perkins, and the supermarket Morrisons.

Other areas of activity are services related to shipping, like bunkering, and ship repair and construction. The economy is considered to be strong and diversified.www.gibraltar.gov.gi/latest_news/topical_speeches/economy_speech_2005.htm

Figures from the CIA World Factbook show that Gibraltar has a GDP of over £432 million ($769 million) with a per capita figure of £15,700 ($28,000). The main export markets in 2004 were France (19.4%), Spain (14.1%), Turkmenistan (12.1%), Switzerland (11.7%), Germany (10.1%), the United Kingdom (9.1%), and Greece (6.8%).

The unit of currency in use is the Pound Sterling with notes issued by the Government of Gibraltar although there is an ISO code of GIP for the Gibraltar Pound. Genoese, Maltese, and Portuguese formed the majority of this new population, with other groups including Minorcans, Sardinians, Sicilians, French, Germans, Italians, and, of course, the British. Christian religious minorities include the Church of England, Church of Scotland the Methodist Church, a ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Jehovah's Witnesses. There are also a number of Hindu Indians, a Moroccan Muslim population, and a long established Jewish community.

The official language is English, which is used for government and business purposes. A handful of other Gibraltar residents are Jewish of Sephardic origin, North African, or Hindu.

British influence remains strong.

In 2004 Gibraltar celebrated the tercentenery of its capture by the British and to honour them for their effort, and the long association as a naval base, awarded the freedom of the City to the Royal Navy. Unlike other British territories, traffic drives on the right, as it shares a land border with Spain.

There is a cable car which runs from ground level to the top of the rock, with an intermediate station at the apes den.

The only transport link until recently with Spain was by land, as the Government of Spain prohibited any air or ferry connections. The Spanish government is to relax border controls on the land border, which have plagued locals for decades and in return Britain will pay workers who were expelled from the colony when Spain's former dictator, General Francisco Franco closed the border in 1969. Gibraltar Airport also maintains regular flight connections to London and Manchester. Spain has closed the border during disputes with Gibraltar authorities, including when the Aurora cruise ship called at Gibraltar, and for an evening by fishermen from Algeciras after a Spanish fishing vessel, The Pirana, was arrested by the Gibraltar police for illegal fishing in Gibraltar waters.www.gibnet.com/fish/pirana.htm

Communications

Gibraltar has a digital telephone exchange supported by a fibre optic and copper infrastructure. The telephone operator Gibtelecom also operate a GSM network.

International subscriber dialling is provided, and Gibraltar was allocated the access code 350 by the International Telecommunication Union. This works from all countries with IDD, apart from Spain which insists on using 9567 as an access code due to the telecom dispute

Dial-up, ADSL, and high speed Internet lines are available along with wifi hotspots in the hotels.

Military

The army garrison is provided by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, originally a part-time reserve force which was placed on the permanent establishment of the British Army in 1990. The regiment includes full-time and part-time soldiers recruited from Gibraltar, as well as British Army regulars posted from other regiments.

The Royal Navy maintains a squadron at the Rock. The shore establishment at Gibraltar is named Rooke after Sir George Rooke who captured the Rock for Archduke Charles (pretender to the Spanish throne) in 1704. Ships from the Spanish Navy do not call at Gibraltar.

British and US nuclear submarines frequently visit the Z berths at Gibraltar (source: Hansard). Although aircraft are no longer permanently stationed at RAF Gibraltar, a variety of RAF aircraft make regular visits to the Rock and the airfield also houses a section from the Met Office.

The Rock is believed to be a SIGINT listening post for telecommunications throughout North Africa, and because of its strategic location it still remains a key base for NSA and GCHQ coverage of the Mediterranean.

The Naval Base played a part in the Falklands war and there was an aborted plan Operation Algeciras to attack shipping in the harbour using frogmen.

Death on the Rock

In 1988 the British SAS killed three unarmed Provisional IRA volunteers, Mairéad Farrell, Sean Savage and Daniel McCann in Gibraltar as part of Operation Flavius.

National Day

Every year Gibraltar celebrates its National Day on 10th September to commemorate the 1967 referendum where with a massive majority the people of Gibraltar voted to reject annexation by Spain.

The day is a public holiday, and most Gibraltarians participate by dressing up in the National Colours of red and white and attending the political rally and other events held that day.

The political rally culminates with the release of 30,000 red and white balloons representing the number of people of Gibraltar.

A good description of the occasion by a regular visitor is:

"Gibraltar's national day, 10 September, is a magnificent celebration not only of Gibraltarians' pride in being British but of their love of their homeland."

Andrew Rosindell MP, speaking in the House of Commons 21 Jun 2006.

Gibraltar UEFA Membership

The Gibraltar Football Association (GFA) applied to UEFA for independent membership of the soccer confederation, which would enable it to play as a national team in international matches in Europe and around the world (as participation in FIFA flows from UEFA membership).

The Spanish football federation has objected strongly to Gibraltarian membership, leading UEFA to deny entry to the GFA. The Spanish Government has threatened to withdraw Spanish teams, including their national side, from UEFA, although under current rules this would preclude Spanish involvement in all international football.www.gibraltarnewsonline.com/2006/08/25/gfa-edges-closer-to-uefa-membership-says-spanish-press/

Famous people from Gibraltar

Joseph 'Pepe' Forbes - Boxing Matchmaker
William George Penney - Nuclear Scientist.
John Galliano - Fashion designer.
Albert Hammond - Gibraltarian Singer, Songwriter and Producer

Gibraltar in popular culture

Gibraltar was the opening location in the 1987 James Bond film, The Living Daylights which featured 00 trainees using parachutes James Bond landing on the top-of-the-Rock, a fall from the rock face, and a fight aboard a moving jeep containing explosives.

Satirical novel Gil Braltar by Jules Verne (1887) describes almost sucessful attack of the monkeys on the fortress.

The rock's image as a symbol of strength and fortification led to its use as a corporate logo by the Prudential Financial Company.

Rock bands

Breed 77
Melon Diesel
No Direction

References

Chronology

Key Dates:
1972: Dr. Ken Lipke buys Gibraltar Steel Corporation.
1984: Sales exceed $100 million.
1987: Brian Lipke named chief executive officer.
1993: Company makes initial public offering of stock.
1995: Company acquires Hubbell Steel to enter construction industry.
1996: Company acquires Carolina Commercial Heat Treating (CCHT) to enter heat treating business.
1997: Gibraltar Steel is named by Fortune magazine as one of the 100 Fastest Growing Companies in America.

Additional topics

Company HistoryMetal Manufacturing & Fabricating

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