Our History

Our History Timeline

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1922

1965

1972

1975

1978

1981

1985

1986

1993

1995

1997

1999

2003

2006

2007

2008

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

1922

  • Frank Calandra, Inc. originated as a  proprietorship

1965

  • JENNMAR was incorporated in 1965 and was engaged in various businesses related to the coal mining industry. 

1972

  • Began to change the primary focus of our business to the manufacturing of roof support systems

1975

  • Continued to grow with the introduction of our first specialty bolt, the COMBINATION bolt
  • Began construction and operation of our West Virginia plant

1978

  • Expanded with manufacturing facility in Winchester, KY

1981

  • Acquired Valley Steel's mine roof bolt manufacturing plant in Flora, IL

1985

  • Received patents on the INSTAL bolt

1986

  • Began support of coal producing areas in the west through the acquisition of a roof bolt manufacturer in Helper, UT

1993

  •  Opened a new manufacturing facility in Clearfield, UT
  •   Began construction of facility in Tazewell County, VA

1995

  • Became associated with cable bolt and cable truss technology
  • Expanded our roof support systems manufacturing facility in Reedsville, WV

1997

  • Established a manufacturing facility in Sydney, Australia

1999

  • Began construction of a 130,000 sq. ft steel service center adjacent to the Nucor Steel Mill site in Berkley County, SC

2003

  • R & D launches prop program

2006

  • Jining produces first roof bolt for Asia market in August 2006
  • Affiliate J-LOK begins producing its own line of specialty resin for JENNMAR bolt systems

2007

  • JENNMAR Specialty begins production

2008

  • JENNMAR West Kentucky and J-LOK Corporation in Earlington Kentucky are commissioned
  • JENNMAR Australia moves into modern roof bolt complex in Narellan, Australia
  • J-LOK Australia offers a line of resin to complement JENNMAR Australia's products
  • JENNMAR Canada project begins

2010

  • JENNMAR Canada moves into new 50,000 Sq. ft. buiding in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario
  • JENNCHEM, LLC begins providing chemical solutions to the mining and tunneling industries
  • JENNMAR opens a manufacturing facility in Santiago, Chile. Sales offices in Mexico, Peru, and Spain

2011

  • JENNMAR purchases Merol, a family owned ground support company serving the European tunneling and mining industries

2012

  • JENNMAR acquires Multitex in the Czech Repulic., further expanding JENNMAR's  hydraulic expandable rock bolt capacity
  • JENNMAR Canada opens another bolt manufacturing facility in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
  • JENNMAR Europe opens a sales office in Barcelona, Spain

2013

  • JENNMAR purchases a resin company in Johannesburg, South Africa establishing a presence on 6 continents
  • JENNMAR Civil is established to fully address the needs of the civil construction industry
  • Acquires McSweeney's, a leading manufacturer of forged drill steel products

2014

  • Divested Canadian assets
  • Joint ventures with DSI, established ROCBOLT Technologies in South Africa and ROCBOLT Resins in Australia

2015

  • Acquired Sanshell and TungsteMet expanding roof and miner bits capabilities and adding carbide tooling capabilities

2016

  • Acquires DSI Mining Division in US; Sells European and Latin America operations to DSI
  • Established additional ROCBOLT Technologies joint venture with DSI in China, joining ROCBOLT Resins in Australia and ROCBOLT Technologies in South Africa

2017

  • JENNMAR divests of rack manufacturer, Elite Storage Solutions
  • JENNMAR Sanshell acquires Cuda Tools
  • Affiliate, JM Conveyors begins operations in Lebanon, VA, manufacturing conveyor belt structures
  • Established additional ROCBOLT Technologies joint venture with DSI in Mongolia
  • JENNMAR to offer  EcoVent equipment doors
  • JENNMAR and Murray ink agreement
  • JENNMAR/JENNCHEM acquire Heintzmann

2018

  • JENNCHEM, Quaker sign exclusive distribution agreement
  • FCI purchases CSA and CDS
  • JENNMAR, Draeger sign mining equipment distribution agreement
  • CSA will now be JENNMAR Services
  • Calandra Group, LLC and ABC Technology Group USA announce joint venture, TURNSTONE Industrial Solutions, LLC
  • Tony Calandra, becomes Group President, FCI, and Calandra Group

2019

  • JENNMAR McSweeney Inc. purchases Robotic Welded Parts
  • JENNCHEM marks its 10 Year Anniversary
  • Calandra Group, LLC, purchases Roller Shop Division of Fenner Dunlop Americas
  • Frank Calandra Jr. is inducted into the West Virginia Coal Mining Institute Hall of Fame
  • Frank Calandra Jr. is inducted into the National Mining Hall of Fame 

2020

  • JENNMAR purchases Vossloh Mine and Rail assets
  • JENNMAR re-brands JENNMAR McSweeney, JENNMAR SANSHELL, Cuda Tools Inc., and JENNMAR Construction Tools into XCAL TOOLS
  • JENNMAR re-brands TungsteMet into XCAL INDUSTRIES
  • JM Steel expands into Sinton, Texas 

2021

  • JM STEEL opens new plant in Sinton, TX
  • Komatsu and JENNMAR announce development agreement for pumpable resin solutions for underground hard rock mining drilling and bolting customers
  • JENNMAR rebrands and restructures it logos
  • JM Conveyors & JENNMAR Specialty move under the JENNMAR logo
  • XCAL TOOLS purchases the assets of BMT Products, LLC.
  • Turning Point Services joined JENNMAR Services

 

2022

  • Nextracker agreement and solar tube manufacturing in Sinton, TX
  • Five Star Roll Form acquisition
  • Ohio Valley Track acquisition
  • BCI Steel acquisition - bridging on full tilt and 100,000 tons of solar tube products
  • Nextracker agreement and solar tube manufacturing in Sinton, TX

2023

  • JENNCHEM acquired assets of Burrell Mining Products, Inc
  • JENNMAR of Kentucky, Inc. has purchased DSI Tunneling LLC (DSI)
  • JENNMAR Corporation of Virginia has purchased Camber Corporation’s assets
  • XCAL TOOLS acquires assets of TAMCO, Inc
  • Turnstone Industrial Solutions, LLC acquires assets of Schauenburg Flexadux Corporation
  • Turnstone Industrial Solutions, LLC rebrands and restructures their logos

FCI Celebrates 100 Years



Our parent company, Frank Calandra, Inc. (FCI) is proud of everyone who has made us who we are over these 100 years in operation. From humble beginnings, Frank and Mary Calandra saw opportunities in Cresson, PA collecting scrap metal to sell to the booming steel companies in Pittsburgh, PA. Little did they know that they would be setting out on a journey that would be touching so many lives to last a century and beyond. Over the years, FCI expanded and grew to weather everything from economic downturns to WWII, all the while maintaining their commitment to customers and their employees.

We take pride in being one of the most enduring and trusted companies in ground support products in the world. From bolts and beams, channels and trusses, resins and rebar in everything we do. We will continue to apply both innovative and proven strategies required to keep us moving in an upward trajectory, as a testament to our founders. 

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