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Main Steel founder dies

Thomas Andrew Mallan, 73, founder and Chairman of the Board (Emeritus) of Main Steel Polishing Company, Inc, died July 19, 2007.

Tom began his career in the metals industry with the G. A. Feld Co. in 1954. In 1956 he turned an idea into a business when he founded Main Steel Polishing in the Bronx, N.Y. Although the company started with just one sheet polisher, Tom's integrity, leadership and forward thinking moved Main Steel from a single location to 10 facilities located across the U.S. and Mexico. The company celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006.

Born in Mount Vernon, NY in 1934, Tom moved with his family to Marfa, Texas in 1946, where he lived until graduating from high school. He returned to his roots in New York and graduated from the New York Military Academy in 1953. He also attended the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts.

Although Tom focused on his business, he believed in giving back and was an active participant in a number of organizations. He played an active role in the Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) and received their prestigious President's Award in 2006. He also started the Toll Processing group for the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA) and was a member of their Board. Tom was also a strong supporter of the Association of Women in the Metals Industry (AWMI). Tom was a 32nd Degree Mason, a Shriner, a member of St. George's-by-the-River Church in Rumson, N.J., and belonged to many business and social associations.

In addition to his wife Linda, Tom leaves a daughter Tracey Kane and her husband Bill, a daughter Margaret Mallan, a son Thomas Mallan, Jr and fiance Amanda Lucas, and two grandchildren Lt. Kimberly Kane, U.S. Army and Spc. Christopher Kane, U.S. Army, as well as a large, loving, extended family.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Tom's memory can be made to any of the following organizations: St. George's-by-the-River Episcopal Church, 7 Lincoln Avenue, Rumson, NJ 07760; The FMA Scholarship Program, FMA Foundation, 833 Featherstone Rd, Rockford, IL 61107; Westchester Masonic Lodge Scholarship, 54 Main Street, Tarrytown, N.Y. 10591; the American Heart Association, 7272 Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX 75231-4596 or the Visiting Nurse Association, 176 Riverside Ave, Red Bank, NJ 07701.