AZZ Inc. (AZZ): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money

AZZ Inc. is a company you might not know by name, but if they delivered $1,577.7 million in total sales and achieved their 38th consecutive year of profitability in fiscal year 2025, shouldn't you defintely understand how they operate? As North America's leading independent provider of hot-dip galvanizing and coil coating solutions, AZZ Inc. is the quiet giant protecting the essential infrastructure-from construction to renewables-that keeps our economy moving. That success is rooted in their core segments, with Precoat Metals bringing in $912.6 million in sales and Metal Coatings adding another $665.1 million, demonstrating a clear, profitable business model. If you're looking for an analytical breakdown of how a 1956-founded company consistently generates value and what its future opportunities look like, let's start with the basics.

AZZ Inc. (AZZ) History

You're looking for the foundational story of AZZ Inc., and honestly, it's a classic American industrial evolution: starting with a niche product and strategically pivoting into a dominant, infrastructure-critical service. The company began as a manufacturer of electrical equipment but transformed itself into North America's leading independent provider of hot-dip galvanizing and coil coating solutions.

This journey wasn't a straight line. It involved a decades-long commitment to metal protection and a massive, transformative portfolio shift in 2022. That shift is the key to understanding how they generated $1,577.7 million in total sales for the fiscal year 2025.

Given Company's Founding Timeline

Year established

1956

Original location

Fort Worth, Texas

Founding team members

Founded as Aztec Manufacturing Co. by R. G. Anderson.

Initial capital/funding

Specific initial funding details are not widely publicized, but the company's original business was centered on electrical equipment manufacturing, tapping into the mid-20th century's industrial expansion.

Given Company's Evolution Milestones

Given Company's Transformative Moments

The most defintely transformative moment for AZZ Inc. was the strategic portfolio realignment executed in 2022. This wasn't a minor tweak; it fundamentally reshaped the company, shifting it from a diversified industrial conglomerate to a specialized metal coatings powerhouse. They essentially doubled down on their most resilient and high-margin businesses.

Here's the quick math on the impact: they sold a majority stake (60%) in their Infrastructure Solutions segment and simultaneously acquired Precoat Metals for about $1.28 billion. This move focused the entire organization on two core, complementary segments: Metal Coatings (hot-dip galvanizing) and Precoat Metals (coil coating).

The success of this focus is clear in the fiscal year 2025 results, which ended February 28, 2025. The company delivered record full-year sales of $1,577.7 million, an increase of 2.6% over the prior year. The Precoat Metals segment alone contributed $912.6 million in sales, demonstrating the immediate and significant value of that acquisition.

Plus, the financial discipline that followed was impressive. They generated $249.9 million in cash flow from operations and reduced debt by $110.0 million during the year, pushing their net leverage below 2.5x. That's a strong signal of a well-executed strategy and a healthy balance sheet. For a deeper dive into the numbers, you should check out Breaking Down AZZ Inc. (AZZ) Financial Health: Key Insights for Investors.

• Achieved Adjusted EBITDA of $347.9 million in FY 2025.
• Reported Adjusted diluted EPS of $5.20 for the fiscal year.
• The Metal Coatings segment delivered an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 30.9%, showing the strength of the core galvanizing business.

The company is now positioned as a critical player in protecting infrastructure, focusing on the long-term, non-discretionary need for corrosion protection across construction, utility, and industrial end markets.

AZZ Inc. (AZZ) Ownership Structure

AZZ Inc. operates with a highly concentrated ownership structure, where institutional investors control the vast majority of the company, leaving a relatively small percentage for retail and public shareholders.

This means that major strategic decisions and governance are defintely influenced by a core group of large asset managers and mutual funds, which is typical for a mid-cap industrial company like AZZ.

AZZ Inc.'s Current Status

AZZ Inc. is a publicly traded corporation, listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol AZZ.

As of November 2025, the company has a market capitalization of approximately $2.93 billion, with roughly 30.06 million shares outstanding. Its fiscal year 2025 performance saw total sales reach $1.58 billion and net income of $128.8 million, underscoring its scale in the metal coatings and coil coating solutions market.

If you want to dig deeper into who is buying the stock, you should check out Exploring AZZ Inc. (AZZ) Investor Profile: Who's Buying and Why?

AZZ Inc.'s Ownership Breakdown

The company's ownership is heavily weighted toward institutional funds, which provides a high degree of stability but also means that large block trades can impact the stock price. Institutional ownership is exceptionally high, which is a key factor in understanding the stock's trading dynamics.

AZZ Inc.'s Leadership

The company is steered by a seasoned executive team, with an average management tenure of 8.4 years, providing stability and deep sector knowledge. The Board of Directors is led by an Independent Chairman, which is a strong governance signal.

• Thomas E. Ferguson: President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He also serves on the Board of Directors.
• Jason Crawford: Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
• Daniel R. Feehan: Independent Chairman of the Board.
• Tara Mackey: Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary.
• Bryan Stovall: Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Metal Coatings Segment.
• David Nark: Chief Marketing, Communications, and Investor Relations Officer.

This leadership structure, with a clear separation of the CEO and Independent Chairman roles, suggests a robust governance framework focused on stakeholder accountability. The executive team's compensation for fiscal year 2025, including CEO Tom Ferguson's total compensation of $5.41 million, is tied to performance metrics, a crucial point for investors.

AZZ Inc. (AZZ) Mission and Values

AZZ Inc. stands for more than just its record Fiscal Year 2025 sales of $1,577.7 million; its core purpose is to protect and enhance critical infrastructure while cultivating a culture of growth and strong ethical principles.

This commitment to long-term value creation-both for shareholders and society-is the cultural DNA that drives every strategic decision, from operational excellence to capital allocation.

Given Company's Core Purpose

Honestly, a company's mission tells you where they invest their energy. For AZZ Inc., the focus is clearly on people and infrastructure resilience, which is smart given the massive, generational infrastructure investment trends in the U.S.

Official mission statement

The official mission for AZZ Inc. is quite clear: to create superior value in a culture where people can grow and TRAITS matter. This isn't corporate fluff; it's a framework for how they operate and manage their workforce of over 3,900 employees as of July 2025.

• Trust: Building confidence with all stakeholders.
• Respect: Valuing diverse backgrounds, experiences, and talents.
• Accountability: Taking ownership of results and actions.
• Integrity: Leading with honesty and strong moral principles.
• Teamwork: Collaborating to achieve shared goals.
• Sustainability: Focusing on long-term environmental and social stewardship.

The emphasis on Sustainability is defintely a core driver, translating directly into their business model of corrosion protection, which extends the lifespan of steel structures and reduces the need for replacement. You can see how this impacts their financials, like the Fiscal Year 2025 Adjusted EBITDA of $347.9 million.

Vision statement

The company's vision is focused on solidifying and expanding its market dominance in specialized protective coatings. It's a simple, ambitious goal that maps directly to their operational segments.

• Be the leading global provider of metal coating and welding solutions.
• Maintain market leadership through continuous innovation and operational excellence.
• Deliver sustainable, unmatched metal coating solutions for essential infrastructure.

What this vision hides is the heavy lifting of integrating acquisitions like Precoat Metals and optimizing its network of 41 galvanizing plants and 13 coil coating plants across North America as of February 28, 2025.

Given Company slogan/tagline

While AZZ Inc. does not use a single, short slogan in the traditional sense, their consistent market positioning serves as a powerful de facto tagline.

• Protecting and Enhancing Critical Infrastructure.
• The leading independent provider of hot-dip galvanizing and coil coating solutions.

That last one is a mouthful, but it's precise. It tells you exactly what they do and where they stand in the market. Plus, their commitment to ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) is tangible; in FY2025, they achieved an 8.8% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity, nearly hitting their 2033 target eight years early. For a deeper dive into the market dynamics driving their growth, consider Exploring AZZ Inc. (AZZ) Investor Profile: Who's Buying and Why?

AZZ Inc. (AZZ) How It Works

AZZ Inc. operates as a critical service provider, protecting essential infrastructure and industrial products by applying specialized metal coatings to prevent corrosion and extend asset life.

The company essentially runs two major, distinct coating businesses: one for large fabricated steel structures and another for continuous steel and aluminum coils used in manufacturing.

AZZ Inc.'s Product/Service Portfolio

AZZ Inc. focuses on two core segments, Metal Coatings and Precoat Metals, following the strategic divestiture of its former Infrastructure Solutions segment.

AZZ Inc.'s Operational Framework

The operational engine is built around high-volume, geographically dispersed facilities that prioritize throughput and material efficiency, particularly for zinc and paint materials.

• Decentralized Processing: The Metal Coatings segment operates 41 galvanizing plants and six surface technology plants across North America as of February 28, 2025, keeping service close to major fabrication customers.
• Volume and Efficiency: Value creation hinges on maximizing the volume of steel processed and improving material utilization, like zinc. For fiscal year 2025, the Metal Coatings segment achieved an EBITDA margin of 30.9%, driven by these operational efficiencies.
• Strategic Investment: Capital expenditures totaled $115.9 million in fiscal year 2025, with a significant portion, $52.8 million, allocated to completing a new greenfield facility in Washington, Missouri, to support future coil coating demand.
• Cash Generation: The business model is highly cash generative, producing $249.9 million in operating cash flow in fiscal year 2025, which is then used for debt reduction and strategic capital spending.

Here's the quick math: with total sales of $1.58 billion for the fiscal year 2025, the Precoat Metals segment contributed a larger share at $912.6 million, but the Metal Coatings segment delivered a higher margin. You can dig into the shareholder structure for more context on this capital allocation at Exploring AZZ Inc. (AZZ) Investor Profile: Who's Buying and Why?

AZZ Inc.'s Strategic Advantages

AZZ Inc.'s market success comes from its scale and specialized focus, which creates high barriers to entry for competitors.

• Market Leadership: The company is the leading independent provider of both hot-dip galvanizing and coil coating solutions in North America, giving it pricing power and scale advantages.
• Diversified End-Market Exposure: Relying on construction, utility, and renewable energy markets for galvanizing, and construction, HVAC, and transportation for coil coating, provides a defintely stable revenue base that mitigates risks from a downturn in any single sector.
• Financial Discipline and Deleveraging: The company's ability to generate strong cash flow allows for aggressive debt paydown, with $110.0 million paid down in fiscal year 2025, reducing net leverage to below 2.5x. This strengthens the balance sheet for future growth.
• High-Margin Services: The Metal Coatings segment consistently delivers industry-leading margins, reaching a 30.9% Adjusted EBITDA margin in fiscal year 2025, which is well above the company's overall 22.0% Adjusted EBITDA margin.

AZZ Inc. (AZZ) How It Makes Money

AZZ Inc. primarily makes money by providing specialized metal coating solutions that protect and enhance steel and aluminum products, essentially selling corrosion resistance and aesthetic appeal to infrastructure and industrial markets.

This revenue is generated through two highly focused business segments: Precoat Metals, which applies protective and decorative coatings to metal coils, and Metal Coatings, which specializes in hot-dip galvanizing and other finishing services for fabricated steel.

AZZ Inc.'s Revenue Breakdown

For the fiscal year 2025, AZZ Inc. reported total sales of $1,577.7 million, a rise of 2.6% over the prior year, demonstrating a successful pivot to a focused metal coatings company following strategic divestitures.

Business Economics

The core of AZZ Inc.'s business model is a service-based, value-add approach to manufacturing, where pricing power is tied to the critical, long-term nature of corrosion protection. You're not just buying a coating; you're buying decades of extended asset life. The two segments operate with distinct economic fundamentals, but both benefit from high barriers to entry due to capital intensity and environmental compliance requirements.

• Precoat Metals: This segment, with $912.6 million in FY2025 sales, is volume-driven, benefiting from market share gains and a favorable mix shift in end markets like construction, appliances, and HVAC. Its profitability is sensitive to the cost of raw materials like paint and the utilization rate of its coil coating lines. The segment achieved an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 19.6% in fiscal 2025.
• Metal Coatings: Generating $665.1 million in FY2025 sales, this segment's demand is closely linked to large-scale infrastructure and industrial project spending, particularly in renewables, utility, and construction. Its primary cost variable is zinc, a key raw material for the hot-dip galvanizing process, plus natural gas for heating the zinc kettles. Operational efficiencies and higher volume helped drive its Adjusted EBITDA margin to a strong 30.9% for the year.

Federal infrastructure spending is defintely a tailwind for Metal Coatings demand, but tariffs and raw material volatility still pose a near-term risk to both segments. Exploring AZZ Inc. (AZZ) Investor Profile: Who's Buying and Why?

AZZ Inc.'s Financial Performance

AZZ Inc. delivered record full-year results in fiscal year 2025, showcasing the financial strength of its focused metal coatings strategy. Here's the quick math on profitability and balance sheet health.

• Profitability Surged: Net income for FY2025 rose to $128.8 million, a significant 26.8% increase over the prior year. The company's Adjusted EBITDA reached $347.9 million, representing a healthy 22.0% of total sales.
• Earnings Per Share Growth: Adjusted diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS) was $5.20, a 14.8% jump from the previous fiscal year, which is a clearer indicator of operational performance than the GAAP number, which was impacted by a preferred stock redemption.
• Cash Flow and Debt Management: The company generated solid operating cash flow of $249.9 million in fiscal 2025. This strong cash generation allowed for a debt reduction of $110.0 million, bringing the net leverage ratio down below 2.5x trailing twelve months EBITDA, a clear sign of a strengthened balance sheet.

What this estimate hides is the potential for further debt reduction from the expected proceeds of over $200 million from the AVAIL joint venture transaction in early fiscal 2026, which will further improve the company's financial flexibility.

AZZ Inc. (AZZ) Market Position & Future Outlook

AZZ Inc. is strategically positioned to capitalize on major North American infrastructure and reshoring trends, driving its future growth through its dual leadership in metal coatings and coil coating solutions. The company delivered record full-year results in fiscal year 2025, achieving total sales of $1,577.7 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $347.9 million, cementing its status as a critical supplier to the utility and construction sectors.

Competitive Landscape

AZZ operates in two distinct, yet complementary, markets. In hot-dip galvanizing, the Metal Coatings segment is the leading independent provider in North America, competing primarily with regional players, captive facilities, and global diversified industrial companies like Valmont Industries, Inc. (whose Coatings division offers galvanizing services). In the coil coating segment, AZZ's Precoat Metals business holds a commanding market position among North American coaters.

Here's the quick math on the coil coating side: Precoat Metals generated $912.6 million in sales in FY2025. With the North American coil coatings market forecast to reach around $1.4 billion by 2026, AZZ is clearly the dominant service provider.

Opportunities & Challenges

The company's near-term trajectory hinges on its ability to execute on capacity expansion while managing persistent raw material cost volatility. You need to watch the margin accretion from the new facilities closely.

Industry Position

AZZ Inc. holds a unique and powerful position in the North American metal protection services sector, largely due to the successful integration of its Precoat Metals acquisition and its long-standing Metal Coatings leadership. It's defintely a market leader in its niche.

• Metal Coatings Segment: Operates 41 hot-dip galvanizing plants across North America as of February 28, 2025, making it the largest independent network.
• Financial Health: The firm reduced debt by $110.0 million in FY2025, lowering its net leverage ratio to below 2.5x trailing twelve months EBITDA, which provides substantial capacity for future M&A.
• Operational Excellence: The Metal Coatings segment delivered an industry-leading EBITDA margin of 30.9% in FY2025, showcasing superior operational efficiency and pricing power in the batch galvanizing market.
• Growth Catalyst: The new Washington, Missouri facility, completed in FY2025, is expected to move from startup costs to margin-accretive production in the second half of fiscal year 2026, targeting the secular move toward aluminum beverage packaging.

If you want a deeper dive into the numbers that support this growth story, you should read Breaking Down AZZ Inc. (AZZ) Financial Health: Key Insights for Investors.