Revere Copper Celebrates 225th Anniversary in 2026

Rome, NY – Long after his famous midnight ride, Revolutionary War hero and visionary metalworker Paul Revere founded the company known today as Revere Copper Products. In 2026, the company commemorates its 225th anniversary, and rides on as the oldest continuously operating manufacturer in the United States.

Running parallel with America’s 250th celebrations, Revere Copper Products has been in continuous operation since 1801 and remains a historic part of the nation’s manufacturing fabric. The company’s namesake might barely recognize his transformed operation – from Revere’s 19th century production of copper for national defense, to its 21st century role as a leading innovator in architectural copper and publisher of “Copper & Common Sense,” the world’s most widely referenced sheet copper design manual, now in its 9th edition.

Revere’s iconic bare/bright Classic Copper – recognized as a premier roofing and wall cladding material – is just one of its array of products. The company also provides skilled technical assistance and market support for architectural applications throughout North America.

American history is Revere’s history.

In the 1790s, when the American copper industry was virtually non-existent, Paul Revere had proven his skills as a successful metallurgist and silversmith; but his focus was changing. Working under contract with the recently established US Navy, Revere launched the continent’s first copper rolling mill. Previously, the British had a virtual monopoly on rolled copper, and the ability to produce it domestically was a giant leap forward for national security.

By 1801, Paul Revere was rolling copper sheets and supplying roughly 12,000 feet of it for use on one soon-to-be- legendary naval frigate: the USS Constitution. Also known as “Old Ironsides,” this oldest commissioned warship remains on display today in Boston Harbor, still proudly sporting copper on its hull. Revere’s contributions to America’s defense didn’t end there, with the company supplying cannon and round shot for Union ships during the Civil War and with crews working round-the-clock as part of WWII’s “Arsenal of Democracy.”

By that time, the company had grown beyond its original location near Boston, MA. Revere has expanded and contracted over the centuries, arriving in Rome, NY in the 1920s and quickly putting down deep roots in that upstate New York community.

An original Paul Revere Bell is proudly displayed outside the entrance to Revere Copper's Rome, NY, headquarters.

Revere today: Employee-owned and thriving

Revere Copper Products has been a private, employee-owned company since the 1980s, when Brian O’Shaughnessy took the reins as chairman, president and CEO, handing over a percentage of ownership to every employee. He led a decades-long effort, through good years and lean years, to turn the company into a manufacturing powerhouse.

Today, Mike O’Shaughnessy is the second-generation leader of the company, with an eye on Revere’s historic past as well as its promising future.

“Everybody knows about Paul Revere’s midnight ride and that’s very important,” said O’Shaughnessy, “but when you dig deeper, you realize that he played a critical role in the earliest growth and success of this nation. He was asked to take on what were then considered impossible tasks and to complete them without hesitation. That aspirational tradition lives on today at Revere Copper Products.”

The modern version of this 225-year-old company now spreads over more than 1 million square feet of manufacturing space, turning out Classic Copper, UltraPan™, FreedomGray®, Liberty Collection™ textured copper, as well as semi-finished copper bar, strip, sheet and plate. That square footage is a combination of the long-running copper mill/headquarters in Rome – with about 400 employees – and a dynamic 2023 copper bar expansion into Mebane, N.C., where another 100 people are employed.

In addition to the architectural products, Revere is a leading supplier of industrial copper for AI data centers, power distribution, electrical engineering and other high-tech applications. The North Carolina growth came about as Revere leadership recognized opportunities to serve new and rapidly expanding high-tech copper markets. Today both locations are operating at high capacity, with output increasing and further capital investments ongoing.

Revere Copper's Rome facility has been in operation since the 1920s.

Revere 225th Anniversary

“Our mission is to be the best in the world at what we do and have fun doing it,” says O’Shaughnessy, quoting from the company mission statement. He said Revere is committed to a culture of Continuous Improvement (CI), pointing out that the 2016 decision to move away from brass and focus strictly on copper, was a critical step toward today’s ongoing growth and success as a world class copper manufacturer.

Global copper demand is at an all-time high, due largely to the rapid growth of AI infrastructure, societal electrification and expansion of energy systems. Now more than ever, Revere Copper Products recognizes its role as a long-standing advocate for the domestic copper industry and for the overall security of American manufacturing interests.

“How many people can say ‘I run the oldest manufacturing company in the United States,’” asks O’Shaughnessy. “I sit in – not the literal chair – but the chair that Paul Revere occupied. That’s pretty special, and I’m excited to carry that legacy forward.”

Revere rides again. And again.

225 years after its founding, Revere Copper Products continues its founder’s legacy of hard work, ingenuity and innovation. The entire company is celebrating this milestone with pride, patriotism and a powerful vision for the future.

To learn more about Revere’s journey and planned anniversary events, visit: https://reverecopper.com/225th-anniversary For downloadable logos, photos, video clips and additional media resources, visit: https://reverecopper.com/225th-media-room

About Revere Copper Products

Revere Copper Products supplies copper used for construction materials. For more information, visit www.reverecopper.com.