Deansteel Manufacturing - Marine

Marine - About Us

Since our first marine job in 1969, Deansteel’s marine division has grown to include a full line of custom designed USCG CFR-46 and IMO-FTP Code marine fire door and frame units. These joiner units range from a single B-15 unit, a single H-60 unit, to an 8’0” X 8’6” pair of H-30 doors and carry certifications from the US Coast Guard and Lloyd’s Registry. Since these are all custom products you may specify cold rolled, galvanized, or stainless steel; and options such as lites, louvers, and hose ports. These door units are ideal for retro fit projects since they are designed to integrate with both hard and soft core wall systems, are custom engineered to your exact dimensions, and can be bolted or welded to the bulkhead.

Deansteel also fabricates IMO-FTP Code marine fire resistant windows certified by the US Coast Guard and Lloyd’s Registry. These windows are suited for both interior and exterior applications, have fire ratings ranging from an A-0 to an A-60, and are available in many sizes all the way up to 70” X 85”.

In addition, Deansteel also manufactures a line of steel marine berths which range from single and double standard berths, to custom officer’s berths with privacy curtains.

All of our marine products are designed and built with the harsh offshore environment in mind and are manufactured to the highest standards of quality and meant to give many years of service.

Company History

Deansteel Manufacturing Company first ventured into the sheet metal business in 1856 when J. Dean & Son Joseph Dean, the great-great uncle of Company President John Dean, learned the craft of sheet metal working as an Indentured Apprentice issued by the Crown of England. After completing his apprenticeship, Joseph and his wife immigrated to Texas and set up shop in San Antonio. His primary business consisted of fabricating common steel household items like pots and pans, rain gutters, and stove pipes to name a few. The Dean name quickly earned a reputation throughout South Central Texas as a mark of quality workmanship.

At the close of World War II, Albert Dean, Jr. returned to San Antonio from his service in the US Navy, and through hard work and determination acquired the old sheet metal shop on South Flores Street started by his great uncle, and founded what is known today as Deansteel Manufacturing Company.

Deansteel’s first job was to manufacture doors and frames for the Laredo, Texas Hospital. The entire order was manufactured on a single, four foot, manually operated press brake; and the job was delivered on time! This was the start of our Hollow Metal division and for the next decade Deansteel focused on manufacturing high-quality, commercial duty steel doors and frames.

In 1969, Livingston Shipbuilding, located in Orange, Texas, asked Deansteel if we could provide them with Marine doors, frames, and wall trim durable enough for duty on offshore drilling rigs. We said yes, and Deansteel’s Marine Division was born. What started out as one custom job grew into an entire division of marine products.

Over the years, the company president, John Dean, saw a worldwide need for more specialized security products and branched out to start Deansteel BRP, Bullet Resistant Products Div Home Made ision. This is our newest division but is already expanding with the inclusion of Blast Resistant Products; and we expect to see steady growth as security concerns continue to be challenged around the world.

In the past 50 years, Deansteel has matured from a small sheet metal shop to a production facility that encompasses more than 138,000 square feet, and is equipped with some of the most modern fabricating equipment available. Deansteel maintains a stock inventory of 4,000 doors and more than 20,000 frame components to supply to our distributors.

While the company has experienced growth far beyond our founder’s expectations, the management and employees at Deansteel have retained Joseph Dean’s original commitments to quality craftsmanship, honest business practices, and the belief that without our customers we would not be here.