The global metal construction community is mourning the passing of Angelo “Ange” Borzillo, the co-inventor of Gavalume coated steel and a 2022 inductee into the Metal Construction Hall of Fame. Borzillo passed away recently on October 11, 2025, at the age of 92, leaving behind a transformative legacy that continues to shape the steel and metal building industries worldwide.

More than half a century ago, while working at Bethlehem Steel in Pennsylvania, Borzillo and his colleague Jim Horton set out to improve upon the limitations of traditional galvanized steel coatings. Their experiments led to a groundbreaking formulation—55 percent aluminum, 43.5 percent zinc and 1.5 percent silicon—that dramatically improved corrosion resistance and durability. The result was Gavalume sheet steel, a material that became the backbone of countless roofing and wall systems around the world.

By 2021, Gavalume sheet was produced under license on six continents, with more than 220 million tons of cumulative production and billions in annual global revenue. Yet for Borzillo, it was never about the numbers—it was about innovation, collaboration and improving the world through better materials.

“Ange was incredibly humble and quick to acknowledge the support he received from colleagues,” said Arif Humayun, president of BIEC International Inc., who worked alongside Borzillo for more than four decades. “He always said, the best days for Gavalume are ahead of us. I wasn’t sure what he meant, but now I understand.”

Another close friend and mentee, Rob Haddock, founder and CEO of S-5! and a fellow Metal Construction Hall of Fame inductee, remembers Borzillo as a mentor and role model: “From the first day we met, he treated me with respect and took me under his wing,” Haddock said. “He was a genius, but he was always a regular guy—humble, gracious and unassuming. When I’d introduce him as the inventor of Gavalume sheet steel, he’d immediately correct me: co-inventor, giving full credit to Jim Horton. That was Ange—always fair, always genuine.”

After a distinguished career at Bethlehem Steel and later BIEC International, Borzillo retired in 2002. Even in retirement, he remained an active voice in the metal construction community, mentoring younger engineers and championing the industry’s continued pursuit of excellence.

“Ange wasn’t just the co-inventor of a great product,” Haddock said. “He was an icon and a mentor who inspired generations in the metal construction industry.”

Borzillo’s work changed the course of the metal construction industry, and his influence will endure in every panel, roof and structure protected by Gavalume sheet steel. His life’s work stands as a testament to innovation, integrity and the power of collaboration—a legacy as enduring as the material he helped create.