▁had ▁grown ▁to ▁ 4 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁net ▁tons ▁through ▁the ▁en larg ement ▁of ▁existing ▁furn aces . ▁ ▁The ▁prosper ing ▁company ▁was ▁producing ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁products ▁including ▁f ences , ▁gates , ▁posts , ▁w eld ed ▁wire ▁fabric , ▁n ails , ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁w ires , ▁clothes ▁lines ▁riv ets , ▁and ▁co pper ▁steel ▁( K on ik ) ▁sheets . ▁ ▁P enn - D ix ie ▁Corporation ▁take - over ▁ ▁An ▁important ▁turning ▁point ▁for ▁the ▁company ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁Jer ome ▁Castle , ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁P enn - D ix ie ▁C ement ▁Corporation ▁of ▁New ▁York , ▁acknowled ged ▁that ▁his ▁company ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁purch asing ▁hundreds ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁shares ▁of ▁Cont inental ▁Ste el ; ▁by ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁a ▁take over ▁was ▁completed ▁and ▁the ▁K ok omo ▁operations ▁formally ▁took ▁on ▁the ▁P enn - D ix ie ▁name ▁five ▁years ▁later . ▁This ▁take over ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁current ▁tr end ▁within ▁the ▁American ▁steel ▁industry ▁in ▁which ▁individual ▁steel ▁companies ▁were ▁merged ▁with ▁con gl omer ates . ▁ ▁Ten ▁such ▁mer gers ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁including ▁the ▁absor ption ▁of ▁Jones ▁and ▁L augh lin ▁Ste el ▁by ▁the ▁L ing