One-Stop Guide to Finding U.S. Steel Suppliers

As manufacturing companies scramble to adapt to an upheaval in global supply chains, manufacturers are facing shortages of needed supplies. A plethora of factors is hitting manufacturers in general and the steel industry in particular. Shortages of materials, a tight labor market, rising fuel prices, and driver shortages are currently hitting the market.

2021 was an unprecedented year for the steel industry, as huge demand outstripped supply, sending prices to historic levels, while unfilled orders for steel rose dramatically. Following a slight dip in the latter months of 2021, unfilled orders are once again on the rise in 2022, as are prices.

According to the Institute for Supply Management, prices for steel have been elevated for the past 21 months, while prices for hot-rolled and cold-rolled steel have been on the rise for the past two months.

So what’s a manufacturer to do? This article will provide some key resources and advice for zeroing in on a steel supplier in the U.S., from reinforcing steel to galvanized steel and castings to hot-rolled, cold-rolled and recycled steel.

Softening the Blow

With prices for imported steel rising, many manufacturers will turn to domestic suppliers. In addition to reducing expenses, utilizing U.S. sources averts difficulties within the supply chain by allowing businesses to maintain greater control over the procurement process. Although steel is undersupply at the moment, it pays to have a list of potential suppliers. Additionally, utilizing a site like IndustryNet allows buyers to send out a direct request for quote, which can help manufacturers that are facing rising prices find the best deal.

Quality issues are minimized when a company can send their own teams to examine a supplier's operations.

Local sourcing also simplifies logistics. Issues such as port strikes and global politics cannot impact delivery schedules. The effect of inclement weather is often reduced. Overall costs of transportation, storage and warehousing are all decreased. By reducing the time required for shipping, lead times also decline.

Companies that use local suppliers can also increase their credibility with their customers, sparking a rise in sales. According to research by a major registry, nearly 75 percent of buyers show a preference for locally sourced products. By taking advantage of this trend, businesses can boost their public images.

The recycling solution

Most steel in the United States is manufactured not from virgin materials but from recycled scrap metal. In 2017, the U.S. produced 82 million metric tons of steel, 68 percent of which came from scrap metal.

Sources of the scrap metal include manufacturers, demolished buildings and old cars. Use of domestic scrap to produce new goods not only counters the effects of tariffs but also cuts pollution and reduces energy consumption.

The environmental advantages of transforming scrap instead of ore into new products are threefold. First, mining ore endangers or destroys both plant and animal life in natural habitats.

Second, the conversion of ore into steel releases toxic by-products such as ammonium compounds, naphthalene and arsenic. Third, the International Energy Commission has estimated that converting ore into metals accounts for 10 percent of all man-made greenhouse emissions.

Using recycled and local steel has kept the industry strong. According to steel industry data gathered by IndustryNet, there are 3,211 steel suppliers in the U.S.. Average yearly sales of $21.7 billion include reinforcing steel, galvanized steel, steel castings, cold rolled steel, hot rolled steel and recycled steel. The contribution of each sector to U.S. manufacturing, as well as a few select manufacturers in each sector, are explored below.

Reinforcing steel

Reinforcing bar, (or rebar) is vital to the construction industry for its use in increasing the strength of concrete structures such as bridges and foundations. Rebar is found in commercial buildings including skyscrapers and warehouses and also in private homes.

Concrete is quite durable when compressed, but it has very little tensile strength. Rebar provides the strength; it is used both to hold concrete under compression and to increase the tensile strength of a structure.

Steel and concrete expand and contract in similar ways with changes in temperature, so the combination of the two results in minimal stress from variable weather. Reinforcing steel is also employed at historic sites such as the Vatican to strengthen masonry structures.

Related: Who makes it: 7 leading producers of reinforcing steel

While glass fiber, carbon fiber and basalt fiber may also be used for structural reinforcement, steel has many advantages over other materials. Rebar can be bent after it is manufactured, simplifying the logistics of transportation.

Steel can withstand rigorous conditions and the elements at a construction site. When buildings are demolished, rebar can be recycled.

While fiber alternatives may float in concrete, rebar does not, eliminating the need to tie it down. Reinforcing steel is also widely available, simplifying builders' supply chains.

The following companies serve some of the vast markets for reinforcing steel.

Bayshore Rebar Inc., in Pleasantville, New Jersey, specializes in parking garages, bridges, slabs and buildings. It has been in business for 20 years and is certified by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Amber Steel Company in Rialto, California, was established in 1955 and is a family-owned business. Its projects include schools, hospital, wastewater treatment plants and retaining walls.

Click here to learn more about the numerous companies supplying reinforcing steel on IndustryNet, as well as steel bars, steel billets, steel coil and more.

Galvanized steel

Galvanized steel is coated with zinc to prevent rust. The most common method for applying the coating is hot dip, the submersion of steel into a bath of molten zinc. Zinc may also be plated onto metal by a process known as electrogalvanization. While hot-dip forms a thicker and more corrosion-resistant coating, plating is more aesthetically pleasing.

Galvanized steel is available in many forms, including pipes and wire. In the construction industry, it is used for the framing of houses, for gates and for bars on windows. The hot dip method is used to produce nails for outdoor use. Galvanized steel is also used to protect and improve the appearance of the exterior of commercial buildings.

Read more: 11 leading galvanized steel companies in the U.S. 

Uses in infrastructure include electrical towers and road signs. Gutters and utility holes may have galvanized steel coverings.

Galvanized steel is utilized when there is a possibility of contact with underground water sources such as sewers and waste lines.

In the automotive industry, both the bodies of and parts for trucks and buses are formed from galvanized steel.

Appliances incorporating it include washing machines, computers and hair care equipment. Metal pails and buckets of galvanized steel find use both in homes and businesses.

The following companies are in the galvanized steel market in the United States.

New Process Steel LP in Alsip, Illinois, galvanizes both sheet and coil steel. Its products are utilized in commercial construction.

AZZ Galvanizing Services - Saint Louis has one of the largest galvanizing kettles in the U.S. It provides components for infrastructure projects.

Click here to learn more about the numerous companies supplying galvanized steel on IndustryNet, as well as stainless steel, textured steel and high carbon steel.

Steel castings

Castings are formed when melted metal is poured into a mold and cooled. Steel castings have higher strength and shock resistance than iron castings. A variety of steel alloys containing chromium, nickel, molybdenum and copper are used to make castings. Carbon steel is often used for cast parts that will require machine finishing to achieve tighter tolerances.

The cheapest and longest-used method of performing this process is sand casting. Sand is bonded into shape using either clay or various chemicals. While permanent molds require economies of scale, sand molds can be temporarily formed for short runs.

Read more: 11 top producers of steel castings

While the process may be used to produce small items such as machine parts, it can also be used to cast metal structures as large as the bed of a rail car. The sand used in the molding process may be recycled multiple times for reuse. Parts for earthmovers and mining machinery, gears, clamps and brackets are a few of the products produced by sand casters.

Investment casting, or lost wax casting, is an ancient but highly effective method for producing high-quality components. The process has a higher initial cost than sand casting but can produce intricate shapes not possible with sand castings. The wax is reusable, and the parts produced require minimal or no reworking.

The companies below showcase just a small part of the range of steel cast products.

Seabee Foundry in Hampton, Iowa, also operates as Hampton Hydraulics LLC. As the name indicates, it designs and manufactures hydraulic cylinders and related products.

Saint Louis Precision Casting Company specializes in short runs, prototypes and tooling. It works with both carbon and stainless steels.

Click here to see a full list of castings suppliers on IndustryNet, including those specializing in carbon steel castings, manganese steel castings, stainless steel castings, gray iron castings, ductile iron castings, iron castings, alloy castings, investment castings and more. For steel mills and steel foundries, click here.

Cold rolled steel

Cold rolled steel is suitable for high-precision applications. Cold rolling refers to being pressed between rollers. The steel undergoes a range of finishing processes after an initial hot rolled stage including grinding, turning and polishing. Forms that are drawn are referred to as "cold finished."

Cold rolled surfaces have closer tolerances than less highly processed steels and are smoother to the touch. Cold rolled bars have square corners and well-defined edges. Tubes are straight and uniformly round.

The following companies highlight the broad span of manufacturing needs served by companies in the cold rolled steel sector.

Cold Rolled Steel Machine and Manufacturing LLC in North Chesterfield, Virginia, combines cold rolled steel with machining techniques to produce high-precision products. It supplies the bedding, packaging and medical industries. Its parts are also used in canning plants.

Clingan Steel Inc. in Elk Grove, Illinois, carries cold rolled stock in a variety of thicknesses. Its products are available with deburred, square, round or specialty edges.

Click here to see a full list of cold-rolled steel, cold-drawn steel and cold-finished steel suppliers on IndustryNet. Or read our post: Who's making cold-rolled steel in the U.S.? The top 10.

Hot rolled steel

Hot rolled steel can be used as a stand-alone product or as a precursor to cold-rolled steel. It is roll pressed at temperatures exceeding 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit. This treatment makes it easier to form. It can be fabricated into sheets, bars, coils and plates.

This steel is often used for applications in which high precision dimensions are not necessary, such as railroad tracks and construction projects.

The cooling process of hot rolled steel produces readily identifiable scaled surfaces. The edges and corners of bars and plates fabricated in this manner are slightly rounded. Shapes such as squares may also be slightly distorted.

Related: Top hot-rolled steel companies in the U.S.

The cooling process leaves the material free from internal stresses, rendering it quite stable. External imperfections can be remedied by chemical treatment, grinding, blasting and polishing. Descaled hot-rolled steel offers a receptive surface for paint and other coatings.

The two companies listed below both provide hot rolled steel in a form other companies use for fabrication or to manufacture finished products.

Steel Dynamics Sales North America Inc., Flat Roll Group in Butler, Indiana, offers hot rolled bands, steel coils of varying thicknesses and weights with unmodified edges. They also provide additional finishing services.

The offerings of Gerdau Long Steel North America - Beaumont Mill in Vidor, Texas, include beams and pilings. The company serves the agricultural, service center, construction, energy and automotive markets.

Click here to see a full list of hot-rolled steel and hot-rolled bar, rod and wire suppliers on IndustryNet.

Recycled steel

Recycled steel plays an essential role in the steel industry. Every year, 55 million tons of domestic steel scrap is used to make new steel in North American Steel furnaces. Steel from cars, cans, construction materials and appliances can be continuously recycled with no loss of quality or strength.

Recycling companies such as the two below form the link between a wide variety of discarded products and new steel.

Recycle USA Inc. in Pinson, Alabama, offers appliance, motor and motor block recycling. It also recycles high-temperature alloys.

Schlezinger Inc. I.H. in Columbus, Ohio, buys demolition scrap, auto scrap, obsolete equipment, stainless steel and automotive radiators.

Click here to see a full listing of recycled steel suppliers, in addition to wholesale scrap suppliers, scrap iron and metal recyclers and scrap metal processors.

Ready to start your search?

IndustryNet can help you narrow down your search for a domestic steel supplier or any other type of local industrial supplier, making it your go-to resource for all your industrial supply needs. Perform searches by company type, distribution, georgraphy, specialty, and even ISO standards.

Providing vital contant information on over 400,000 U.S. manufacturers, as well as 10,000+ suppliers of industrial products and services, IndustryNet can help you connect with your list of potential suppliers. Request a quote, download catalogs, connect on social media, view company videos and more. 

IndustryNet can also help grow your business. Learn more about how our marketing solutions can steer industrial buyers like these to you.

Other related resource guides from IndustryNet:
Expert guide to choosing the right type of metal finish
Complete guide to sourcing a metal fabrication company

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in August of 2018. It is updated annnually to reflect new trends and statistics in the market.