Service Centers

Alro Acquires Ace Steel, Further Expanding its Mid-Atlantic Reach
Written by David Schollaert
December 12, 2021
Alro Steel has acquired Ace Steel, a Roanoke, Va.-based service center and distributor of steel and plastic products. The deal will grow Alro’s customer base while providing improved service for cut-to-size metals and plastics, the company said.
Established in 1992 as a full-service metal distributor, Ace Steel serves the Roanoke Valley in Virginia. The acquisition strengthens Alro Steel’s reach in the Mid-Atlantic as well as its position across the South.
The deal also provides Ace Steel’s customers with access to Alro’s vast inventory – which includes not only aluminum and carbon steel but also stainless steel, tool steel, cast iron, red metals, alloys and plastics.
This is Alro’s third major announcement this year and its second acquisition. In September, the Jackson, Mich.-based service center bought Metal Stock, a Philadelphia-based service center. It followed that deal up with a planned expansion in Iowa.
Alro is North America’s seventh largest metals processor with revenues of $1.9 billion in 2020. The company operates more than 70 locations in 13 states, distributing a full range of metals, industrial supplies, and engineering plastics.
By David Schollaert, David@SteelMarketUpdate.com

David Schollaert
Read more from David SchollaertLatest in Service Centers

Steel Summit: Service center CEOs share straight talk on markets, customers, future
The chief executives from Majestic Steel, Olympic Steel, and Worthington Steel swapped notes on inventory discipline, customer trust, and the race to turn AI from hype into results.

Steel Summit: Analysts say demand likely to struggle until 2027
Steel industry analysts at this year's SMU Steel Summit said they see lackluster demand through this year and next.

Varsteel acquires Reliable Tube and Spartan Metal Processing
Varsteel Ltd. announced two new strategic acquisitions. The Canadian service center stated that the acquisitions position it to meet a wider range of steel product needs.

Steel Summit: Reliance CEO eyes potential M&A in Mexico, highlights tech plans
Karla Lewis, president and CEO of Reliance Inc., told attendees of SMU’s Steel Summit 2025 that North America’s largest service center company is eyeing strategic opportunities in Mexico.

Galvanized steel prices slip while demand remains flat: HARDI
Galvanized steel prices dipped to ~$48/hundredweight in August from the $50-59/hundredweight range during the month of July.