Distributors/Service Centers
March 11, 2025
Written by Ethan Bernard
Olympic Steel Inc. has promoted Scott M. Zito to the newly created role of vice president of business development.
Zito has been with Olympic for more than 40 years. His first job was as an inside sales representative, and his most recent position was director of business development. He will report directly to President and COO Andrew S. Greiff.
Alro Steel has opened a new location in Van Buren, Mich., outside Detroit.
In this week's Market Chatter, steel buyers point to tight supply and steady demand as reasons sheet prices could keep rising, with many expecting HRC to reach $1,400-1,449 per short ton in two months. Views on when the rally will peak are mixed, with some anticipating further increases while others mention softening demand and political uncertainty. Respondents also disagree on tariffs' impact. They say reshoring is generating activity but has yet to translate consistently into demand.
Randall Metals has closed on its acquisition of tinplate and specialty flat-rolled products supplier Titan Steel. Further terms of the deal were not disclosed. Titan Steel has facilities in Baltimore and the Chicago area, and serves the food packaging, filtration, and construction markets, among others. "Scale is increasingly important in the service center market, and this transaction brings together the complementary strengths of our two businesses to address the challenges and opportunities of the changing global steel industry," Titan Steel CEO Max Levin said in a statement on Tuesday.
Russel Metals’ earnings soared in the third quarter amid strong market conditions as revenue hit a quarterly record. The Mississauga, Ontario-based metals distributor reported net earnings of Canadian $125.5 million (USD$88.8 million), 259% higher than CAD$35 million a year earlier. Net sales increased 56% to CAD$1.82 billion in the same comparison, a record quarterly level. The company said Q3’26 shipments from its metal service centers fell 3% vs. the second quarter due to normal seasonal factors but rose 29% from a year earlier.
Worthington Steel Chief Executive Geoff Gilmore said this is the toughest steel market he's seen in his nearly three decades in the industry. Gilmore, president and CEO of Columbus, Ohio-based Worthington Steel, recently spoke to SMU about the progression of the company’s acquisition of Germany-based Kloeckner & Co, as well as trends he’s seeing in the market and in the service center space. “I've been in the business for 28 years, and this is the toughest market that I've encountered,” Gilmore told SMU. He cited factors such as stretched lead times, mill consolidation, maintenance outages, and very limited imports affecting availability.