• Skip to main content

    Distributors/Service Centers

    April 15, 2026

    HARDI: Galv market finds mixed conditions, prices steadily rising

    Written by Kristen DiLandro

    Participants in the galvanized steel market remain encouraged by strengthening product prices, even as increases unfold at a subdued pace.

    During this month’s Heating Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) Sheet Metal/Air Handling Council call, participants shared mixed perspectives of the market. Some found persistent demand and extended lead times held this month. However, product availability increased for some and remained tighter for others.

    Kristen DiLandro

    Kristen DiLandro is a reporter for Steel Market Update. Kristen focuses on the micro and macro steel market conditions informing North American spot prices. Following her agency career in advertising, she attained an MFA in Writing from Savannah College of Art and Design. Kristen can be reached at kristen@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-221-8143.

    Read more from Kristen DiLandro

    Latest in Distributors/Service Centers

    Reliance posts big Q3 profit on high prices, border-wall demand

    Reliance Inc. posted a third-quarter profit more than double that of a year ago on record quarterly sales. The stellar result came thanks to higher steel prices and a jump in tons sold. A government contract for the US border wall with Mexico drove a significant portion of those gains, the company said. And the Phoenix-based service center chain, North America’s largest, predicted that profits would continue to surge in the fourth quarter despite concerns about steel availability and geopolitical instability.

    Alro opens new plant in Florida to better serve Orlando market

    Alro Steel has opened a new, 245,000-square foot facility in Oviedo, Fla., a suburb of Orlando, Fla. The Jackson, Mich.-based service center said the new location would allow it to better serve the Orlando market. The company said the new facility will allow its original location in Orlando, established in 1982, to focus on plate processing. The Oviedo location “significantly increases Alro’s local inventory and processing capacity, providing customers with greater product availability, expanded processing options, and faster shipments,” Alro said in a press release posted earlier this week.

    Fed Beige Book finds stronger steel, machinery demand but rising cost pressure

    Manufacturing activity improved in several Federal Reserve districts, but conditions remained mixed nationwide, according to the Fed’s Oct. 14 Beige Book report. Demand was strongest in steel, machinery, defense-related products, and data center infrastructure. Steel producers in the Cleveland District reported firm spot market demand. Data center, power-generation, defense, and aerospace projects supported orders. Long mill lead times kept customer inventories lean and prices high. Producers also reported higher orders from truck-trailer and light-vehicle manufacturers. International demand for hydrogen vehicle parts increased.

    SMU Survey: Mill negotiation rates rise on sheet, fall for plate

    Sheet buyers found mills slightly more negotiable on price this week, while plate buyers thought mills were less flexible on spot price tags, according to our latest survey data. Every two weeks, SMU surveys service center and manufacturer buyers to see whether mills will negotiate on new spot sheet and plate orders. In this week’s survey, 14% of respondents said mills were willing to talk price to secure an order, up three percentage points from two weeks earlier (Figure 1). This is the highest reading since July 8, when the rate stood at 18%.

    supply

    September service center shipments and inventories report

    US service centers’ flat-rolled steel supply increased marginally in September, gaining ground for only the second time all year. Shipping days of supply rose to 45.9 last month, according to SMU data. That figure marks a 3.7% increase from August. September’s result represents a modest gain after inventories hit a five-year low the previous month. But it’s nearly 16% below September 2025 levels. Sheet inventories have averaged ~45 shipping days of supply over the past six months. Flat-rolled inventories represented 2.18 months of supply in September, up 3.7% from August. However, the figure was 15.5% below September 2025. The month-on-month (m/m) gain in inventories resulted from a boost (+21.2%) in intake that was partially offset by a 5% increase in shipments.