Final Thoughts: The Summit of all summits

We really pride ourselves on serving the flat-rolled steel market, with insights, market trends, prices, and much more, specifically curated for flat-rolled steel buyers.

And we’re all about bringing the steel community together to uncover the decisions, innovations, and forces shaping the market today and tomorrow.

The origin story

SMU Steel Summit began in 2010 as John Packard’s idea for a dedicated forum where steel industry leaders could exchange views on trends, challenges, and opportunities. What started as a small event in Las Vegas with just over 100 attendees quickly gained traction, moving to Atlanta and establishing itself as a standalone conference and annual meeting place.

Since then, it has grown from a modest, hands-on operation into one of the industry’s key annual gatherings.

The Summit’s evolution reflects the broader steel business itself: adaptable, fast-moving, and increasingly connected. From improvised early setups to the launch of the SMU Summit App and the shift to a virtual format during Covid, the event has consistently adjusted to changing circumstances. That growth has helped turn Steel Summit into more than a conference—it has become a venue where relationships are built, ideas are tested, and the industry’s direction comes into sharper focus.

What’s in store in 2026

Last year, we dared to go where no human had gone before, pushing into uncharted territory. And as August fast approaches—we’re just about 60 days out—2025 already feels like light years ago.

Trade and tariff wrinkles remain all the buzz, and questions broaden as the global trade landscape—and especially the USMCA review—takes shape.

But together we’ll unpack it all with the veterans you’ve come to expect, plus fresh voices and takes, to share and equip steel professionals at every level to navigate what’s next.

More than 800 steel industry professionals from 300-plus companies and nearly 20 countries are already registered to attend the SMU Steel Summit this August.

It runs Monday, Aug. 24, to Wednesday, Aug. 26, at the Georgia International Convention Center (GICC) in Atlanta.

But wait, there’s more

If you haven’t heard, SMU’s nonferrous sister publication, Aluminum Market Update (AMU), and its inaugural Aluminum Summit will join the party in Atlanta this August!

AMU Aluminum Summit is a new, commercially focused conference for the US aluminum market, designed for a time of changing procurement priorities, trade uncertainty, and growing pressure for better downstream market visibility.

It takes place alongside the SMU Steel Summit, with a single registration granting attendees access to both events. It creates a distinctive platform for buyers, producers, processors, traders, manufacturers, and service providers whose decisions are shaped by both metals.

With separate agendas for steel and aluminum, you can focus on the sessions most relevant to you while benefiting from crossover across the wider industrial metals value chain.

Who’s already attending

25000 Miles Sp. z o.o., AAON, Inc., ABSteel – Grupo ABX, Acero Prime, Aceromex, S.A. DE C.V., Aceroteca Metals LLC, ADS, Afam International DMCC, Ag Growth International, Al Ghurair Iron & Steel LLC, Algoma Steel Inc., Alliance Family of Companies, Alliance Laundry Systems, Alliance Steel LLC, Alpine, Alro Steel, Altec Industries, Inc., Alter Logistics Company, Alter River Terminals, Amarr Company, American Alloy Steel, American Locker, American Metal Group (AMG), American Metals Supply, Ameristar Perimeter Security, Andes Coil Processors, Applied Value LLC, Arbon Steel, ArcelorMittal, ArcelorMittal Dofasco, ArcelorMittal North America, ARCO Innovations, Arcosa, ARKU, Inc., ASSA ABLOY Door Group, Association of Women in the Metal Industries, Atkore International, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bank of America, Beaver Steel Services, Inc., BlueScope Steel Americas, BMG Latin America, Inc., BMO Bank N.A., BMO Harris Bank, BofA Global Research, BofA Securities, Inc., Borçelik Çelik Sanayii Ticaret A.Ş., Borusan Berg Pipe, Inc., Bradford White, Braner USA, Broan Nutone LLC, Brown Gibbons Lang & Company, Brown Strauss Steel, BTD Manufacturing, Buckeye Metals Ind., Builtech, Bull Moose Tube Company, Burghardt & Schmidt GmbH, Butech Bliss, C.D. Wälzholz GmbH & Co. KG, Canam Steel Corporation, Carlisle Architectural Metals, CBMM North America Inc., Centric Pipe, LLC, Century Metals & Supplies, LLC., Charter Steel Trading, Inc., Chicago Tube & Iron, ClarkDietrich, Cleveland Steel Container, CMC, Collier Metals, Combined Metal Industries, Commercial Steel Products, Cooper Consolidated LLC, Copeland, CPKC Railroad, Crowe LLP, CRU, CT.Inc, Curtis Steel Company, Daikin Comfort Technologies, Daikin North America, Dalco Metals, Inc., Diamond Manufacturing Company, Drewes-Group, EB Metal US, Eldridge, Elite Steel, Emerson, Esserman Steel Co., Inc., Evapco, Inc., Ezi Metales S.A. de C.V., Fagor Arrasate USA, Inc., Fehr Warehouse Solutions, Feralloy Corporation, Ferragon Corporation, Ficep Corporation, Fifth Third Bank, Friedman Industries, Fulton County Processing, Galvaprime, Galvasid, Georg North America Inc., Gerdau Steel, GL Precision Tube, Inc., Goldman Sachs, Grand Steel Products, Inc., Greenpoint Metals, Inc., Greif Packaging Germany GmbH, Greif Packaging LLC, Grupo Acerero, Handy Distribution (ARCO), Hartree Metallia LLC, Hartree Partners, Headwall Partners, Heidtman Steel Products, Inc., Heritage Capital Group, Inc., Hirsh Industries, LLC, Honda Development & Manufacturing of America, Hunter Engineering, Huntington Bank, Huntington National Bank, Hyundai Corporation, Hyundai Steel Company, Illinois Tool Works (ITW)/Alpine, Imperial Manufacturing Group, International Steels Ltd., ITW Drawform, ITW StampTech Fasteners, J.P. Morgan, Jemison Metals, Jindal Pipe USA, Inc, Jindal Tubular, John Deere, JOST International, JPMorgan Chase, JSW Steel USA Inc., KeyBanc Capital Markets, KLB Steel, KMF, Knapheide, Lapham-Hickey Steel, Leeco Steel LLC, Lennox International, ltl, Macsteel International USA Corp, Magic Coil Products LLC, Majestic Steel, Marubeni-Itochu Steel America (MISA), McNeilus Steel, Inc., Medtrade, Inc., Mendritzki Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Metal Edge Partners LLC, Metal One America Inc, Metals USA – Flat Rolled Group, Meyer Utility Structures, Miba, Midmark Corporation, MidWest Materials, Mill Steel Company, MISA, Morrison Products, Inc., Moss & Associates, MRH LLC, MRIE, Nelson Global Products, Nippon Steel Trading Americas, Inc., Norfolk Iron and Metal, Norfolk Southern, North American Steel Alliance, North Carolina Ports, North Coast Container, North Shore Steel, North Star BlueScope Steel, Northwest Pipe Company, Nova Steel Inc., NS BlueScope Coated Products NA, Nucor, NVENT, Olympic Steel, Inc., OMB Treasury, O’Neal Industries, O’Neal Steel, Opta Group, Optima Steel International LLC, OTI, Owen Holdings, Co., Pacific Metals Trading, Inc., PACO Steel & Engineering Corp., Padnos Recycling, Paragon Steel, Pennsylvania Steel Company, Inc., Petrosmith Equipment LP, Phillips Tube Group, Inc., Phoenix Products, Port of Ohio at Pier 48, Port Tampa Bay, Price Industries, Priefert, PS Logistics, Rahma Maro, Ranger Steel, Ratner Steel Supply Company, Red Bud Industries, Reliance Inc, Reliance Sheet & Strip Company, Rock Trading Advisors, Ltd, Ruan Transportation Management Systems, Russel Metals, Inc., Ryerson, SA Recycling, Samuel, Son & Co., Limited, Schuette, Inc., SeAH Steel USA, Searing Industries, Sheffield Steel, SLLS, Southern Coil Solutions LLC, SPS Companies, Inc., SSAB AB, SSAB Americas, SSAB Special Steels, State Steel, State Steel Supply Company, Steel and Pipe Supply, Steel Coil Store, LLC, Steel Dynamics, Inc., Steel Manufacturing and Warehouse Company, Steel Warehouse, Steelscape, Stellar Industries, Superior Steel Supply LLC, TA Services, Target Metal Blanking, Target Steel, Inc., Tata International, Tata International Metals, Tata Steel, Taylor Steel Inc, Tennant Company, Ternium Mexico S.A. de C.V., Ternium USA, Inc., The Heico Companies, The Infra Group, The Keystone Group, thyssenkrupp Materials Services, Toyota Tsusho America, Triad Metals International, Trinity Industries, Triple-S Steel Holdings, Inc., UNICOIL, Union Pacific Railroad, Valmont Industries, Inc., Valtir, Venture Steel, Vestil Manufacturing Company, Victory Metals, Viking Materials, Inc., Wallner Expac, Inc., Webco Industries,Webco Tube, Inc., Whirlpool Corporation, Wiley Rein LLP, Worthington Steel, Zekelman Industries, and Zf-Lifetec.

We can’t wait to see you there!

PS – If you you’re new to Summit, you can check out the agenda here and register here.