• Skip to main content

    Distributors/Service Centers

    November 4, 2026

    SMU Profile: Worthington's Gilmore speaks on 'tough' market, Kloeckner integration

    Written by Ethan Bernard

    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.

    Ethan Bernard

    Ethan Bernard is managing editor for Steel Market Update. He previously worked for American Metal Market as a copy editor in the New York office for two years, starting in 2008. Later, he copy edited AMM’s monthly magazine on a freelance basis from 2015 until 2017. With experience in financial copywriting and textbook publishing, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. He can be reached at ethan@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7871.

    Read more from Ethan Bernard

    Latest in Distributors/Service Centers

    SMU Survey: Buyers push price peak expectations later despite competitive imports

    Buyers in SMU’s latest Flat-Rolled Steel Survey increasingly expect hot-rolled (HR) coil prices to keep climbing into year-end and beyond. But competitive import offers have not yet eased concerns about tight availability: most surveyed manufacturers and service centers said foreign suppliers were quoting competitive prices, while many service centers said they were still buying imports to secure additional tons. As of Tuesday, Oct. 27, current spot prices for HR coil range from $1,280 per short ton (st) to $1,330/st, averaging $1,305/st, according to SMU’s market survey. Looking two months ahead, 41% of respondents to our Oct. 28 survey expected HR coil prices to be $1,300-1,349 per short ton (st) in two months, down from 47% in our survey two weeks earlier.

    National Material acquires Arlington Metals, companies see a win-win

    National Material Company has completed its acquisition of Arlington Metals Corp., the companies said in a joint press release. National Materials, a service center based in East Chicago, Ind., said the acquisition of Arlington Metals, a Franklin Park, Ill.-based toll processor, will allow it to serve customers across a broader range of markets and metals. "Arlington Metals is a great fit for us," said Blake Johnson, president of National Material.

    SMU flat-rolled market survey results now available

    The results of the latest Steel Market Update (SMU) flat-rolled market survey are now available on our website to all premium members. After logging in, look under the Data tab for Market Reports, and there you will find the Flat-Rolled Survey Results section. Previous survey results are also available on that page. If you need help accessing these results, or if your company would like to have your voice heard in our future surveys, contact smu@crugroup.com.