Category: Distributors/Service Centers

SMU’s Mill Order Index declined in September after repeated gains from June through August. The shift came as service center shipping rates and inventories fell.

Executives framed the all-stock deal as a path to scale, efficiency, and long-term growth despite ongoing weakness in the metals market.

Olympic Steel reported a decline in third-quarter earnings on Tuesday, as the company separately announced its merger with service center giant Ryerson.

National service center chains Ryerson Holding Corp. and Olympic Steel Corp. have announced a merger between the two companies.

President and CEO Eddie Lehner said Ryerson has faced market headwinds in the third quarter.

Reliance Inc. reported lower profits in the third quarter amid trade woes and abundant inventory in the market.

Olympic Steel Inc. has appointed Larry N. Norred, Jr. to the role of general manager for its Buford (fabrication) and Winder (metal processing) operations in Georgia.

Canada's Nova Steel has fully acquired all of the assets of Ohio's Sheffield Steel Products.

AZZ Inc. delivered steady results in its fiscal second quarter. While infrastructure-heavy work buoyed its Metal Coatings segment, its Precoat Metals business navigated softer building markets and tariff-driven uncertainty.

Jack Biegalski, former president and CEO of American Heavy Plates, has been named the new CEO of the Esmark Steel Group.

National service center chain Olympic Steel has made an internal promotion to fill the newly created role of director of manufactured metal products.

The seven facilities Russel agreed to purchase are located in Iowa, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and Florida.

German service center Klöckner and Co. has agreed to sell seven of its US locations to Canadian service center Russel Metals Inc. for approximately $119 million, the companies said in press releases on Sunday.

Worthington Steel saw a strong first quarter to kick off its fiscal 2026 as both profits and sales notched increases.

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) has added Worthington Steel to its membership roster and elected Geoff Gilmore, president and chief executive officer of the steel processor, to its board of directors. 

JD Fields HDM Spiralweld Mill is planting roots at Tradepoint Atlantic with a 200,000-square-foot pipe pile fabrication center.

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 industry analysts at this year's SMU Steel Summit said they see lackluster demand through this year and next.

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.

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 dipped to ~$48/hundredweight in August from the $50-59/hundredweight range during the month of July.  

Mill Steel Co. announced it is relocating its Houston operations to a bigger facility at the Port of Houston.

Olympic Steel Inc. has promoted Vincent Anza to the role of general manager for its Milford, Conn., facility.

Friedman Industries’ fiscal first-quarter earnings nearly doubled from a year ago.  

Russel Metals posted its strongest quarterly revenue in three years, fueled by higher steel prices, steady demand, and near-record shipments across its service center network.

Her insatiable curiosity and desire to solve complex problems remain at the forefront of O’Neal Steel President and CEO Jodi Parnell’s success in the steel industry. Parnell is as fluent in employee management styles as she is in managing successful client technology adoption.

Olympic Steel's earnings fell in the second quarter amid an "unprecedented" environment in the metals industry.

Ryerson’s earnings slumped in the second quarter amid “recessed” demand.

Reliance Inc. reported record second-quarter tonnages, with 1.62 million tons sold in the second quarter of 2025, a 4% increase year over year (y/y).

AZZ Inc. posted record earnings for the first quarter of its 2026 fiscal year on the back of strong infrastructure-related demand and improved operating performance.