24 01, 2018

A Brief History of the American Steel Industry

2018-01-24T20:42:52+00:00January 24th, 2018|News Blog, NMC Media|

Today, the currently operating U.S steel industry includes approximately 100 steel supply and steel production facilities, employing 140,000 people, directly or indirectly supporting the livelihood of almost 1 million Americans. AHSS (Advanced high-strength steel) is the only material that reduces greenhouse gas emissions in all phases of an automobile’s life: manufacturing, driving, and end-of-life. Being the most recycled material in the world, more than aluminum, copper, paper, glass, and plastic combined, over 60 million tons of steel are recycled or exported for recycling each year in North America alone.

The Rise of The American Steel Industry

Early colonists had 2 primary goals: shelter and food. They needed to build homes, plant crops, and hunt. In order to facilitate these tasks, iron tools were needed. Things like hammers, knives, saws, axes, nails, hoes, bullets, and horseshoes. Iron products were in demand, but it wasn’t until the 19th century, when technological advances drove down the cost and increased the quality of the product, that steel manufacturing became a dominant industry. “With the abundant iron ore deposits around Lake Superior, the rich coal veins of Pennsylvania, and the easy access to cheap water transportation routes on the Great Lakes, the Midwest became the center of American heavy industry,” business and financial historian John Steele Gordon writes in his Importance of Steel exposition.  “In the years after the Civil War, the American steel industry grew with astonishing speed as the nation’s economy expanded to become the largest in the world. Between 1880 and the turn of the century, American steel production increased from 1.25 million tons to more than 10 million tons. By 1910, America was producing more than 24 million tons, by far the greatest of any country.”

Strong technological foundation was the primary driving force behind the tremendous growth in the steel industry. Steel supply was crucial for rapid expansion of cities and urban infrastructure. Railroads, bridges, factories, buildings, and eventually, in the 20th century, steel was used to make household appliances and automobiles. It was at this time that the US steel industry began using the open-hearth furnace, then, the basic oxygen steelmaking process.

Long after World War II, the American steel service industry continued to flourish and serve as the foundation of the national economy. In 1969, American steel production peaked when the country produced 141,262 ,000 tons. Since then, large steel mills have been replaced by smaller mini-mills and specialty mills, using iron and steel scrap as feedstock, rather than iron ore.

American Steel Service and Industry Today

Although we’ve entered the computer age, American steel remains a top competitor in the global marketplace. The United States is the world’s largest steel importer, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute, labor productivity has seen a five-fold increase since the early 1980s, going from an average of 10.1 man-hours per finished ton to an average of 1.9 […]

2 01, 2018

National Material | Your Steel Service Center Since 1964

2020-04-01T21:26:58+00:00January 2nd, 2018|News Blog, NMC Media|

In 1964, Cyrus Tang started a steel service center in the Chicago-area for electrical grade steels.  His initial success continued as he went on to build the company, and expanded into all types of flat rolled steel. Along the journey, National Material Company built many of the first processing facilities in America; including the very first independent push-pull pickle line and heavy-gauge galvanizing line.  With half a century of steel experience, National Material is a leader in processing and supply-chain management for flat rolled steel.

National Material Company is now a part of National Material Limited Partnership which is a diverse operator of metal-related businesses and one of the largest independent operators of steel service centers in the United States.  The NMLP group of companies operate 16 steel service centers and processing facilities in North America and ship over 2,000,000 tons of steel annually. Twelve of these steel processing facilities and service centers are located and operated in the U.S. and Mexico markets to meet the wide variety of needs of our customers.

NMC specializes in supplying, servicing and processing steel with unmatched efficiency and capacity while offering expertise in supply-chain management. As the leader in supply-chain management, just-in-time programs, and inventory control, NMC is the perfect choice for any customer in search of the best value and experience possible.

Our products, services and capabilities, include the following:

  • Hot Rolled and Cold Rolled Steel
  • Grain Oriented and Non-Oriented Electrical Steel
  • Pre-Painted Steel
  • Galvanized, Aluminized and Other Coated Materials
  • Precision Slitting
  • Steel Pickling
  • Galvanizing
  • Annealing Capability
  • Cut-to-Length Processing
  • Precision Blanking Processing
  • Complete Metallurgical Lab and Testing Facilities

With plants strategically located with freight in mind and an experienced team of individuals who truly understand the ins and outs of steel processing, National Material is able to deliver on-time quality services and products while helping to drive down cost for their customers.  On a constant quest for the improvement that can only be achieved through comprehensive supply-chain management, National Material Company comes out on top.  Proud to be ISO 9002 certified, and uncompromising in its safety standards for their family of employees, National Material Company has been setting standards in the steel service and processing industry for 50 years and will continue to lead the way.

Visit National Material: https://www.nationalmaterial.com or call (U.S.) 847-806-7200

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