steel service industry Archives | Page 2 of 2 | National Material Company

31 03, 2021

Demand For Steel Processing Grows in 2021

andre2021-03-31T18:34:29+00:00March 31st, 2021|News Blog|

Leading steel processor National Material Company, like the rest of the steel industry, is watching carefully as steel demand recovers in 2021. As the coronavirus pandemic affected all areas of the global economy, 2020 was a year like no other, and we are grateful for the cautious hope the new year brings.

As supply chains continue to stabilize, shipments of raw materials from other countries and manufacturing of parts has resumed. The World Steel Association says it expects steel demand to recover in 2021 to 1,717 million metric tons, an increase of 3.8 percent compared with 2020. The recovery of steel demand will be more visible in the second half of 2021, World Steel predicts, and will be driven by construction, especially infrastructure investment, as the government has put forward several new infrastructure initiatives.

What does this mean for American steel processors? According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, steelmakers idled about one-third of domestic production capacity for flat-rolled steel last spring when their customers canceled orders and closed plants to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. Since many factories reopened a month or two later, steel demand for cars, appliances, and machinery has rebounded, thanks, in part, to rising purchases from homebound consumers.

From Nasdaq:

American steel stocks have seen recent gains on hopes that the sizable infrastructure spending would have a beneficial effect on the U.S. steel industry given the expected increase in consumption of the commodity that is used to make almost everything from rail tracks to roads to bridges and tunnels.

Steel makers are seeing strong order booking in automotive. Recovery in the automotive industry has accelerated following pandemic-led shutdowns on the back of strong customer demand. The automotive rebound is driving demand for flat steel products globally.

Moreover, the revival in the construction sector globally is driving demand for long and flat steel products in this major market. The construction sector has also bounced back on the heels of a resumption of projects that were stalled earlier due to supply chain disruptions and manpower shortage. In particular, the non-residential construction market remains resilient (read full article here).

Response to adversity is what will determine the outcome of the story. Historically, the American steel industry is as resilient as it gets, built on a foundation that literally supports our entire country’s infrastructure.

As OEMs and large companies that utilize steel processing services take another step forward into 2021, they may be wise to ask themselves, “Are there strategic partnerships that will strengthen competitive positioning and business resiliency?” After all, in the steel industry, great end products await at the end of the rainbow.

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Why National Material Company?

As a leader in steel processing capabilities, supply chain management, and inventory control, NMC is the perfect choice for any customer in search of the best experience possible. A dedicated workforce, state-of-the-art slitters, cut-to-length lines, and warehouse storage capabilities make NMC the premiere steel manufacturing company in North America. Locations throughout the United States and […]

21 11, 2020

The Best Jobs in Steel Processing: Steel Service Center Listings

andre2020-12-15T18:49:22+00:00November 21st, 2020|News Blog|

Are you dynamic, hardworking, smart, and ready for any new challenge? If you fit this description, you are a person of steel. Come join one of America’s most prestigious industries, with a history as colorful and powerful as any. This is not your grandfather’s steel service and processing industry. Today, more than ever, experienced, and skilled workers are needed to run all the aspects of our sophisticated steel processing plants.

Common steel processing job listings include:

Metallurgist and Quality Testing Specialist – Inspects and tests all incoming steel master coils and outgoing finished goods to customers to meet customer and in-house quality requirements.

Processing Equipment Operators – Highly trained to set-up and run all steel service center equipment including pickling, galvanizing, slitters, leveling, cut-to-length, blanking, and other processes.

Plant Maintenance Specialist – Provides repair and scheduled maintenance services to keep the operations of the plant reliable and efficient.

Plant Scheduling Planner – Receives processing work orders from an inside sales specialist and schedules plant equipment and processing equipment operators to complete customer purchase orders for processing services and finished goods.

Plant Safety Specialist – Provides training and support to ensure the health and safety of employees and to meet all state and national regulations and reporting requirements.

Outside Sales Associate – Utilizes marketing and company product and services information to call on new and existing customers to sell products and available services.

Steel Products and Process Quoting Specialist – Supports the sales team with accurate and competitive quotes to meet the customer product specifications and cost targets.

Steel Purchasing Specialist – Works with steel mills to buy master coil steel inventory and other products to support service center cost, quality, and delivery timing to meet the customer needs.

Steel Logistics Specialist – Schedules and negotiates cost for all truck and rail freight to support timing for incoming master coils and outgoing finished goods to customers.

Inside Sales Specialist – Manages all purchase orders from customers for new and repeat steel finished goods and processing requests. Creates work orders to all the service center internal groups for required steel master coils, requesting internal processing services, and shipping finished goods to the customer.

HR Specialist – Recruits, hires, provides training for new employees, and company benefit support. Ensures that the company is meeting all EEOC and other regulations and reporting requirements.

IT Specialist – Provides all computer-related services and equipment to support company requirements.

Marketing Specialist – Creates marketing information in various media formats describing the capabilities, manufacturing specialties, and locations of company assets.

With the sophistication of the today’s steel environment, workers in service centers and processing facilities are the foundation of success for steel companies. That’s why companies like NMC foster a respectful and appreciative atmosphere designed for the well-being of the workers. As one of the largest-growing, independent steel service centers and processing facilities, NMC is constantly looking for new talent ready to help in the expansion of the business. NMC offers a competitive benefits package for team members:

Quotes from our workers:

“I like […]

30 09, 2020

Steel Processing at National Galvanizing

andre2020-09-30T19:24:37+00:00September 30th, 2020|News Blog|

Today, modern chemists must face the same problem that one element posed to the Egyptians thatshould have destroyed the pyramids. It’s that ubiquitous element that threatens everything made by humans: water. As frost formed inside the stone structure at night and expanded with the morning, slow cumulative damage should have been done to the pyramids. For many years, this mystery defied the explanation of archeologists, however was eventually solved. A detailed study concluded that ancient Egyptians relied on technology to defy the power of water: they had invented a primitive form of cement.

Water threatens the integrity of modern structures. Steel, the very backbone of modern civilization, rusts when it comes into contact with water. Technology has been the answer for modern man, just as it was for the pyramid builders. Various techniques have been developed to prevent steel from corroding. One of the most sought after by leading industries is galvanizing. Both long-lasting and cost-friendly, galvanized steel can resist rust for 70 years or more. The characteristics of the environment where it is used, and the thickness of the protective coat can influence the lifespan of the steel. Today, a sophisticated process known as hot-dipping is used to galvanize steel. Essentially, galvanizing adds a zinc-iron coating to the metal, forming a protective layer. The multi-step process described below gives galvanized steel its protective qualities:
1) The steel is cleaned in a degreasing solution.
2) After being cleaned, the steel is pickled by running through various tanks containing hot sulfuric acid.
3) The steel is then fluxed in an aqueous solution (typically zinc-ammonium chloride).
4) After the flux, the steel is galvanized through immersion in a vat of molten zinc.
5) Afterward, the steel is inspected for consistency and a complete coating.
Galvanized steel has a low, initial cost, and no need for maintenance. It also provides other important advantages:
• Rust resistance: The iron elements in steel are incredibly prone to rusting, but the addition of zinc acts as a protective buffer between the steel and any moisture or oxygen.
• Easy inspection: It is easy to tell how strong a galvanized coating is just by looking at it. There are also quick stress tests that can determine how thick the zinc coating is.
• Sacrificial anode: This ensures that any damaged steel is protected by the surrounding zinc coating. It does not matter if the steel section is completely exposed; the zinc will still corrode first.
• Longer life: With galvanization, a piece of industrial steel is expected to last 70 years in average environments and can last over 20 years with severe water exposure. No maintenance required.
Galvanization is part of a larger framework in steel preparation. Clients can benefit through facilities that can apply various processes to steel including hot-dipped galvanizing. That’s why National Galvanizing’s state-of-the-art facility enables pickling, galvanizing, galvannealing, and slitting, all in one location. As a joint venture between National Material L.P. and Heidtman Steel, National Galvanizing has an unparalleled structure for quality, high-speed supply that serves the automotive, heavy truck, agricultural, garage door hardware, and HVAC industries, among others.

NMLP […]

6 08, 2020

Steel and Recycling: Fun Facts!

andre2020-08-06T19:53:22+00:00August 6th, 2020|News Blog|

Here at National Material Company, we thought we’d pause, reflect, and share some good news and fun, interesting facts about the steel industry.

In 2016, Azo CleanTech reported that steel is the most recycled material in North America. The metal comes not only from cans but also from construction scraps, automobiles, and appliances, and it can be turned right back into steel that can be used in the same applications.

Recycling is at the core of the steel industry’s commitment to sustainability. According to steel.org, the North American steel-making furnaces “consume nearly 70 million tons of domestic steel scrap in the production of new steel.” By using steel scrap to make new steel, the North American steel industry conserves energy, emissions, raw materials, and natural resources. This commitment drives the reduction of steel’s environmental footprint, while producing advanced, highly-recycled steel products that meet an advancing society’s needs.

Here are some fun facts about steel and recycling:

Steel products can be recycled repeatedly without loss of strength.
Recycling steel saves the equivalent energy to power about 18 million households for a year.
More than 80 million tons of steel are recycled each year in North America.
For every ton of steel recycled, 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal, and 120 pounds of limestone are conserved.
Almost 69 percent of all steel is recycled in North America each year – more than paper, aluminum, plastic, & glass combined. North America’s average steel recycling rate has been in excess of 60 percent since 1970.
More than 95 percent of the water used for making steel in North America is recycled.
One scrapped car produces more than four steel utility poles.
95 percent of the steel taken from commercial construction demolition sites was recycled and made into new steel products in 2002.
100 percent of a steel roof can be recycled. Asphalt roofs – zero percent. (Steel roofs provide your family with excellent protection against wind, water, snow, ice, and fire and are even hail-resistant. Asphalt roofs actually weigh twice as much as steel roofs. Steel roofs can last over 50 years, while traditional roofs last only 17 years!
Steel food cans are the most recycled food package. 24,000 community recycling programs in North America collect steel cans. Canned food is as nutritious as its fresh and frozen counterparts upon preparation! Canned goods do not contain preservatives!!
All 99 pounds of steel in the average major appliance can be recycled to make
new steel products.

Also, according to Utah Recycles, there are many more encouraging examples of how the steel industry’s commitment to recycling is helping to save the planet. Steel only takes up to 100 years to fully decompose in a landfill, whereas it takes plastic 1000 years to break down (aluminum can take 200 years, tin can take decades)! Recycling steel takes 25% less energy and creates only 25% of the water and air pollution required to produce steel from raw materials. About 70% of all metal is […]

24 06, 2019

10 Fun Facts You Didn’t Know About American Steel and the Steel Industry

Nathalia and Jorge2019-09-12T18:25:28+00:00June 24th, 2019|News Blog|

After achieving the mass production of steel, American steel industrialists pushed steelmaking to greater innovative levels. By the year 1920, 60 million tons of American steel were circulating around the world annually, making the United States the biggest global player in the steel service industry. Steel processing became a bulwark of the economy, engraving itself into the nation’s identity.

Today, National Material Company carries on the metal service and steel processing tradition. With the following 10 little-known facts, we salute those who paved the way by transforming the world through metal work.

The Man of Steel could have been the Man of Tungsten.

But that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, now does it? According to Thaddeus Howze — author, editor, podcaster, and self-proclaimed answer-man on all things comics –Superman got the name Man of Steel because steel was the most common of the strong metals: Steel, Titanium, Tungsten and Inconel. (It may also have something to do with the fact that “Man of Steel” is much snappier than its clunky counterparts.)

Superman was created to symbolize the extraordinary capacity of the everyday man. Thus, steel won out as metal of choice because of the household name it had made for itself, thanks to the wide proliferation of the steel industry at the time.

“Superman was a ‘man of steel’ stronger than anything you could imagine, and yet something as close as the building you were standing in or the car you desired and one day hope to own […] Steel was everywhere and steel was the king of industrial metals during this period [1940]. Steel wasn’t just the metal of tomorrow; it was also the metal of yesterday. Places in the world that had developed steel before modern industries had long-lasting cultures and it was the development of steel which made the industrial age what it was.”( Source: Quora)

2. Showers, Star Wars memes, and steel.

The month of May is well-known for its rain showers. And Star Wars enthusiasts rejoice on May the Fourth Be with You. And let’s not forget – steel.

Yes, that’s right. In the 1960s, as the nation infused steel into its structure and character, Lyndon Johnson saw it fit to raise a pedestal for steel in the pantheon of American achievement. Therefore, he designated May as a national month for celebrating the steel industry.

“Steel is the core of industrial America. It has helped to make American productivity and technology the wonder of the world. This vital product which we produce in unmatched abundance is basic to our economy and essential to our security. It supports our buildings, spans our rivers, arms our fighting men. It […]

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