Steel Distribution

In the US, about 7,000 companies distribute steel and other metals, with combined annual revenue of $200 billion. Major companies include Ryerson, Metals USA, Reliance Steel & Aluminum, and ThyssenKrupp Steel. The industry is fragmented: the 50 largest companies generate less than 50 percent of revenue.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

The health of the manufacturing and construction industries drives demand for steel. A distributor’s sales volume determines profitability because many costs are fixed. Large distributors benefit from economies of scale in purchasing, processing, and distribution. Small companies can compete by specializing in particular products or offering special processing services. The industry is capital-intensive: average annual revenue per worker is more than $1 million.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Steel products are made from carbon or alloy, stainless or specialty steels, and come in the form of sheets, plates, bars, rods, tubes, and structural items like rails and I-beams. In addition to selling steel mill products, distributors sell various processing services that customize products for particular customers. Because of the large number of steel products, most distributors specialize in the types of steel they carry and types of processing operations they perform. Different grades of metal and the varying thicknesses and sizes of materials result in a large variety of products. A large distributor may handle more than 100,000 products.

The two types of distribution operations are pure distributors and steel service centers. Pure distributors buy standard grades of metal in bulk ...