July 26, 2016 e plubris unum

Volume 4 | Issue 1

Metals USA has the strength of more than 100 steel manufacturers and the capability to assure superior service. April Terreri reports.

With more than $2 billion in sales in 2000, Metals USA, Inc. (NYSE – MUI), is now the second largest integrated, value-added metals processor and distributor in North America. The company provides a wide range of products and services in plates and shapes, flat-rolled products, specialty-metals products, aerospace and building components to more than 60,000 customers from more than 180 locations nationwide.

Metals USA is organized into four product groups. This structure allows for a full range of processing and value-added services unique to its customers’ demands and products. The structure complements the Metals USA company mission of “Customer Service Without Compromise,” so that any and all customers receive the benefits of each and every product group’s capability, expertise and experience.

Customer-focused Structure
The Plates and Shapes Group supplies products that include steel beams, plate, channel, angles, tubing and bars. Annualized shipments for steel beams alone exceed 500,000 tons, making Metals USA the largest distributor of this commodity in the country. Metals USA is also the second largest distributor of steel plate in the country with shipments exceeding 375,000 tons annually.

With 42 locations operating nationwide, the Plates and Shapes Group is capable of providing superior service to meet even the most demanding customer requirements. Plates and Shapes products are sold to the construction, industrial machinery, transportation, oil and gas, power generation and shipbuilding industries. Value-added options include cutting, forming, blasting and painting.

The Flat Rolled Group has a large and diverse customer base, and provides cut-to-length sheets, precision blanks, configured blanks and slit-coil products to major industrial and commercial markets such as electronic components, durable goods, transportation, furniture and fixtures. The Flat Rolled Group has extensive experience and expertise in materials-management services; it can provide exact-tolerance products to meet rigorous production schedules. The network of 12 facilities in the Flat Rolled Group is strategically situated throughout the eastern and midwestern United States, giving the group the geographic position to supply a great portion of the national demand. In addition, the group leads the flat-rolled industry in value-added processing, generating greater bottom-line results for its customers.

The Specialty Metals Group serves diverse markets including aerospace, electrical equipment, telecommunications, automotive and consumer durables. With products including rod, bar, plate, strip, sheet and coil, the Specialty Metals Group offers a broad range of non-ferrous and ferrous metals including aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, copper, brass, bronze, iron, tool steel and custom alloys. Its efficient order-filling capabilities allow the Specialty Metals Group to fulfill customer requirements ranging from a single piece to full truckloads.

The Specialty Metals Group also provides a broad range of value-added processing services. These services include cutting to length, production bar cutting, precision plate sawing, shearing, slitting, leveling and specialized machining. In addition, the group works closely with program customers to jointly manage the total supply chain, in order to reduce inventories, improve on-time delivery and reduce costs.

The Specialty Metals Group has 25 facilities located throughout the United States. These sites are linked electronically and logistically to quickly provide the group’s customers with a wide range of specialty products and services. Most orders can be processed and shipped within 48 hours of order placement.

Building on Quality
The Building Products Group is comprised of four primary manufacturing facilities – two in Texas, one in California and one in Florida, as well as 55 service centers and light-manufacturing locations situated mainly on the West Coast and the Sunbelt states.

The Building Products Group supplies products to commercial and residential markets. Examples of residential products are sun rooms, patio covers, overhead lattice structures and window awnings. The commercial products include school walkway covers, overhead dock canopies for large warehouses, extruded deck canopies for churches and public buildings, and canopies and lattice covers for hotels.

The Building Products Group also has a niche-market product in its Gerard stone-coated steel tile and shake-roofing line. Available in a variety of colors and at only 1.4 pounds per square foot, Gerard is among the lightest roofing materials available, yet it is wind-resistant to 120 miles per hour, earthquake-resistant, hail-resistant to 1-inch hail stones and Class A fire-rated by Underwriters Laboratories. Gerard is introducing a new Guardian shingle to compete directly with composite shingles.

In addition to its processing and distribution capabilities, Metals USA’s contract-manufacturing facilities offer customers added flexibility in the production of high-quality finished parts. The company’s current customer base includes many of the nation’s leading manufacturers of industrial equipment, transportation equipment, lawn and garden products, and much more. Its services include lasers, turrets, robotic welding, forming, punching and machining. Characterized by short lead times, flexible scheduling and quality processing, the company’s contract-manufacturing facilities provide customers with quality products the first time, on time, every time.

Timely Supply
Metals USA boasts one of the most knowledgeable and experienced management teams in the metals-processing and distribution industry. The company’s product diversity and continually upgraded state-of-the-art processing capabilities provide a broad range of integrated supply options and logistical solutions to both single-location and multi-location customers. Since its inception, the company has continually invested in critical areas such as information technology and communication infrastructure. In addition, the company is currently executing a strategy to become ISO certified at all branch locations by the end of 2001.

Metals USA is committed to providing quality products to its customers in a timely manner. With the customer base continuing to expand, the company has brought metals processing and distribution into the 21st century by creating its own information technology and e-commerce business units. The Information Technology Group has almost completed the installation and implementation of the Stelpan operations management system, which allows for transparent, real-time flow of inventory, financial and administrative data between all of the company’s locations nationwide. The Metals USA i-Solutions Group was formed to give its military and public-sector customers the latest in logistical procurement technology and supply-chain transparency. With an easy-to-use electronic order-entry system, Metals USA customers are given flexibility in stock selection, on-line ordering and order tracking. The company’s proven customer support plan provides technical and emergency assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To find out more about the e-procurement program, call Metals USA at (800) 700-3032 or visit its Web site at www.metalsusa.com.

Metals USA offers customers a one-stop solution for their metals requirements through its product diversity and its wide geographic distribution system. The company’s product diversity and processing capabilities give customers a broad range of integrated supply options, allowing Metals USA to provide supply and logistical solutions to both single-location and multi-location customers. Furthermore, Metals USA has made a commitment to provide exceptional value by being the most service-oriented company in the metal service center industry.

In a recent presentation at the Steel Service Centers-Steel Strategies, Fifteenth Conference, Metals USA Chairman of the Board Arnold Bradburd summarized Metals USA’s strategy by saying: “Wayne Gretzky, the great Canadian hockey player, was once asked why he was so successful in the game. Wayne replied that he doesn’t skate to where the puck is, but he skates to where the puck will be. That is exactly what we are doing at Metals USA – moving to where the puck will be. We have a vision of where the metals processing and distribution industry is going to be, and we are moving decisively in that direction.”

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