Pacesetter
Pacesetter Steel Service is a flat-rolled steel and aluminum distribution and processing platform serving OEM and industrial customers in HVAC, appliances, construction, agriculture, railcar, and refrigeration across the United States, operating three service centers and twelve stocking locations under Flack Global Metals ownership.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersKennesaw, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Pacesetter does
Pacesetter Steel Service, Inc. is a flat-rolled steel and aluminum distribution and processing platform serving OEM and industrial customers across the United States. Founded in 1977 by Steve Leebow in Atlanta, Georgia, the company distributes hot-rolled, cold-rolled, galvanized, galvannealed, galvalume, aluminized, painted, stainless, bonderized steel and aluminum, and provides precision processing services — slitting, blanking, cut-to-length, toll processing, prepaint, perforating, and embossing — at tolerances as tight as +/- 0.005 inches. Operations are anchored by three full-service processing centers in Kennesaw/Atlanta GA, Sauk Village/Chicago IL, and (as of November 2025) Houston TX, plus 12 stocking locations across the Southeast, Midwest, and Gulf regions, with capability extended through a vetted network of 240+ third-party processing partners across North America.
The business model combines product resale with fee-for-service processing (including toll processing of customer-owned material) sold via direct enterprise sales through dedicated account managers. Pricing is quote-based and customized per specification. The company runs a 10 MAX EXPRESS program offering next-day delivery of galvanized coils within a 300-mile radius of Chicago and Atlanta. End-markets include HVAC, appliance, construction/electrical-energy, agriculture equipment, railcar, and refrigeration manufacturers, with anchor-customer recognition from Johnson Controls and Hussmann. The company maintains ISO 9001 certification across service-center locations and reports a 97% on-time delivery rate with throughput of 25,000+ tons per month.
In October 2024, Flack Global Metals completed a strategic acquisition of Pacesetter, combining the two platforms; Pacesetter continues to operate under its own brand within the FGM platform. Headcount is 101–250 employees and the company is privately held with no public revenue disclosure.
Pacesetter firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pacesetter
- Legal name
- Pacesetter Steel Service, Inc.
- Website
- https://teampacesetter.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Pacesetter Steel Service is a flat-rolled steel and aluminum distribution and processing platform serving OEM and industrial customers in HVAC, appliances, construction, agriculture, railcar, and refrigeration across the United States, operating three service centers and twelve stocking locations under Flack Global Metals ownership.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pacesetter industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Steel Distribution and Processing
- NAICS
- Metal Service Centers and Other Metal Merchant Wholesalers (423510)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Metals Service Centers & Offices (5051)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Steel Service Centers & Processing (Slitting, Cut-to-Length, Blanking, Leveling) (IMAKABAL)
Keywords
Where Pacesetter is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kennesaw
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices15 records
Markets served
Pacesetter business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Steel Distribution and Processing: Revenue generated from distributing flat-rolled steel and aluminum products and providing custom processing services (slitting, blanking, cut-to-length, toll processing) to industrial and OEM customers. The company combines steel distribution, diverse supply networks, advanced processing capabilities, and flexible service models.
- Processing Services: Custom processing services including slitting, blanking, cut-to-length, toll processing, prepaint, perforating, and embossing for customer-owned materials
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 10 MAX EXPRESS galvanized steel coils with next-day delivery |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Pacesetter product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pacesetter distributes flat-rolled steel and aluminum products and provides custom processing services (slitting, blanking, cut-to-length, toll processing, prepaint, perforating, embossing) to industrial and OEM customers. The company combines steel distribution, diverse supply networks, advanced processing capabilities, and flexible service models through service centers in Atlanta, Chicago, and Houston, supported by a network of 240+ processing partners across North America and a next-day delivery program for galvanized steel coils.
Product overview
Pacesetter is a steel distribution and aluminum solutions company serving OEMs and industrial customers. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of flat-rolled steel products including Hot Rolled, Cold Rolled, Galvanized, Galvannealed, Galvalume, Aluminized, Painted, Stainless Steel, Aluminum, and Bonderized Steel. Processing capabilities include Slitting, Blabbing, Cut-to-Length, and Toll Processing services. Finishing services encompass Prepaint Processing, Perforating, and Embossing. The 10 MAX EXPRESS program provides next-day delivery of galvanized steel coils from Atlanta and Chicago locations. Pacesetter operates service centers in Atlanta, GA, Chicago, IL, and Houston, TX, with a network of 240+ processing partners across North America.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 10 MAX EXPRESS: Specialized express steel delivery program offering next-day delivery of galvanized steel coils within 300 miles of Chicago and Atlanta service centers
Quantifiable outcome
- 97% on-time delivery rate
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Pacesetter
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Pacesetter technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Pacesetter partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NSPS Metals (becoming Pacesetter Houston)coreEffective November 1, 2025, Flack Global Metals assumed operations of NSPS Metals in Houston, Texas. The facility operates as Pacesetter Houston, the third Pacesetter location joining service centers in Atlanta, GA and Chicago, IL, broadening FGM-Pacesetter's presence in the OEM and construction products markets.
- 240+ Steel Processing PartnersminorPacesetter utilizes a vetted network of 240+ steel processing partners across North America to enhance capabilities and minimize logistics. This network allows customized supply chains and expanded processing options.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Pacesetter competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Kloeckner Metals: Global metal service center and processor with significant US operations. Overlaps with Pacesetter in flat-rolled steel distribution and processing, but offers broader product portfolio and digital commerce capabilities.
- Reliance Steel & Aluminum: Largest US metal service center operator with 300+ locations and broad product portfolio. Competes directly with Pacesetter on national accounts but operates at vastly greater scale and product breadth.
- Worthington Steel (Worthington Industries Steel Processing): Major processor of flat-rolled steel serving automotive, construction, and industrial markets. Broader scale and more diversified end-market exposure than Pacesetter, but overlapping processing services and customer base.
Direct peers
- Ryerson Holding: Public US metal service center and processor distributing flat-rolled steel, plate, bar, and aluminum with value-added processing (slitting, blanking, cut-to-length). Closely comparable business model, customer base, and product mix to Pacesetter.
- National Material Processing: Family-owned metal processing and service center company with slitting, blanking, and stamping capabilities. Directly comparable in scale, processing services, and customer mix to Pacesetter.
- Heidtman Steel Products: Privately held US flat-rolled steel service center with processing capabilities (slitting, blanking, cut-to-length). Comparable mid-sized service center serving automotive and industrial customers.
- Mill Steel Company: Privately held flat-rolled steel service center with multiple processing facilities. Competes with Pacesetter for OEM customers across HVAC, appliance, and construction end markets.
- Olympic Steel: Public US metal service center specializing in flat-rolled steel processing and distribution with similar processing capabilities (slitting, blanking, cut-to-length). Direct competitor for many of the same OEM and industrial customers.
Others
- Flack Global Metals: Parent company of Pacesetter since October 2024 — a metals-focused holding and distribution platform. As Pacesetter's parent and combined-platform counterparty, FGM is the most directly relevant strategic relationship.
Regional players
- Russel Metals: Canadian-based metal service center and distributor with US operations. Compares to Pacesetter in flat-rolled distribution and processing but primarily serves Canadian and select US Northeast/Midwest markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Pacesetter social profiles
Digital presencePacesetter financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pacesetter leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Pacesetter subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Pacesetter funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pacesetter M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pacesetter
What does Pacesetter do?
Pacesetter distributes flat-rolled steel and aluminum products and provides custom processing services (slitting, blanking, cut-to-length, toll processing, prepaint, perforating, embossing) to industrial and OEM customers. The company combines steel distribution, diverse supply networks, advanced processing capabilities, and flexible service models through service centers in Atlanta, Chicago, and Houston, supported by a network of 240+ processing partners across North America and a next-day delivery program for galvanized steel coils.
Is Pacesetter a public or private company?
Pacesetter is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Pacesetter founded?
Pacesetter was founded in 1977. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Pacesetter based?
Pacesetter is headquartered in Kennesaw, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pacesetter make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Steel Distribution and Processing is the primary driver. The others are processing Services.
Who are Pacesetter's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Kloeckner Metals, Reliance Steel & Aluminum and Worthington Steel (Worthington Industries Steel Processing). Direct peers are Ryerson Holding, National Material Processing, Heidtman Steel Products, Mill Steel Company and Olympic Steel. Flack Global Metals is listed as an others. Russel Metals is listed as a regional player.
Does Pacesetter have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pacesetter.
What industry is Pacesetter in?
Pacesetter's product category is Steel Distribution and Processing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKABAL, Steel Service Centers & Processing (Slitting, Cut-to-Length, Blanking, Leveling). Its NAICS code is 423510 and its SIC code is 5051.