What United Performance Metals does

United Performance Metals (UPM) is a privately held, B2B specialty metals distribution and processing company headquartered in Hamilton, Ohio, operating as an affiliate within the O'Neal Industries family of metals companies. The company distributes over fifty grades of high-performance metals and alloys across nine product categories — nickel alloys, titanium, stainless steel, cobalt alloys, aluminum, copper, niobium, alloy steel, and PRODEC® stainless — serving primary verticals in aerospace, defense, space, and medical, with secondary exposure to fastener, oil & gas, power generation, semiconductor, and alternative energy markets. UPM complements its metals distribution with the FIRSTCUT+® value-added processing platform (cutting, slitting, edging, precision strip rerolling, shearing, laser cutting, water jet cutting, sawing, deburring, grinding, leveling, and heat treating) and a supply chain solutions layer offering JIT inventory, Vendor Managed Inventory, and Kanban Program Management.

The company's go-to-market is sales-led, anchored by a direct sales force, an online Request-for-Quote system, a global network of 14 service centers across 5 countries (United States, United Kingdom, Hungary, Singapore, and China), and participation in major industry tradeshows including Farnborough, Paris Airshow, Rapid + TCT, MD&M, and Space Tech Expo. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; revenue is generated through one-time material sales, professional services fees for processing, and hardware sales through UPM Advanced Solutions. The company holds AS9100D, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485, AS13100, and NADCAP AC7116 certifications, plus program approvals from GE Aircraft Engine and Pratt & Whitney, which serve as gating qualifications for tier-1 aerospace and medical OEM customers.

UPM Advanced Solutions is the company's additive manufacturing arm, supplying powder, feedstock, proprietary 4340/4140/1045 steel build platforms, resurfacing services, and build plate programs for powder bed fusion customers; this capability was expanded through the March 2025 acquisition of Fabrisonic (ultrasonic additive manufacturing) and a three-year distribution agreement with Amaero Ltd announced in April 2026. Leadership is headed by Peter Neuberger as President and CEO. The company operates as a subsidiary of O'Neal Industries, a diversified metals conglomerate, with no disclosed external funding, public listing, or revenue figures.

Name

United Performance Metals

Legal name

United Performance Metals

Website

https://upmet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

United Performance Metals is a B2B specialty metals distributor and processor serving aerospace, defense, medical, and industrial OEMs across 14 service centers in 5 countries, offering 50+ alloy grades, value-added FIRSTCUT+® processing, and additive manufacturing materials through its UPM Advanced Solutions division.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Metals Distribution

NAICS

Primary Metal Manufacturing (331), Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3329)

SIC

Sheet Metal Work (3444), Miscellaneous Primary Metal Products (3390)

akta.pro primary industry

Non-Ferrous Base Metals Trading (Aluminum, Copper, Zinc, Lead, Tin, Nickel) (IMAKAJAC)

Keywords

• Specialty metals distribution
• Nickel alloy supply
• Titanium products
• Stainless steel processing
• Aerospace metals

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Specialty Metals Distribution: Distribution of over fifty grades of high-performance specialty metals and alloys including nickel, titanium, stainless steel, cobalt, alloy steel, aluminum, copper, and niobium. Products are sold in various forms including coil, sheet, precision rerolled strip, bar, plate, and near net shapes. Revenue is generated through product sales to industrial customers.
2. Processing Services: FIRSTCUT+® Processing Services provide value-added processing including cutting, slitting, edging, precision strip rerolling, shearing, laser cutting, water jet cutting, sawing, deburring, grinding, leveling, and heat treating. These services are offered as add-on solutions to material sales.
3. UPM Advanced Solutions: Additive manufacturing materials and services including powder, feedstock, build platforms, and value-added services for advanced manufacturing applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

United Performance Metals distributes high-performance specialty metals — nickel alloys, titanium, stainless steel, cobalt, aluminum, copper, niobium, alloy steel, Prodec, and CCM grades — to aerospace, defense, medical, oil & gas, power generation, semiconductor, and fastener manufacturers. The company layers value-added services onto its mill-product inventory, including FIRSTCUT+ plate processing and cutting, UPM Advanced Solutions additive manufacturing powders, and inventory management programs for OEM customers.

Product overview

United Performance Metals is a specialty metals solutions center offering over fifty grades of high-performance metals and alloys organized into product categories (Nickel Alloys, Titanium Alloys, Stainless Steel, Cobalt Alloys, Aluminum Alloys, Copper, Niobium, Alloy Steel, Prodec, and CCM), complemented by FIRSTCUT+ Processing Services for value-added metal preparation (cutting, slitting, edging, precision rerolling, measuring, and packaging), UPM Advanced Solutions for additive manufacturing materials and build platforms, and Inventory Management Solutions (JIT, VMI, Kanban) for supply chain optimization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FIRSTCUT+®: Processing services including cutting, slitting, edging, precision strip rerolling, shearing, laser cutting, water jet cutting, sawing, and more

Products and services

• Nickel Alloys
• Titanium Products
• Stainless Steel
• Cobalt Alloys
• Aluminum Products
• Copper Products
• Niobium Products
• Alloy Steel
• FIRSTCUT+ Processing Services
• UPM Advanced Solutions (Additive Manufacturing Powders)
• Inventory Management Solutions

Quantifiable outcome

• Continuous improvement, innovation, and integrity core values drive quality solutions

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Amaero LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 21 April 2026Amaero Ltd entered into a three-year distribution agreement with United Performance Metals. Under this agreement, UPM distributes Amaero's products, expanding UPM's additive manufacturing materials portfolio and providing Amaero with access to UPM's established distribution network and customer base in the specialty metals sector.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• TW Metals: Specialty metals service center distributing nickel alloys, titanium, stainless steel, and aluminum with extensive cutting and processing services. Now part of Carpenter Technology, TW Metals directly competes with UPM in aerospace, defense, and medical markets with very similar product portfolio and processing capabilities.
• A.M. Castle & Co. Specialty metals distributor serving aerospace, defense, and industrial customers with a portfolio of nickel alloys, aluminum, stainless steel, and carbon steel. Closely comparable to UPM in end markets, product mix, and value-added processing positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Reliance Steel & Aluminum: Largest publicly traded metals service center operator in North America with hundreds of locations and broad product range including aluminum, steel, and specialty alloys. While larger and more diversified than UPM, Reliance competes on commodity and specialty items through subsidiaries and provides a benchmark for specialty distribution economics.
• ThyssenKrupp Materials Services: Major global metals service center operator offering stainless, aluminum, copper, and specialty alloys with extensive processing capabilities. Comparable to UPM in product breadth and processing services, with broader geographic reach and integrated mill relationships.
• Kloeckner Metals: Global metals distributor and service center operating across Europe and North America with stainless steel, aluminum, and specialty alloy offerings. Comparable end-market exposure to UPM in aerospace, automotive, and industrial with broader portfolio scale.
• Carpenter Technology: Specialty alloys producer and distributor of nickel, cobalt, titanium, and stainless for aerospace, medical, and defense. Through its TW Metals subsidiary, Carpenter directly overlaps with UPM's distribution business, while its melt and mill operations provide upstream integration UPM does not have.
• Haynes International: Producer and distributor of high-performance nickel and cobalt alloys for aerospace, chemical processing, and industrial gas turbine applications. Product portfolio (Hastelloy, Haynes alloys) overlaps materially with UPM's nickel superalloy distribution offering.
• Sandvik Materials Technology: Specialty materials producer and supplier of stainless steel, nickel alloys, and titanium for aerospace, medical, and industrial applications. Comparable to UPM in serving regulated, high-specification end markets with complementary mill and service center capabilities.
• Outokumpu: Global stainless steel producer and service center operator headquartered in Europe. Comparable to UPM's stainless steel distribution focus with broader mill integration and global coil/sheet supply capabilities serving similar industrial and architectural end markets.

Regional players

• voestalpine: Austrian-headquartered specialty steel and materials producer with global service center footprint. Comparable to UPM in specialty alloy offering (tool steel, high-speed steel, titanium) for aerospace and industrial customers, with primary service center concentration in Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/upmetals
• Facebookfacebook.com/unitedperformancemetals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-performance-metals
• Instagraminstagram.com/upmetals

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about United Performance Metals