Central Steel Fabricators

What Central Steel Fabricators does

Central Steel Fabricators is a U.S.-based precision-fabricated steel infrastructure manufacturer founded in 1969 and headquartered in Broadview, Illinois, with additional manufacturing operations in Chicago, Illinois. The company designs and produces network infrastructure components — including network bays, relay racks, unequal flange racks, cable management trays, auxiliary framing, grounding and insulation components, seismic and non-seismic anchor kits, and the SIGMA Series network bay configurations — for telecommunications, broadband, data center, wireless, and EF&I contractor customers. The company aligns its products with EIA/TIA datacom standards and holds ISO 9001-15, BABA, BEAD Initiative Approved Vendor, UL Seismic, and RoHS certifications, qualifying its output for federally funded broadband and infrastructure procurements.

The company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Live Ventures Incorporated (NASDAQ: LIVE) within its Steel Manufacturing segment. It runs a B2B hardware sales model: direct enterprise field sales, a quote-based request system, a customer portal for real-time order tracking, and same-day shipping on replacement parts from a centralized U.S. manufacturing footprint. Revenue is generated through unit pricing on steel hardware with a $100 minimum purchase order, a 4% credit card surcharge, and $100 packing fees on qualifying orders; no public list pricing is offered. Distribution is domestic, nationwide from the Illinois facilities.

Production relies on robotic welding automation that has materially increased daily capacity, paired with value engineering that optimizes material usage and prevents over-procurement. The company is positioning itself as a critical infrastructure supplier to AI data center and connectivity buildouts, leveraging BABA/BEAD compliance and 40+ years of carrier relationships as core procurement qualifications. Recent segment-level results show substantial margin expansion, and a $47M asset-based credit facility closed in late December 2025 is funding the subsidiary's growth plans.

Name

Central Steel Fabricators

Legal name

Central Steel Fabricators, Inc.

Website

https://centralsteelfab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Central Steel Fabricators is a U.S. precision-fabricated steel manufacturer producing network bays, racks, cable management, framing, and seismic components for telecom, broadband, data center, wireless, and EF&I contractor customers, with ISO 9001-15, BABA, and BEAD certifications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Network Infrastructure Steel Fabrication

NAICS

Fabricated Structural Metal Manufacturing (332312), Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel (3312)

SIC

Fabricated Structural Metal Products (3440)

akta.pro primary industry

Structural Steel Fabrication (IMADACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Steel Plate, Sections & Welded Assemblies (IMADACAD), Outfitting Modules & Skids (Accommodation, Machinery, E-House, Pipe Racks) (IMAJAKAF)

Keywords

• Network infrastructure hardware
• Steel fabrication manufacturing
• Telecom infrastructure components
• Data center rack systems
• Broadband deployment hardware

Headquarters

HQ city

Broadview

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Steel Infrastructure Hardware Sales: Central Steel Fabricators generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of precision-fabricated steel infrastructure components including cable management systems, structural frames, network bays, relay racks, auxiliary framing, and hardware. The company operates as a portfolio company of Live Ventures Incorporated. Revenue is derived from direct product sales to telecommunications, broadband, data center, and wireless providers, with a focus on large-scale infrastructure programs. The company achieved a 607.6% surge in operating income in fiscal Q3 2025, demonstrating strong margin expansion from its diversified portfolio of products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Central Steel Fabricators is a U.S.-based manufacturer of precision-fabricated steel systems for network infrastructure. The company designs, engineers, and produces a portfolio of datacom-specific products including network bays, relay racks, cable management trays, auxiliary framing, grounding components, insulation kits, seismic and non-seismic anchor kits, and assorted hardware, serving telecom, broadband, data center, and wireless providers.

Product overview

Central Steel Fabricators is a manufacturer of precision-fabricated steel systems for network infrastructure, serving telecommunications, broadband, data center, and wireless provider industries. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products including Bays & Racks (network bay racks, relay racks, unequal flange racks), Cable Management Trays (cable racks, lacing brackets, wire management), Auxiliary Framing components (splice kits, junction kits, brace kits), Grounding Components, Insulation Kits, Seismic and Non-Seismic Anchor Kits, SIGMA Series network bays, Hardware (threaded rods, beam clamps, framing clips), and BEAD-compliant products. All products are manufactured in the United States (Chicago, IL and Broadview, IL) with ISO 9001-15 certification, BABA compliance, and RoHS certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bays & Racks Durable mounting solutions for datacom equipment and infrastructure applications, including unequal flange racks, network bay racks, formed relay racks, and bay rack extenders for telecommunications and data center use.
• Cable Management Trays Organized routing systems for efficient cable management in network installations, including cable racks, lacing brackets, and wire management panels for telecom and data center customers.
• Auxiliary Framing Auxiliary framing channel and bar components including splice kits, junction kits, brace kits, and mounting brackets designed to support datacom infrastructure deployments.
• Grounding Components Essential safety components for proper electrical grounding and surge protection in telecom and data center infrastructure deployments.
• Insulation Kits Weather-resistant insulation solutions for telecom infrastructure including insulation pads, bushings, and sheets.
• Seismic Anchor Kits Seismic floor mounting kits and anchor kits designed for earthquake-prone regions, compliant with UL seismic certification standards.
• Non-Seismic Anchor Kits Floor mounting hardware and anchor kits for non-seismic installation environments.
• SIGMA Series SIGMA Bay series products including 19-inch and 23-inch network bay configurations engineered for data center applications.
• Hardware Miscellaneous mounting hardware including threaded rods, beam clamps, framing clips, J-bolts, U-bolts, washers, and Unistrut channel products.
• BEAD Program Products Products compliant with the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, qualifying for federally funded broadband infrastructure projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Operating income surge of 607.6% in fiscal Q3 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chatsworth Products (CPI): Chatsworth Products manufactures racks, cabinets, cable management, and enclosure systems for data centers, telecom, and network infrastructure - directly overlapping CSF's bays, racks, and cable management portfolio for the same hyperscale, colocation, and enterprise customers.
• Panduit: Panduit is a leading manufacturer of network infrastructure including cable management, racks, cabinets, and pathway systems. It competes directly with CSF on cable trays, lacing brackets, and structural support products for data center and telecom deployments.
• Great Lakes Case & Cabinet: Great Lakes Case & Cabinet manufactures seismic-rated server cabinets, enclosures, and data center infrastructure for U.S. customers. It competes directly with CSF's seismic Zone 4 and SIGMA Series products for the same hyperscale and colocation buyer profiles.

Broad incumbents

• Vertiv: Vertiv provides critical digital infrastructure including power management, IT management, and rack/enclosure systems for data centers. It competes indirectly with CSF on data center rack and structural support products within a much broader integrated offering.
• Legrand: Legrand's data, power, and control divisions produce racks, cable management, and network infrastructure for data centers and telecom. It is a global incumbent overlapping with CSF's relay rack and cable management product lines.
• Rittal: Rittal manufactures enclosures, racks, and climate control solutions for data centers and industrial automation. It competes with CSF on server racks, network bays, and data center structural products, particularly for European-headquartered hyperscale customers.
• Hubbell: Hubbell's networking and electrical products include structured cabling supports and network infrastructure hardware used by telecom and broadband providers. As a multi-billion industrial conglomerate, Hubbell competes with CSF in select framing and pathway categories.
• nVent (Hoffman): nVent's Hoffman brand produces enclosures, racks, and cable management for industrial and network infrastructure. As a much larger public company, nVent offers broader product breadth and global reach versus CSF's narrow datacom focus.
• Eaton (B-Line / Cooper): Eaton's B-Line and Cooper Industries businesses produce cable management, framing, and structural support systems for data centers, telecom, and industrial facilities. As a multi-billion-dollar electrical conglomerate, Eaton competes with CSF on framing and seismic-rated products with a far larger catalog and global distribution.

Emerging players

• Middle Atlantic Products (Legrand): Middle Atlantic designs and manufactures rack, enclosure, and AV infrastructure systems. While traditionally focused on AV/IT rather than telecom, its product portfolio of rack frames and cable management competes with CSF in adjacent network infrastructure categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/central-steel-fabricators-llc

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Central Steel Fabricators