What Chatham Steel does

Chatham Steel Corporation is a steel service center founded in 1915 in Savannah, Georgia, by Samuel Tenenbaum as a scrap iron and metal business. The company operated as a family-held enterprise for more than 80 years before becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (NYSE: RS) in 1998. Chatham Steel distributes steel and metal products and provides value-added processing services through six regional divisions across the Southeastern United States, covering Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.

The core product portfolio spans structural shapes (beams, angles, channels), hot and cold rolled bars, steel plate and sheet, structural steel pipe, rectangular and square tubing, structural steel rebar, grating products, and expanded metal, available in carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and specialty alloys. Underlying capabilities include plate and sheet processing (rolling, slitting, stamping, bending, forming, cutting, notching, braking, CNC machining), structural processing (tee splitting, straightening, saw cutting, drilling, rolling, cambering), bar/pipe/tubing processing, and metal finishing (painting, hot-dip galvanizing, zinc/nickel/tin plating, powder coating, anodizing, passivation). The company is JCP-certified for shipbuilding-grade steel and aligns with AISC quality standards.

The business model is B2B and quote-based, with revenue generated through one-time transactional product sales supplemented by processing and finishing service fees. Sales are conducted through division-based account managers and direct phone, email, and website quote requests. The company serves more than 2,500 active clients across industrial fabrication, shipbuilding, infrastructure/bridge construction, original equipment manufacturing, mining, energy, agriculture, railroad, and tank/pressure vessel end markets. Just-in-time inventory stocking and freight management services embed Chatham Steel deeper into customer supply chains. As a subsidiary within Reliance's 315-center network spanning 40 states and 12 countries, Chatham Steel benefits from parent-level purchasing power and inventory depth.

Name

Chatham Steel

Legal name

Chatham Steel Corporation

Website

https://chathamsteel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Chatham Steel is a Southeastern US steel service center distributing carbon, stainless, and aluminum steel products with value-added processing and finishing, serving 2,500+ industrial customers across shipbuilding, infrastructure, OEM, and fabrication. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Steel & Aluminum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Steel Service Center and Metal Distribution

NAICS

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

SIC

Wholesale-Metals Service Centers & Offices (5051), Sheet Metal Work (3444)

akta.pro primary industry

Steel Service Centers & Processing (Slitting, Cut-to-Length, Blanking, Leveling) (IMAKABAL)

Keywords

• Steel service center
• Structural steel supply
• Metal processing services
• Steel distribution
• Industrial steel products

Headquarters

HQ city

Savannah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Steel Product Sales: Chatham Steel generates revenue through the sale of steel and metal products including structural shapes, hot and cold rolled bars, steel plate and sheet, structural steel pipe, rectangular and square tubing, structural steel rebar, grating products, and expanded metal. Products are sold in various carbon steel grades as well as aluminum and stainless steel. Revenue is primarily one-time transactional sales with repeat customer relationships.
2. Steel Processing Services: Value-added processing services including plate processing, beam processing, bar/pipe/tubing processing, and finishing services. These services add margin through customization and processing fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Chatham Steel is a steel service center that distributes an extensive line of carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum products including structural shapes, hot and cold rolled bars, plate and sheet, structural pipe, rectangular and square tubing, rebar, grating, and expanded metal. The company complements its product inventory with value-added plate, structural, and bar/pipe/tubing processing plus metal finishing services (painting, galvanizing, plating, anodizing, powder coating), delivered to industrial B2B customers across the Southeastern US through six regional divisions with just-in-time stocking.

Product overview

Chatham Steel is a steel service center offering an extensive portfolio of steel and metal products combined with processing and finishing services. The core product line includes structural shapes, hot and cold rolled bars, steel plate and sheet, structural steel pipe, rectangular and square tubing, structural steel rebar, grating products, and expanded metal—available in carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and specialty alloys. These products are complemented by a comprehensive suite of processing services: plate and sheet processing (rolling, slitting, stamping, bending, forming, cutting, notching, braking), structural processing (tee splitting, straightening, saw cutting, drilling), bar/pipe/tubing processing, and metal finishing services (painting, galvanizing, plating, powder coating, anodizing). The company also offers just-in-time inventory stocking to optimize customer supply chains. Founded in 1915 and headquartered in Savannah, Georgia, Chatham Steel operates multiple divisions across the Southeastern United States and is a subsidiary of Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Structural Shapes Structural steel shapes including beams, angles, and channels for construction and fabrication applications.
• Hot and Cold Rolled Bars Hot rolled and cold finished steel bars in various grades and dimensions for industrial applications.
• Steel Plate and Sheet Carbon, alloy, stainless, and aluminum plates and sheets in various gauges and finishes.
• Structural Steel Pipe Structural steel pipe in carbon, alloy, stainless, and aluminum grades for various applications.
• Rectangular and Square Tubing Hollow structural sections in rectangular and square profiles for construction and fabrication.
• Structural Steel Rebar Reinforcing bar for concrete reinforcement in construction and infrastructure projects.
• Grating Products Bar grating products in carbon and stainless steel for industrial flooring and platforms.
• Expanded Metal Expanded metal products for security, fencing, and industrial applications.
• Plate and Sheet Processing Comprehensive plate and sheet processing including rolling, slitting, stamping, bending, forming, cutting, notching, braking, and CNC machining for industrial B2B customers.
• Structural Processing Beam processing services including tee splitting, straightening, saw cutting, drilling, rolling, notching, punching, and cambering.
• Bar, Pipe and Tubing Processing Processing services for bars, pipes, and tubing including cut-to-length sawing, mitre cutting, punching, drilling, and rolling.
• Finishing Services Metal finishing including painting, film coating, hot dip galvanizing, shot blasting, zinc/nickel/tin plating, electroplating, bluing, powder coating, pickling and oiling, aluminum anodizing, and passivation.
• Just-in-Time Stocking JIT inventory management and logistics services to deliver steel products precisely when needed, reducing customer storage costs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 2,500+ active clients
• +1 more outcomes

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles11 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChatham Steel partners with AISC, adhering to strict standards set by the organization. These standards ensure steel products meet the highest industry benchmarks for quality, safety, and durability in structural applications.
• Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChatham Steel maintains membership in MSCI, the leading trade association for the metals industry, providing industry intelligence and best practices.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Steel Technologies: Steel Technologies is a flat-rolled steel processor and service center serving automotive, appliance, and industrial OEMs. It overlaps with Chatham's processing capabilities and customer base, particularly in OEM and downstream fabricator segments.
• Mill Steel Co. Mill Steel is one of the largest flat-rolled steel service centers in the US, offering processing and just-in-time delivery. It mirrors Chatham's combination of processing services and industrial customer focus, serving similar OEM and construction segments.
• Alro Steel: Alro Steel is a metals service center and processor operating across the Midwest, Southeast, and other regions. It directly overlaps with Chatham in product mix (plate, bar, structural, tubing) and processing services for industrial customers.
• Kloeckner Metals: Kloeckner Metals (including legacy Macsteel and EMJ operations) is a major North American steel service center and processor. It offers overlapping products (plate, bar, structural) and processing capabilities to similar industrial and OEM customers as Chatham.
• Metalwest: Metalwest is a flat-rolled steel and aluminum service center operating across the Western and Central US. It shares Chatham's service center model (processing plus distribution) and competes for similar industrial, construction, and OEM customers.
• Ryerson Holding Corporation: Ryerson is a publicly traded value-added metals distributor and processor with a national network of service centers. It offers carbon steel, stainless, aluminum, and processed products similar to Chatham across industrial end markets.
• O'Neal Steel: O'Neal Steel is a large US metals service center offering cut-to-size steel products and value-added processing. It directly competes with Chatham across structural steel, plate, bar, tubing, and processing services to industrial and construction customers.
• Earle M. Jorgensen Company (EMJ): EMJ is a North American metals service center specializing in bar, tube, and plate products. It is a direct competitor to Chatham in structural and processed steel supply for OEM, industrial, and energy customers.

Broad incumbents

• Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. Reliance is Chatham's parent and the largest US metals service center operator with 315 locations. While it owns Chatham, Reliance's broader portfolio of service centers competes in adjacent geographies and end markets, sharing the same procurement and processing playbook.
• Worthington Industries: Worthington Industries is a diversified steel processor with significant pressure cylinder and steel processing operations. While larger and more diversified, its steel processing business directly competes with Chatham's value-added processing offerings to industrial and OEM customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chatham-steel-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Chatham Steel