Steel Tube Institute

What Steel Tube Institute does

The Steel Tube Institute (STI) is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1930 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, representing the majority of North American manufacturers of steel tubular products. Its producer members include Nucor Tubular Products, Atlas Tube, Bull Moose Tube, Western Tube, Atkore Calbrite, Maruichi Leavitt, Searing Industries, H.W. Metals, and Robroy Stainless. STI's mission is to advance manufacturing techniques, market promotion, and technical education for steel tube and pipe products spanning Hollow Structural Sections (HSS), steel conduit (RMC, IMC, EMT, and stainless), mechanical tubing, standard pipe, foundation piling, and seamless tubing.

The institute's core technology offering is a suite of free and member-access design tools including the GEMI Analysis Software (developed with Georgia Tech for grounding and EMI evaluation), HSS Connex (AISC 360-16 Chapter K connection checks), HSS Capability Tool (production database by shape/grade), Conduit Bending Calculator, and Effective Weld Length Calculator. It publishes HSS Design Manuals, Limit State Tables, column selection guides, and a 373-resource technical library, and maintains active participation in standards development with AISC, ASTM, AWS, ASCE, NEMA, CISC, and AISI.

STI generates revenue through producer memberships (quote-based), associate memberships ($750/year), HSS Professional Memberships ($125 individual / $400 group, free for .edu students and faculty), event registration (HSS Summit at $200-250), and one-time publication sales. Distribution is hybrid: digital self-serve via steeltubeinstitute.org, direct enterprise engagement for producer members, and an annual in-person summit expected to draw 150 decision-makers in 2026. The organization operates with 1-10 employees led by Executive Director Dale L. Crawford and HSS Director Holly Schaubert, supported by technical consultants including Dr. Jeffrey Packer (University of Toronto) and FORSE Consulting.

Name

Steel Tube Institute

Legal name

Steel Tube Institute

Website

https://steeltubeinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Steel Tube Institute is a 1930-founded Chicago-based nonprofit trade association representing the majority of North American steel tube and conduit manufacturers, producing design tools, technical manuals, and standards-body advocacy for engineers, architects, fabricators, and producers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Steel Industry Trade Association

NAICS

Iron and Steel Pipe and Tube Manufacturing from Purchased Steel (33121)

SIC

Steel Pipe & Tubes (3317)

akta.pro primary industry

Pipe & Tube Manufacturing (Seamless & Welded OCTG/Line Pipe/Structural Tube) (IMAKABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Steel tube manufacturing
• Hollow structural sections
• Steel conduit products
• Structural steel standards
• Construction industry association

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Producer Memberships: Annual membership fees from steel tube manufacturers ranging from small independent manufacturers to multi-division international corporations. Benefits include participation in committees, networking, exclusive statistical data, benchmarking, and website listing.
2. Associate Memberships: Company-based annual memberships at $750 per year for service or product vendors in the steel tubing industry including material handling suppliers, safety providers, equipment dealers, software vendors, and consumable suppliers.
3. HSS Professional Memberships: Individual memberships at $125/year, Group memberships at $400/year, providing access to webinars, design manuals, and technical resources. University faculty and students with .edu emails receive complimentary access.
4. Product Sales: Sales of HSS design manuals (Volumes 2-4 at 40% discount for members), HSS Tube Tool, Limit State Tables, and other technical publications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Steel Tube Institute is a nonprofit trade association representing North American steel tube and pipe manufacturers. It advances the use and competitiveness of steel tubular products by providing design tools (HSS Connex, GEMI Analysis Software, Conduit Bending Calculator), technical publications (HSS Design Manuals, Limit State Tables), educational webinars with PDH credits, and industry standards advocacy. Revenue comes from producer/associate/professional memberships and product sales.

Product overview

The Steel Tube Institute is a trade association representing North American steel tubular products manufacturers. The organization's offerings include steel products (Hollow Structural Sections, Steel Conduit in multiple types including RMC, IMC, EMT, and Stainless Steel Conduit, plus Mechanical Tubing, Standard Pipe, Foundation Piling, and Seamless Tubing) and a comprehensive suite of free and paid technical resources for design professionals. Design tools include the HSS Capability Tool, HSS Connex, GEMI Analysis Software, Conduit Bending Calculator, Effective Weld Length Calculator, and various spreadsheet design aids. STI also publishes technical manuals, reference guides, limit state tables, and offers professional membership with webinars and PDH credits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Producer Membership Annual membership for steel tube manufacturers ranging from small independents to multi-division international corporations. Benefits include participation in committees, networking, exclusive statistical data, benchmarking, and website listing.
• Associate Membership Company-based annual membership for service or product vendors in the steel tubing industry including material handling suppliers, safety providers, equipment dealers, software vendors, and consumable suppliers, priced at $750 per year and subject to STI Executive Committee approval.
• HSS Professional Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Representing the majority of North America's steel tube producers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTI partners with AISC on HSS design standards, specifications, and professional development. Joint development of Industry-Average Fabricated HSS EPD. AISC 360 Specification updates and Limit State Tables are key collaborative areas.
• American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic alliance on steel industry sustainability initiatives, standards development, and market promotion for steel tubular products in North America.
• ASTM InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTI participates in ASTM standards development for steel tubular products including A500, A1085, A1065 specifications for HSS and related products.
• American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on civil engineering standards and specifications for steel tubular structures in infrastructure applications.
• American Welding Society (AWS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of HSS welding standards and specifications including AWS D1 committee participation for tubular steel structures.
• Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Canadian HSS standards and design guides, supporting cross-border industry collaboration between US and Canada.
• Georgia Institute of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research on grounding and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding capabilities of steel conduit and EMT. Research led to development of GEMI Analysis Software.
• University of Toronto - Dr. Jeffrey PackercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical consultant partnership with Bahen/Tanenbaum Professor of Civil Engineering. Dr. Packer contributes technical articles, design guides (CIDECT), and HSS expertise to STI resources.
• FORSE ConsultingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHSS Consulting Engineers for STI providing engineering design assistance, specialized training, and technical presentations to design professionals.
• National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on electrical conduit standards, NEC compliance, and industry advocacy for steel electrical raceway products.
• Steel Recycling InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on steel sustainability initiatives, recycling advocacy, and environmental product declarations for steel tubular products.
• Gordon & Rees LLPminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal counsel partnership providing construction law expertise for steel fabricators and industry members on claims, OSHA, Buy America compliance, and contracts.
• Carleton University - Dr. Jeffrey ErochkocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment of HSS Connex web-based tool for checking HSS wall thicknesses in connection design, in collaboration with University of Toronto's Dr. Jeffrey Packer.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ASTM International: ASTM is the broader standards body in which STI participates for steel tubular product specifications (A500, A1085, A1065). It is not a trade association but functions as the standards backbone that STI's HSS work is anchored to.

Direct peers

• American Welding Society (AWS): AWS is a co-developer partner with STI on HSS welding standards and specifications (AWS D1 committee for tubular steel structures). It serves a comparable trade association function for welding professionals and fabricators who use STI's HSS resources.
• Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA): SMA represents North American steel manufacturers with overlapping producer members to STI. Both organizations engage in industry advocacy, market promotion, and technical resources for steel producers and downstream customers.
• American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI): AISI is a strategic alliance partner with STI on sustainability initiatives, standards development, and market promotion for steel tubular products in North America. It is a similarly structured steel trade association serving a broader steel constituency.
• Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC): CISC is STI's partner on Canadian HSS standards and design guides, supporting cross-border industry collaboration. It serves a comparable function for Canadian structural steel stakeholders and shares the same specifier audience.
• Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA): SFIA is a trade association promoting cold-formed steel framing, with overlapping structural steel trade association functions and similar member-driven revenue model targeting engineers, architects, and contractors.
• American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC): AISC is a co-developer and core standards partner with STI on HSS design codes (AISC 360, Limit State Tables, joint Industry-Average Fabricated HSS EPD). Both are trade bodies advancing structural steel, with overlapping professional audiences of engineers, architects, and fabricators.
• National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA): NEMA collaborates with STI on electrical conduit standards, NEC compliance, and industry advocacy for steel electrical raceway products. It is the dominant U.S. trade body for electrical equipment manufacturers with overlapping conduit members.
• Steel Deck Institute (SDI): SDI represents steel deck manufacturers and shares STI's profile as a niche steel-product trade body publishing design manuals, standards, and technical resources for structural engineers and specifiers.

Others

• Aluminum Association: The Aluminum Association represents aluminum producers competing with steel in conduit (aluminum EMT) and structural applications. It is a comparable trade association model but for a competing material category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/STIConduit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/16033312

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Steel Tube Institute