United American Steel Company

What United American Steel Company does

United American Steel Company is a privately held metal recycling and industrial services company founded in 1995 by Michael Melio and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company collects, segregates, processes, and transports ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal generated as a byproduct by industrial manufacturers across the Southeast US, Mid-Atlantic, and select Midwest states (Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky). It explicitly does not purchase from the general public, instead targeting B2B industrial accounts and converting their scrap programs into documented profit centers. A sister company, Western Piedmont Metal, was built under the same founder and combined revenue is reported at approximately $50 million as of 2015.

The core technology is the proprietary Metal Recycling Asset Management System, supported by a serial-numbered container tracking system that records pick-up date, alloy type, and container size and reconciles these against monthly settlements. Operations run on a company-owned fleet of late-model Kenworth roll-off trucks, tractors, and trailers with GPS monitoring — no subcontractors — and four main rail facilities in the Southeast enable multimodal (truck, rail, barge) shipment of material to the highest-paying mill or foundry rather than the nearest one. The stated differentiator is alloy-segregation expertise that can earn up to 40% premiums at specialty foundries versus generic mills, paired with EPA-compliant environmental controls (sealed containers, enclosed buildings, drainage systems) and 24/7 availability.

The revenue model is transaction-fee based on commodity resale plus ancillary service revenue from a packaging and warehousing adjacency launched in February 2015 as United American Engineered Systems. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and fluctuates with scrap metal markets; customers pay per load based on alloy type, segregation quality, and volume. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting Controllers, Material Managers, Owners, and Facility Directors rather than floor-level personnel, with a value proposition of maximizing realized scrap value, eliminating tracking losses, and reducing environmental liability. The company has been BBB accredited since August 2006, was bootstrapped and founder-owned with no external funding, and operates as the private counterpart of Western Piedmont Metal under common leadership.

Name

United American Steel Company

Legal name

United American Steel Co Inc

Website

https://unitedamericansteel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

United American Steel Company is a privately held metal recycling firm founded in 1995 that collects, segregates, processes, and transports ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal from industrial manufacturers across the Southeast US and select Midwest states, monetizing material through documented asset-management programs and an adjacent industrial packaging operation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Scrap Metal Recycling Services

SIC

Wholesale-Metals & Minerals (No Petroleum) (5050)

akta.pro primary industry

Scrap Metal Collection, Logistics & Aggregation (Yards, Roll-off, Container Programs) (IMAKAMAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Metals Recycling & Processing (Ferrous/Non-Ferrous) (BPALADAF), Industrial & Manufacturing Scrap Recycling (Factory Scrap, Turnings, Offcuts) (IMAKAMAE)

Keywords

• Scrap metal recycling
• Ferrous non-ferrous scrap
• Industrial packaging solutions
• Warehousing distribution services
• Metal recycling management

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Scrap Metal Recycling Services: Core revenue stream from collecting, separating, processing and transporting ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal from industrial manufacturers. Company generates revenue by purchasing scrap from manufacturers at negotiated rates and reselling to mills, foundries and processors.
2. Industrial Packaging Solutions: Revenue from providing engineered packaging solutions including material handling enclosures, protect packs, expanded foam packaging, custom molded foam, fiber partitions and corrugated partitions. Offered through United American Engineered Systems division.
3. Warehousing and Distribution: Complete suite of warehousing and distribution services including receiving, quality control inspection, secure warehouse storage, pick and pack services, return logistics, refurbishing, kitting and order management.
4. Waste Stream Management: In-house waste stream management focusing on reducing landfill costs and generating new revenue streams from plastics, paper, cardboard and wood. Also includes negotiating contracts with trash providers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

United American Steel Company collects, segregates, processes and transports ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal from industrial manufacturers, purchasing scrap at negotiated rates and reselling to mills, foundries and processors east of the Mississippi River. The company operates exclusively with industrial manufacturers (not the general public), converting under-realized scrap metal programs into profit centers through its proprietary Metal Recycling Asset Management System, and also provides industrial packaging, warehousing and distribution through the United American Engineered Systems division.

Product overview

United American Steel Company is a metal recycling and industrial services company offering a comprehensive portfolio of solutions centered on scrap metal management and industrial packaging. The core offerings include Scrap Metal Solutions (container services, crushing compaction units) and United American Engineered Systems (industrial packaging, fulfillment, warehousing, and distribution). The company also provides proprietary Metal Recycling Asset Management System and Container Tracking System for inventory control. Environmental solutions (sealed containers, enclosed buildings, drainage systems) complement the service portfolio, along with sustainable packaging options featuring biodegradable materials. All services are delivered through company-owned infrastructure including a fleet of Kenworth roll-off trucks with GPS tracking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• United American Engineered Systems: Provides industrial packaging solutions, fulfillment, inventory management, and warehousing and distribution services.

Products and services

• Scrap Metal Solutions Comprehensive ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal recycling services for industrial manufacturers, providing roll-off trucks, roll-off trailers, dump trailers, open tops, color-coded dump hoppers, and crushing compaction units for metal density. Includes collection, segregation, processing and transportation services exclusively for industrial-based manufacturers.
• United American Engineered Systems Wholly-owned subsidiary division providing a comprehensive suite of industrial packaging solutions, fulfillment, inventory management, and warehousing and distribution services for manufacturing customers.
• Industrial Packaging Options Custom engineered material handling enclosures, protect packs, expanded foam packaging (EPS, EPP, EPE, EPU), custom molded foam packaging, assembled fiber partitions, and corrugated partitions for industrial manufacturers.
• Warehousing and Distribution Complete suite of warehousing and distribution services including receiving and quality control inspection, secure warehouse storage, integrated pick and pack services, customized packaging and supplies, return logistics, refurbishing, kitting, and order management services.
• Sustainable Packaging Options Eco-friendly packaging solutions including Green Cell Foam made from non-GMO cornstarch and biodegradable, compostable alternatives to petroleum-based foams.
• Metal Recycling Asset Management System Proprietary asset management system that transforms recyclable metal programs into turnkey profit centers. Includes comprehensive inventory management, serial-numbered container tracking, and custom monthly, quarterly and year-end reporting on recycling activity.
• Environmental Solutions EPA-compliant environmental protection services including sealed containers for cutting fluid containment, enclosed buildings to prevent precipitation contamination, and custom drainage systems for coolant and cutting fluid recycling.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 40% premium for properly segregated alloys at specialty foundries vs generic mills
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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.

• 25-Year Industrial Packaging Industry VeterancoreOthers · 1 February 2015Strategic partnership with a 25-year veteran of the industrial packaging industry to expand service offerings. Partnership enables utilization of existing administrative, operational, logistical and transportation infrastructure to provide industrial packaging solutions at competitive pricing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Galamba Metals Group: Regional scrap metal processor serving industrial manufacturers in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Comparable business model focused on industrial accounts and broker relationships with regional mills and foundries.
• Newell Recycling: Family-owned scrap metal recycler based in West Virginia with operations across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Comparable to UASC as a regional, privately held scrap metal recycler serving industrial accounts in adjacent geographies.
• Cohen Steel: Regional scrap metal processor operating in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Comparable as an industrial scrap collector serving mills and foundries, with overlapping geography to UASC's Washington DC to Indiana corridor.

Direct peers

• PSC Metals: Regional scrap metal recycler operating yards across the Midwest and Southeast. Comparable to UASC as an industrial-focused ferrous and non-ferrous processor with regional collection and processing capabilities serving steel mills and foundries.
• OmniSource Corporation: Major North American scrap metal processor and supplier, now part of Steel Dynamics. Directly comparable as an industrial-focused scrap collector and processor serving mills and foundries with multi-modal logistics—similar in target customer and operating model to UASC, but with broader geographic footprint.
• Ferrous Processing & Trading: Midwest-based scrap metal processor serving industrial manufacturers across Ohio, Michigan and Indiana—directly overlapping with UASC's Indiana/Ohio service territory. Comparable business model of purchasing industrial scrap and selling to mills/foundries, with similar mid-sized regional positioning.
• David J. Joseph Company: One of the largest US scrap brokers/processors, a Nucor subsidiary. Highly comparable to UASC in the ferrous scrap collection and brokering model serving industrial accounts and steel mills, with deep relationships in the Southeast and Midwest.

Broad incumbents

• EMR (European Metal Recycling): Global scrap metal recycling company with US operations. Comparable core activity of ferrous/non-ferrous scrap collection and processing, though broader geographic and product mix than UASC.
• Schnitzer Steel Industries (Radius Recycling): One of the largest US scrap metal recyclers (formerly Schnitzer Steel), operating yards, processing facilities and export terminals across multiple regions. Highly comparable to UASC's core ferrous and non-ferrous scrap collection and processing model, though at substantially larger scale and with public-company capital access.

Emerging players

• MetalX: Scrap metal recycling and processing company focused on non-ferrous specialization and shredding operations. Comparable to UASC's non-ferrous processing focus and industrial customer base, with overlapping technology-driven differentiation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-american-steel-company-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 United American Steel Company