What Straub Metal International does

Straub Metal International, founded in 1970 and headquartered in Ashley, Pennsylvania, is a B2B distributor specializing exclusively in ferritic stainless steel grades — principally Type 409, with adjacent offerings in Type 439, Type 441, and 18 Cr-Cb. The company maintains a portfolio of eleven active SKUs covering base, aluminized (Type 1 hot-dip aluminum coating), nickel-modified, dual-stabilized (titanium and columbium), and ULTRA FORM® enhanced-formability variants, supplied in sheets, coils, strip coils, panels, plates, and washers with HRAP #1 and Cold Rolled 2B/2D surface finishes across thicknesses from .006" to .500". It also distributes AK Steel (Cleveland-Cliffs) proprietary ULTRA FORM® 409 and 439 grades under license. As of 2024, Straub operates as a subsidiary of Norfolk Iron & Metal following acquisition, with ISO 9001:2015 quality certification (transferred March 2025).

The business serves industrial OEM and tier-supplier customers across automotive and non-automotive exhaust systems, heat exchangers and power generation components, industrial silencers/mufflers/fuel filters, agricultural equipment, HVAC and heating appliances, and electrical/structural applications. Its core customer value proposition is the combination of single-grade specialization (marketed internally as "The 409 People"), a North American stocking and processing network of 14+ facilities spanning the Northeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, South, and Mountain West, and metallurgical specification support backed by 55 years of category experience.

The revenue model is straightforward B2B product resale: quote-based pricing, direct sales through a team of named account representatives (John Parsons, Scott Peterson, Brian Balutis, Logan Cote, Doug Straub), and order intake via phone, fax, email, and website quote forms. There is no e-commerce, no self-serve channel, and no public pricing. The go-to-market is sales-led, relationship-driven, and dependent on grade specification expertise, with marketing limited to a product-focused website and downloadable technical data sheets. The company is privately held, has 11-50 employees, and reports no disclosed revenue figures.

Name

Straub Metal International

Legal name

Straub Metal International Inc.

Website

https://straubmetal409.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Straub Metal International is a Pennsylvania-based B2B distributor specializing in ferritic stainless steel (Type 409, 439, 441, 18CrCb) serving automotive exhaust, heat exchanger, industrial, agricultural, and HVAC OEMs across a 14+ location North American stocking network. Acquired by Norfolk Iron & Metal in 2024.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Stainless Steel Distribution

akta.pro primary industry

Ferrous Metals Trading & Distribution (Iron Ore, Pig Iron, DRI/HBI, Ferroalloys) (IMAKAJAA)

Keywords

• Stainless steel distribution
• Ferritic stainless steel
• Type 409 steel
• Stainless steel coil supply
• Aluminized steel distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Stainless Steel Product Sales: B2B distribution of stainless steel alloys (T409, 409 AL, T439, T441, 18CrCb) in various forms including sheets, coils, strip coils, panels, plates, and washers. Revenue generated through direct product sales to industrial customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Straub Metal International is a B2B distributor of ferritic stainless steel grades — Type 409, 409 AL, Type 439, Type 441, and 18CrCb — sold to industrial manufacturers. Products are available in sheets, coils, strip coils, panels, plates, and washers with surface finishes including Hot Rolled Annealed and Pickled (HRAP) #1 and Cold Rolled 2B or 2D. The company maintains an extensive inventory and a North American network of stocking and processing facilities to serve automotive exhaust, heat exchanger, power generation, HVAC, agricultural, and industrial equipment manufacturers.

Product overview

Straub Metal International is a global distributor of stainless steel alloys, specializing in ferritic stainless steel grades. The company offers a portfolio of interconnected products centered around Type 409 and Type 439 base grades, with specialized variants including ULTRA FORM® (proprietary AK Steel grades with enhanced formability), aluminized versions (with Type 1 hot-dip aluminum coating for superior corrosion resistance), nickel-modified variants (for enhanced toughness and weldability), and dual-stabilized grades (with titanium and columbium for high-temperature performance). Products are available in sheets, coils, strip coils, panels, plates, and washers across multiple surface finishes (HRAP #1 and Cold Rolled 2B/2D). The portfolio serves diverse industries including automotive exhaust systems, heat exchangers, power generation, agricultural equipment, HVAC, and industrial manufacturing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The 409 People: Company tagline emphasizing their specialty in Type 409 stainless steel distribution

Products and services

• Type 409 Stainless Steel
• 409 ULTRA FORM® Stainless Steel AK Steel proprietary grade developed for applications requiring enhanced formability for complex shapes compared to conventional Type 409. Offers oxidation and corrosion resistance with good formability and weldability at cost-effective price.
• 409 Ni (Nickel Modified) Stainless Steel
• 409 AL (Aluminized) Stainless Steel Type 409 ferritic stainless steel with Type 1 hot-dip aluminum coating (91% Al, 9% Si). Provides superior corrosion and oxidation resistance for automotive exhaust systems, industrial components, and HVAC systems. Red rust protection to 800°F.
• 409L Stainless Steel Titanium stabilized ferritic stainless steel containing about 11% chromium conforming to UNS S40910. Used in automotive and industrial applications requiring good corrosion resistance and weldability.
• 409-30 Stainless Steel Dual-stabilized ferritic stainless steel enhanced with Titanium and Columbium (Niobium) for superior corrosion resistance and high-temperature performance. Designed for automotive and industrial applications.
• Type 439 Stainless Steel Stabilized ferritic stainless steel (17.0-19.0% chromium) with higher Cr content than Type 409 for improved corrosion resistance. Stabilized with titanium, offering good weldability, intergranular corrosion resistance, and stress corrosion cracking resistance. Used in automotive exhaust, heat exchanger tubing, kitchen equipment, and architectural structures.
• 439 ULTRA FORM® Stainless Steel AK Steel proprietary grade developed for applications needing oxidation and corrosion resistance and for better formability of complex shapes. Offers superior performance in demanding environments.
• 439 AL (Aluminized) Stainless Steel Type 439 stainless steel coated with Type 1 hot dip aluminum coating. Provides enhanced corrosion and oxidation resistance for automotive and industrial applications.
• 18 Cr-Cb Stainless Steel A ferritic stainless steel grade with chromium and columbium stabilization. Offers good oxidation resistance and formability for automotive and industrial applications.
• Type 441 Stainless Steel Stabilized ferritic stainless steel (17.5-19.5% chromium) stabilized with both titanium and columbium. Offers higher oxidation resistance, improved creep resistance, and moderate formability. Typical max thickness .098"/2.5mm. End users include automotive, heat exchanger and tubing component manufacturers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Oxidation resistance to 1550°F (843°C) for aluminized stainless steel grades
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Kloeckner Metals: One of the largest metals service centers in North America, offering stainless, carbon, and aluminum products with extensive processing capabilities. Comparable as a competitor for the same industrial and OEM customers, though much broader in product scope and scale.
• Samuel, Son & Co. North American metals service center and processor with broad stainless and carbon product lines plus value-added processing. Comparable to Straub in serving industrial and OEM customers via a B2B distribution model, though significantly larger and more diversified.
• Olympic Steel: Publicly traded metals service center distributing carbon, stainless, and aluminum products with processing and fabrication. Comparable in B2B metals distribution but materially larger and more diversified across grades and end markets.
• Ryerson: Publicly traded metals service center and processor with nationwide distribution and a broad stainless steel product line. Overlaps directly with Straub on stainless flat-rolled and plate sales to industrial customers, but operates at far greater scale and breadth.
• Russel Metals: Canadian-headquartered metals service center with extensive North American distribution of steel and stainless products. Comparable in distribution model and stainless product coverage, though it operates across a broader product portfolio and Canadian/U.S. footprint.

Direct peers

• Penn Stainless Products: A stainless steel service center and distributor offering sheets, plates, bars, pipe, tube, and fittings in multiple grades. Closely comparable to Straub in serving stainless steel end users with cut-to-size processing and broad grade inventory, though broader in grade coverage.
• Norfolk Iron & Metal: Straub's parent company following the 2024 acquisition. Norfolk Iron & Metal is a metals service center and distributor operating in ferrous and non-ferrous products, sharing the same B2B flat-rolled and long-products distribution model and overlapping customer base in industrial and construction markets.
• Stainless Shapes: A stainless steel and nickel alloy products distributor supplying bar, sheet, plate, and tube. Comparable to Straub as a stainless-focused service center with broad inventory and processing services, though it leans more toward nickel alloys than ferritic grades.
• Trident Metals: Specialty stainless steel service center and distributor. Directly comparable in product range (austenitic, ferritic, and specialty stainless grades) and B2B processing/distribution model, making it a close functional peer for procurement and pricing comparisons.

Others

• Cleveland-Cliffs: Formerly AK Steel; the upstream supplier of ULTRA FORM® licensed grades and base stainless material to Straub. Not a direct competitor but a critical ecosystem participant whose production decisions and product roadmap directly shape Straub's product availability and differentiation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/straub-metal-international-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Straub Metal International