What Adelca does

Adelca is Ecuador's largest steelmaker, founded in 1963 and headquartered in Cumbayá, operating an integrated steel manufacturing and recycling business that produces rebar, structural profiles, drawn wire products, meshes, roofing, panels, and metal tubes. Its core technology stack is an electric arc furnace fed primarily by recycled scrap, followed by hot rolling, cold drawing (trefilado), and galvanizing, with a specialized line of seismic-resistant hot-rolled rebars designed for earthquake-prone Ecuadorian construction and LEED-certified product variants for green-building projects. Vertically integrated operations span six scrap collection centers, the Club de Recicladores supplier network, two production plants (Alóag and Milagro), a ship-dismantling facility in Durán capable of handling vessels up to 135 meters, and 13 commercial offices across Ecuador.

The company generates revenue almost entirely through B2B hardware sales of steel products, organized into five primary verticals — construction (the leading segment), metalworking, perimeter security, agriculture and livestock, and industrial — supplemented by an export stream selling laminated profiles, bars, angles, plates, and tees to Peru, Chile, Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales through the 13 commercial offices with a tiered channel partner program (Socio Adelca, Socio Maestro, Socio Amigo) reaching smaller retailers, master builders, and contractors. Customer base spans major public infrastructure projects (Quito Metro phases 1 and 2, the new Quito Airport, Ruta Viva bridges, the Plataforma Gubernamental Financiera) and private developers (Sevilla y Martínez Semaica for Itulpark, Uribe & Schwarzkopf). Adelca is privately held with 501-1,000 employees and a portfolio of certifications including ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, and 50001, BASC, LEED product, and Punto Verde eco-efficiency.

Name

Adelca

Legal name

Adelca

Website

https://adelca.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Adelca is Ecuador's largest vertically integrated steelmaker and recycler, founded in 1963, producing rebar, profiles, tubes, roofing, and meshes through EAF steelmaking fed by scrap from six collection centers and a Durán ship-dismantling yard, serving construction, metalworking, perimeter security, agriculture, and industrial clients across Ecuador and Latin America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Steel Manufacturing

NAICS

Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing (331110)

akta.pro primary industry

Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) Steelmaking (Incl. DRI/HBI-Based) (IMAKABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Steel Joists, Joist Girders & Decking (IMADACAC)

Keywords

• Steel manufacturing
• Rebar production
• Scrap metal recycling
• Structural steel products
• Ship dismantling

Headquarters

HQ city

Cumbayá

HQ country

Ecuador

HQ region

Latin 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. Steel products manufacturing and sales: Manufacture and sale of steel products including rebars, structural profiles, wire products, meshes, roofing, and pipes for construction, metalworking, agricultural, and industrial sectors.
2. Scrap metal recycling: Purchase and processing of scrap metal (chatarra) for use as raw material in steel production, supported by a network of recyclers and collection centers.
3. Ship dismantling (Desguace de buques): Dismantling of end-of-life vessels at the Durán facility, processing up to 10,000 TN at dock and 20,000 TN in dry docks, with capacity for ships up to 135 meters in length.
4. Exports: Export of steel products to regional markets including Peru, Chile, Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Costa Rica.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Adelca manufactures and sells steel products including rebars, structural profiles, wire products, meshes, roofing, and pipes for construction, metalworking, perimeter security, agriculture, and industrial sectors. The company operates two production plants using electric arc furnace technology primarily fed by recycled scrap metal. Additionally, Adelca runs a ship dismantling facility in Durán capable of processing vessels up to 135 meters in length.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Club de Recicladores Adelca: A program established in 2010 to support and empower recycling entrepreneurs who form part of Adelca's supply chain, providing benefits such as food vouchers, commissary access, economic advances, and signage.

Products and services

• Construction Steel Products Steel products for the construction sector including seismic-resistant reinforcement bars (rebar), structural profiles, meshes, roofing, and construction fasteners. Designed for residential, commercial, and infrastructure construction projects in Ecuador, meeting Ecuadorian seismic construction standards.
• Structural and Mechanical Tubes Product Line New line of structural and mechanical tubes launched in 2024 for the metalworking and construction industry, targeting innovative projects requiring steel tubes.
• Metalworking (Metalmecánica) Products Steel products for metal fabrication and mechanical engineering sector including mechanical tubes, structural profiles, angles, bars, and sheets.
• Perimeter Security Products Steel products for security fencing and perimeter protection solutions including fencing, meshes, barbed wire, and security products.
• Agriculture and Livestock Products Steel products for agricultural fencing, livestock containment, and farm infrastructure including hexagonal meshes, barbed wire, staples, and welded meshes.
• Industrial Steel Products Steel products for industrial manufacturing and machinery sector including industrial wire, springs, and mechanical applications.
• Export Products Steel products exported to regional Latin American markets including laminated profiles, square and round bars, angles, plates, and tees, sold to Peru, Chile, Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Costa Rica.
• Ship Dismantling Services (Desguace de Buques) Dismantling of end-of-life vessels at the Durán facility on Ecuador's Pacific Coast. Capacity includes 10,000 TN at dock and 20,000 TN in dry docks for ships up to 135 meters in length. Provides approximately 100 families with direct and indirect employment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14.95% reduction in electricity consumption in lamination area
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Sevilla y Martínez SemaicacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2019Construction partnership for Itulpark logistics center project. Adelca supplies steel products including rebar, nails, and annealed wire for four 20,000 m² industrial buildings on a 14-hectare site.
• GAD Municipal de AlóagcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint community development projects in Alóag including education, sports, culture, and health initiatives. Collaborative efforts for sustainable development of the Alóag community.
• Club de Recicladores AdelcacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of scrap metal recyclers established in 2010 who supply raw material to Adelca's steel production. Recyclers receive benefits including food bonuses, commissary access, economic advances, and signage.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ArcelorMittal: World's largest steel producer with significant Latin American operations. Competes indirectly through import flows into Ecuador and regional markets; while primarily an integrated blast-furnace producer, its scale, product breadth, and pricing set the regional competitive backdrop for Adelca.
• Ternium: Latin American flat and long steel producer with major operations in Mexico, Argentina, and Central America. Competes with Adelca in export markets (Central America, Andean region) and offers similar construction-grade products, but at substantially larger scale and with a broader product mix.
• Gerdau: Brazil-based global long steel producer operating the largest EAF mini-mill network in the Americas. Highly comparable technology platform (scrap-based EAF), product portfolio (rebar, structural, wire), and Latin American geographic reach; significant scale advantage over Adelca but similar end-markets.
• Votorantim Siderurgia: Brazilian long steel producer with EAF operations serving construction, agriculture, and industry. Comparable product portfolio (rebar, wire, profiles) and business model, though operating at much larger scale; potential indirect competitor in regional export channels.

Regional players

• CAP (Compañía de Acero del Pacífico): Chile's leading steel producer through its subsidiary Cintac, manufacturing long products, structural steel, and construction-related steel. Direct regional peer given Chile is one of Adelca's named export markets, and both serve seismically active geographies.
• Industrias CH (Grupo Simec): Mexican mini-mill steel producer focused on long products (rebar, structural shapes) using EAF technology. Closest technology and product analog in Mexico/Central America, and a competitor for Central American export markets that Adelca also targets (Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica).
• Corporación Aceros Arequipa (CORARUMA / Siderperu): Peruvian long steel producer owned by the Gerdau group, focused on rebar, profiles, and wire products for the Andean construction market. Direct competitor in Peru where Adelca exports, and a useful benchmark for EAF-based long-product economics in a similar regulatory and seismic environment.

Direct peers

• Aceros Arequipa: Peru's largest steel producer and long-product manufacturer, with EAF technology and a broad construction and metalworking product portfolio. Closest direct regional peer given shared Andean market characteristics, similar product mix (rebar, profiles, wire), and overlapping export geography with Adelca.
• Novacero (Ecuador): Ecuadorian competitor in the long steel and construction products market, also serving the domestic construction and metalworking segments. Direct domestic rival sharing Ecuador's regulatory environment, customer base, and seismic-resistant product standards.

Others

• Tenaris (Ternium sister under Techint): Global seamless and welded steel pipe producer with Latin American operations. Relevant as a comparable for Adelca's recently launched structural and mechanical tube product line, though its core business (OCTG) and scale are meaningfully different from Adelca's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/adelcaec
• Facebookfacebook.com/AdelcaEc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adelca

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Adelca