Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.

What Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. does

Reliance, Inc. (formerly Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.) is the largest metals service center company in the United States, operating a national network of over 75 wholly-owned subsidiary brands that collectively distribute and process carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and specialty metals. Founded in 1939 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, the company serves industrial customers across aerospace, energy, construction, and general manufacturing end-markets through both core operating subsidiaries (Reliance Metalcenter, Reliance Steel Company, Reliance Aerospace Solutions) and a long tail of acquired, brand-retained service centers such as Earle M. Jorgensen Company, Metals USA, AMI Metals, Phoenix Metals, and Service Steel Aerospace Corp. Each subsidiary operates with commercial independence while sharing best practices, purchasing scale, and back-office functions across the portfolio.

The company's underlying technology is fundamentally physical: metal processing and distribution services spanning cutting, flamecutting, precision strip processing, tube and pipe supply, and custom fabrication delivered through nationwide service-center locations. No proprietary software platform, API, or AI-enabled product is disclosed in the source material. Value-added processing capability is the principal technical differentiator versus pure commodity resellers, with specialty units such as NU-TECH Precision Metals, Precision Flamecutting and Steel, and Precision Strip handling engineered applications for higher-margin aerospace and industrial customers.

Reliance generates revenue on a transaction-by-transaction, quote-based pricing model, selling metals and processing services to industrial buyers; specific contract structures and price levels are not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market motion is direct enterprise sales through the family of regional service-center brands, supported by LinkedIn, Facebook, and the corporate website for brand awareness and investor communications. The company is publicly traded on the NYSE under ticker RS (legal name Reliance, Inc.) with no parent company, and rebranded from Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. in 2024 to reflect its evolution beyond steel and aluminum distribution into a broader diversified metal solutions provider.

Name

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.

Legal name

Reliance, Inc.

Website

https://rsac.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Reliance, Inc. is the largest US metals service center company, operating over 75 wholly-owned subsidiary brands that distribute and process carbon, alloy, stainless, aluminum, and specialty metals for industrial customers across aerospace, energy, construction, and manufacturing end-markets. The company is publicly traded on NYSE under ticker RS.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Metal Distribution & Processing

SIC

Wholesale-Metals Service Centers & Offices (5051)

akta.pro primary industry

Steel Products Trading & Service Centers (Flat, Long, Pipe & Tube, Rebar) (IMAKAJAB)

Keywords

• Metal distribution services
• Steel service centers
• Aluminum products distribution
• Specialty metals processing
• Metal fabrication services

Headquarters

HQ city

Scottsdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Metal Product Sales: Revenue generated from the sale of metal products (steel, aluminum, and specialty metals) through the company's network of over 75 distinct brand companies operating as metals service centers.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Reliance, Inc. (formerly Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.) is a diversified metal solutions provider and the largest metals service center company in the United States. The company distributes and processes carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and specialty metals through a network of over 75 distinct subsidiary brands operating as metals service centers. It provides value-added processing, fabrication, custom cutting, just-in-time delivery, and inventory management services to industrial customers across aerospace, energy, construction, and general manufacturing end markets.

Product overview

Reliance, Inc. (formerly Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.) is a diversified metal solutions provider and the largest metals service center company in the United States. The company operates as a unified portfolio of over 75 distinct subsidiary brands, each operating independently while sharing information, best practices, and continuous improvement initiatives. The product portfolio consists of metal service centers and processing facilities organized under subsidiary brands including Admiral Metals, American Alloy Steel, AMI Metals, Chapman Steel, Earle M. Jorgensen Company, Metals USA, Pacific Metal Company, Phoenix Metals, Precision Strip, Reliance Aerospace Solutions, Service Steel Aerospace, and many others. These subsidiaries collectively provide metal distribution, processing, and fabrication services across carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and specialty metals for diverse end markets including aerospace, energy, construction, and industrial manufacturing. The company is listed on the NYSE under the symbol RS.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Reliance Metalcenter
• Reliance Steel Company
• Reliance Aerospace Solutions
• Service Steel Aerospace Corp.
• AMI Metals, Inc.
• Earle M. Jorgensen Company
• Metals USA, Inc.
• National Specialty Alloys, Inc.
• Continental Alloys & Services, Inc.
• Precision Strip, Inc.
• Precision Flamecutting and Steel, Inc.
• NU-TECH Precision Metals Inc.
• DuBose National Energy Services, Inc.
• The Infra Group
• Tube Service Co.
• Metal Processing & Fabrication Services

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Klockner & Co: Klockner & Co is one of the largest independent steel and metal distributors globally, with a broad multi-country footprint that overlaps with Reliance's service center model at a larger international scale.
• ThyssenKrupp Materials Services: ThyssenKrupp Materials Services is a major global metals service center and distribution business, comparable to Reliance in offering steel, aluminum, and specialty metal distribution but operating at a much larger international scale.
• Nucor Corporation: Nucor is the largest US steel producer that has expanded downstream into sheet steel processing and direct customer relationships, representing both a key supplier to Reliance and a vertically integrating competitor.

Direct peers

• Worthington Steel: Worthington Steel is a US metals processor specializing in flat-rolled steel processing and pressure cylinder products, directly comparable to Reliance's steel processing subsidiaries.
• Samuel, Son & Co. Samuel is a privately held North American metals service center and processor offering steel, aluminum, and specialty metal distribution, directly comparable to Reliance's brand portfolio.
• Ryerson Holding Corporation: Ryerson is a publicly traded metals service center and processor in North America, directly comparable to Reliance in offering steel, aluminum, and specialty metal distribution with value-added processing for industrial customers.
• Russel Metals: Russel Metals is a Canadian metals service center and distributor operating across North America, with comparable metal distribution, processing, and energy tubular products businesses overlapping with Reliance's portfolio.
• Olympic Steel: Olympic Steel is a US metals service center operating processing and distribution facilities for carbon, stainless, and aluminum flat-rolled products, directly competing with Reliance's network of service centers.

Emerging players

• Steel Technologies (Nucor): Steel Technologies, now part of Nucor, operates flat-rolled steel processing and service centers across North America, comparable to Reliance's flat-rolled processing subsidiaries like Precision Strip.
• Schnitzer Steel Industries: Schnitzer Steel operates a metals recycling and finished steel products business, partially overlapping with Reliance's secondary metals exposure through recycled feedstock supply and steel product distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/relianceinc.rs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reliance-rs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries46 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 Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.