Steel and Metal Works

Acme Metals, Inc.
Located in Riverdale, Illinois, Acme Metals Incorporated was involved in the manufacturing and distribution of steel products.  Acme was comprised of two separate segments – the steel-making segment and the steel-manufacturing segment.  The company’s product line centered on the manufacture of flat-rolled steels in both strips and sheets.  This company, which declared bankruptcy in 1998, specialized in the production of “carbon” steels, particularly mid-and high-carbon alloy steels and high-strength, low-alloy steels...

Bath Iron Works
Having built its first passenger steamer in 1890, Bath Iron Works (BIW) is one of the oldest and most highly-regarded shipyards in the United States.  Built in 1884 and located in the same town in Maine that shares its name, Bath Iron Works is located on the pretty Kennebec River, not far from the city of Portland...

Bethlehem Steel and Shipyard
Ground was broken at the Bethlehem Steel Company in Bethlehem, PA in 1860 with the plant opening 3 years later in 1863.  Bethlehem Steel immediately became known for the excellent products it produced and many of the devices and methods used in the steel industry for decades after had their start at this plant...

Chicago Heights Steel
Established nearly a century ago, Chicago Heights Steel of Chicago Heights, Illinois, is the only special market mill in the United States that rolls billet and rail steel.  Rail Steel is the trade name given to steel products which have been hot-rolled from railroad rails.  This product may not necessarily be used in the railroad industry but can be employed for many other uses as well, such as in the building and construction business.  Rail steel is touted for its lighter weight and higher strength.  It may be fashioned into just about any shape desired.

Keystone Steel and Wire Co.
Located in Peoria, Illinois, Keystone Steel and Wire Company is the manufacturer of a variety of steel products made for a wide array of uses.  All the company’s products are melted and manufactured in the United States and include items used in the construction industry, industrial wire, and rods...

LTV Steel Company
LTV Steel of Cleveland, Ohio was, at one time, the third largest steel company in the United States, and was a leading supplier to the appliance, automotive, and electrical equipment industries.  The company declared bankruptcy in 2001...

National Steel and Shipbuilding
Located in San Diego, California, National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) had its beginnings as a machine shop around the turn of the twentieth century.  Originally named California Iron Works, the little company grew into one of the largest shipbuilders on the West Coast, and by the end of World War II, it was given its new name...

Northwestern Steel and Wire
Illinois’ Northwestern Steel and Wire began as Northwestern Barbed Wire in 1879.  During its first several decades, the company manufactured barbed wire, bale ties, drawn wire and, eventually, nails...

O'Hare Spring Company
The O’Hare Spring Company is located in the Chicago area, just a few minutes from the famous airport which shares its name.  Established in 1964, the company manufactures precision springs, wire forms, stampings, and custom assemblies for all industries...

Reynolds Aluminum Plant
The Reynolds Aluminum Plant in Longview, Washington, about 100 miles south of Seattle, opened at the start of World War II.  Like most aluminum plants during that era, this plant was integral in supplying materials for the aircraft industry, boasting customers like Boeing and other major aircraft companies.  Shipments of alumina from Australia arrived frequently at this plant on the Columbia River, where workers turned it into materials for both military and civilian use...