HAMMOND | Privately-held
Berlin Metals is celebrating its 40th anniversary and the installation of its new $2.6 million, 60-inch coil slitter by inviting more than 100 of its customers for a visit.
"We invited customers and suppliers from around the company, both steel companies and end users," said company President Roy Berlin, who bought Berlin Metals from his father six years ago.
Beside conducting tours of the facility at 3200 Sheffield Ave., the company is hosting a luncheon at the Dynasty Banquet Hall for its guests and its about 70 employees. The lunch will be followed by three speakers: Joseph R. Scherrbaum, vice president of sales for
U.S. Steel Corp.; David R. Houck, regional sales manager for Outokumpu Stainless Inc.; and Scott Robertson, chief steel correspondent for American Metal Market, a publication about the metals industry.
Each will give a steel market update with current supply and demand projections, and his view of the ongoing industry consolidation.
Founded by Melvin Berlin in 1967, Berlin Metals is one of the country's largest service center distributors of tin mill products in
slit coil form. It's also a leading supplier of stainless steel strip, galvanized, light gauge cold rolled sheet and strip, and other coated steels in coil form. Melvin Berlin currently serves as the company's chairman
The family-owned company's customers are the manufacturers of automotive components, computer components, hardware, housewares, residential windows, telecommunications cable and other stampings.
The company ordered the new high-speed Braner coil slitter in spring 2006 to increase its production capabilities. The slitter, produced by Braner USA Inc. of Schiller Park, was recently installed and "is working great," Berlin said.
The $2.6 million machine makes steel processing easier and faster, handles wider coils than the company's other slitters, and makes twice as many simultaneous cuts as its other equipment.
"It's wider, faster and more accurate," Berlin said.
It also gives the company the ability to get into the "toll processing" business, meaning it enable Berlin to take on work for other companies, slitting the types of metals that Berlin normally doesn't handle.
The slitter's $2.6 million price tag was a sizable investment, Berlin said.
"But any time you invest in being more efficient, it's a good investment," he said.