Steel Mills
Reliance Completes Merfish United Acquisition
Written by Tim Triplett
October 5, 2021
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. completed the acquisition of Merfish United, a master distributor of tubular building products, from One Equity Partners, a middle market private equity firm, effective Oct. 1.
“We are excited to welcome Merfish United to the Reliance Family of Companies and to broaden our focus on adjacent business opportunities beyond traditional metals service centers,” Reliance CEO Jim Hoffman said. “This transaction aligns with our acquisition strategy of expanding our product, end market and geographical diversification and acquiring companies with strong management teams. Further, Merfish United increases our exposure to copper and plastic products and positions Reliance in the adjacent industrial distribution space with a platform for further growth.”
Headquartered in Ipswich, Mass., Merfish United serves 47 U.S. states through its 12 strategically located distribution centers. Merfish United’s broad product offering includes full lines of steel pipe, copper tubing, plastic pipe, electrical conduit and related products for the commercial, residential, municipal and industrial building markets.
For the 12 months ended June 30, 2021, Merfish United’s net sales totaled $500 million. The current Merfish United team, including management, will remain in place. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Reliance, based in Los Angeles, is the largest metals service center company in North America with a network of 300 locations in 40 states and 13 other countries.
Tim Triplett
Read more from Tim TriplettLatest in Steel Mills
USW seeks clarity on USS plans for Granite City Works
The United Steelworkers union has asked U.S. Steel to elaborate on its Granite City Works plans following reports that the steelmaker is ending processing at the facility.
Nucor maintains plate prices, opens October order book
Nucor aims to keep plate prices flat for a seventh straight month with the opening of its October order book.
ArcelorMittal Mexico to import from sister mills as it works to resume DRI production
ArcelorMittal has partially restarted operations at its direct reduction plant in Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan. An explosion on Aug. 18 rocked the massive steelworks on Mexico’s Pacific coast, impacting production of direct-reduced iron (DRI).
Fall maintenance outages are coming in hot
Labor Day has passed, the sun is starting to set a little earlier each day, and cooler weather has begun to find its way down to many of us across North America. And you know what that means for the steel industry… Fall maintenance outages!
AISI: Domestic steel production ticks up
US raw steel production ticked up in the week ending on Sept. 6 after a decrease the week before, according to the most recent data from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).