Service Centers

Alro Mourns Passing of Founder Al Glick
Written by Tim Triplett
February 8, 2022
Service center industry stalwart Al Glick, who founded Alro Steel with his brother Robert in 1948, passed away today at age 95.
In addition to his leadership of Jackson, Mich.-based Alro, which is now among the top-ranked service centers in North America, Glick was well known as a big supporter and fan of the University of Michigan, among many other organizations that benefited from his philanthropy.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Al Glick, our beloved and respected founder, CEO and chairman on Feb. 8, 2022,” the company said in an online post. “There are many things Al will be remembered for, most notably his unmatched love for his family and the University of Michigan. He will be remembered for the company he built, his passion for customer service, and the belief that teamwork is the key to the ongoing success of our company. Al leaves behind a vibrant company with a culture built on teamwork, integrity, honesty and loyalty.”
Alro Steel today is a $2 billion service center and processor with more than 60 locations and 3,000 employees.
Glick was not fully retired when he died. “Being here, getting up each day to work with our team just makes me happy,” he was quoted as saying. “Why walk away when you still love what you do?”
By Tim Triplett, Tim@SteelMarketUpdate.com

Tim Triplett
Read more from Tim TriplettLatest in Service Centers

Ryerson swung to loss in ’24, but saw fortunes improve over the last month
Ryerson swung to a loss in the fourth quarter, but has seen a turnaround in the last 30 days.

Despite policy uncertainty, Reliance upbeat on ’25
Reliance noted that it is about 95% domestically sourced.

Russel Metals posts solid quarter, doesn’t expect direct impact from tariffs
Russel Metals said on Thursday that it doesn’t expect to be directly impacted by US tariffs on Canadian steel. The Mississauga, Ontario-based distributor made the comments in its quarterly earnings report on Thursday. The company doesn’t export significant volumes to the US, it said, and thus doesn’t expect to be directly impacted. However, “The primary […]

Friedman logs quarterly loss amid ‘challenging conditions’
Friedman swings to a loss in its fiscal third quarter of 2025.

Tampa Steel Conference: Service centers more upbeat about 2025
If 2021 and 2022 was the party, 2024 is the morning after, one panelist said.