Steel Mills

Olympic Steel Earnings Down 73% in Q1


Olympic Steel’s first-quarter net earnings slid 73% from the same period last year, but the company sees customer demand remaining steady through the second quarter despite economic uncertainties.

Olympic Screen Shot 2023 05 04 at 4.21.56 PMThe Cleveland-based metals service center reported net income of $9.9 million in Q1, off from $37.3 million in the same period last year, on net sales that fell 18% to $573.1 million.

“All three of our segments reported solid profitability, including the second-most-profitable quarter ever for our tubular and pipe products segment,” CEO Richard T. Marabito said in a statement.

The company has a carbon flat products, specialty metals flat, and tubular and pipe segment.

He noted the performance of Olympic’s newly acquired Metal-Fab business, included in their carbon segment.

“We will begin to see the full effect of Metal-Fab’s earnings in our second-quarter results, as the $4.6 million of acquisition-related expenses and adjustments are behind us, and synergistic benefits should begin in the second half of 2023,” Marabito said.

He said the company has “record availability under our $625-million revolving credit line with over $350 million to invest in organic growth, automation and acquisition opportunities that align with our strategic priorities for long-term success.”

In Q2, Marabito expects “customer demand to remain steady” and he anticipates that Olympic’s “diversification strategy will result in consistent profitability despite an unsettled economic outlook.”

By Ethan Bernard, ethan@steelmarketupdate.com

Latest in Steel Mills