There are plenty of steel distributors out there and plenty of steel products to choose from. But if you need high-quality steel that’s durable, reliable and trustworthy, the search can be challenging. After all, how can you trust what someone claims to be true?
We empower our customers to educate themselves when choosing a high-quality steel supplier for products like flat-rolled steel. Here’s everything you need to be informed.
Diverse Grades and Specifications
Steel comes in various grades, each designed for specific applications and with different properties. So evaluating what “high-quality” means involves understanding the specific requirements of your steel project. For example, galvanized bonderized steel is the right choice for outdoor applications like construction. Or aluminized steel is appreciated for its incredible corrosion resistance.
The wide range of grades and specifications available in the market can make the selection process complex. So determine what features are most important for your project using this steel guide.
By the way… What Distinguishes The Different Types Of Stainless Steel Grades?
Evaluating Suppliers
Identifying reliable and reputable suppliers of high-quality steel is crucial. However, evaluating suppliers can be a challenging task. You’ll need enough time and internal expertise to make an informed choice. To compare steel suppliers, considerations include:
Industry Longevity/Experience
Reputation
Product Lines
Service Offerings
Relevant Certifications
Industry Compliance
But really it all comes down to 3 critical factors:
Steel Supply Processing Services
Steel Supply Pricing
Steel Supply Company Policies
Here’s how to navigate these factors, plus other resources to consider.
Quality Assurance
Your steel passes through multiple hands on the supply chain before it ever reaches your door. Each step along the way introduces the potential for things to go wrong.
Whether it’s damage or delays, your steel supplier needs to have a quality assurance process. This involves conducting quality checks, reviewing test certificates, and inspecting the steel products for flaws.
It’s resource-heavy, but without QA, the risk of delivering substandard steel – or worse, integrally damaged – to companies is too great.
With QA, not every steel shipment gets past our distribution center. But rest assured, only the highest quality steel products make it out to delivery.
Global Market Dynamics
The steel industry is subject to global market dynamics, including fluctuations in raw material prices, trade policies, and geopolitical factors. These external factors can impact the availability, pricing and lead times of high-quality steel.
Balancing the line between using only high-quality steel products and getting the job done can be challenging. A look back at the pandemic shows that with worldwide disruptions, production can be delayed no matter how hard we try.
But in those times, it’s important to think long-term. Is it better to delay a project until the right steel products are available? Or opt for low-grade alternatives that may not withstand the test of time? We work with customers to make the best choice.
By the way… The Economics of Steel: 4 Factors That Affect Steel Demand
Common Questions About Buying High-Quality Steel
How can you check the quality of steel products?
There are several ways to check steel quality. The most common methods include hardness tests (to test durability) and stress tests like corrosion resistance and wear resistance experiments.
What common grades of stainless steel are available?
Common steel grades include 304, 316, 409, and 430. Learn more with our stainless steel grade guide.
What steel products do you carry?
We carry a variety of flat-rolled steel, such as cold-rolled steel, aluminized steel, stainless steel, galvanized steel, galvanneal steel and galvanized bonderized steel.
Where do you deliver high-quality steel?
We deliver across the southeast and midwest with distributions centers in Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois and Houston, Texas. Visit our locations page for more information.
How can I purchase high-quality steel?
With us! Contact our success team at (770) 919-8000 or myadvantage@teampacesetter.com. And visit our contact page for local offices in Georgia, Illinois and Texas.
Get A Quote Today!
If you need high-quality steel for your next project, contact our experts today. We’ll discuss your project needs and provide you with the best quote. We offer a variety of steel processing services, including slitting, blanking, cut-to-length, and toll processing services. And we emboss, prepaint and perforate steel to your exact specifications. Pacesetter is your steel expert.
