COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 3316

Cold-Rolled Steel Sheet, Strip & Bars

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

18companies1882–1989founding years14still active4no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedARBED S.A.FoundedARBED S.A.
1882
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedDofasco Inc.FoundedDofasco Inc.
1912
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedAllegheny Ludlum CorporationFoundedAllegheny Ludlum Corporation
1938
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedNucor CorporationFoundedNucor CorporationFoundedWorthington Industries, Inc.FoundedWorthington Industries, Inc.
1955
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
FoundedAlfa, S.A. de C.V.FoundedAlfa, S.A. de C.V.
1974
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
FoundedCockerill Sambre GroupFoundedCockerill Sambre Group
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedWeirton Steel CorporationFoundedWeirton Steel Corporation
1982
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
FoundedRouge Steel CompanyFoundedRouge Steel Company
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

ARBED S.A. →
Defunct · founded 1882 · Luxembourg
ARBED S.A., based in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, heads an international group of 189 companies engaged in every…
ARBED S.A. →
Defunct · founded 1882 · Luxembourg
ARBED S.A., based in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, heads an international group of 189 companies engaged in every…
Dofasco Inc. →
Active · founded 1912 · Canada
Dofasco Inc.
Dofasco Inc. →
Active · founded 1912 · Canada
Dofasco Inc.
Allegheny Ludlum Corporation →
Active · founded 1938
Allegheny Ludlum Corporation is one of the largest manufacturers of specialty steel and other specialty metals in the…
Allegheny Ludlum Corporation →
Active · founded 1938
Allegheny Ludlum Corporation is one of the largest manufacturers of specialty steel and other specialty metals in the…
Nucor Corporation →
Active · founded 1955
Nucor Corporation is the second-largest steel manufacturer in the United States.
Nucor Corporation →
Active · founded 1955
Nucor Corporation is the second-largest steel manufacturer in the United States.
Worthington Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1955
Worthington Industries, Inc., is the leading intermediate processor of flat rolled steel in North America, processing…
Worthington Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1955
Worthington Industries, Inc., is the leading intermediate processor of flat rolled steel in North America, processing…
Alfa, S.A. de C.V. →
Active · founded 1974 · Mexico
Alfa, S.A.
Alfa, S.A. de C.V. →
Active · founded 1974 · Mexico
Alfa, S.A.
Cockerill Sambre Group →
Defunct · founded 1981 · Belgium
One of the largest industrial groups in Belgium, the Cockerill Sambre Group is a medium-sized integrated steelmaking…
Cockerill Sambre Group →
Defunct · founded 1981 · Belgium
One of the largest industrial groups in Belgium, the Cockerill Sambre Group is a medium-sized integrated steelmaking…
Weirton Steel Corporation →
Active · founded 1982
The fortunes of Weirton, West Virginia, a quintessential company town, have fallen and risen with those of Weirton…
Weirton Steel Corporation →
Active · founded 1982
The fortunes of Weirton, West Virginia, a quintessential company town, have fallen and risen with those of Weirton…
Rouge Steel Company →
Active · founded 1989
The Rouge Steel Company began as an integral part of Henry Ford's sprawling River Rouge automobile plant, built during…
Rouge Steel Company →
Active · founded 1989
The Rouge Steel Company began as an integral part of Henry Ford's sprawling River Rouge automobile plant, built during…
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