Republic Steel Leads the World in Steel Bar Production

Republic is North America's leading supplier of Special Bar Quality (SBQ) steel bars, a highly engineered product used in axles, drive shafts, suspension rods and other critical components of automobiles, off-highway vehicles and industrial equipment.

With headquarters in Canton, Ohio, we operate steelmaking centers that produce steel bars in Canton, Ohio, and value-added rolling and finishing facilities in Canton, Lorain and Massillon, Ohio; Lackawanna, N.Y.; Gary, Ind.; and Hamilton, Ontario. We employ more than 2,000 people.

Republic Steel was established in September 2011. The former Republic Engineered Products changed its name to reflect its rich history and forward-thinking approach. Republic Engineered Products was established in December 2003 with the purchase of operating assets from Republic Engineered Products LLC. The company was acquired in July 2005 by Industrias CH, S.A de C.V. (ICH), a rapidly growing steel producer and processor based in Mexico City. Republic Steel is a subsidiary of Grupo Simec, Guadalajara, Mexico, of which ICH is the majority owner.

Republic Steel traces its roots back to 1886, with the establishment of Berger Manufacturing Co. in Canton, Ohio. Berger later became part of Republic Steel Corp., the sprawling steelmaker organized by financier Cyrus Eaton in 1930. Throughout the 1900s, Republic's steel was instrumental in fighting a war and building a nation. Its steel bar products were instrumental in developing America's automotive, agricultural and aerospace industries.

In 1984, Republic Steel merged with LTV Corp.'s Jones & Laughlin division to form LTV Steel. In 1989, an employee stock ownership plan bought LTV's steel bar division and renamed it Republic Engineered Steels, marking one of the largest employee ownership transactions in industrial history. In 1998, RES and Bar Technologies combined to form Republic Technologies International, which approximately one year later acquired the steel bar business of USS/KOBE Steel in Lorain, Ohio.

The Lorain facility, located along the Black River, has a rich history dating back to 1895, when Thomas Johnson constructed the Johnson Steel Street Rail Company mill in just 10 months. Throughout its history, the plant has operated under several names, including Johnson Steel, Lorain Steel, National Tube Company of U.S. Steel and Lorain Cuyahoga Works of U.S. Steel, before becoming USS/KOBE in 1989.

Republic Steel now operates the best steel bar and other steel making facilities of these companies and is well positioned to write its own promising history. The company's strategic alliance with ICH is helping strengthen its relationships with customers expanding in Mexico and South America.