Company Profile
Founded in 1968, Cascade Steel Rolling Mills is a state-of-the-art steel
manufacturing facility that takes recycled metal and turns it into
high-quality finished steel products. Located in McMinnville, OR (near
Portland), our electric arc furnace (EAF) mini-mill produces a wide
range of hot rolled products such as reinforcing bar (rebar), coiled
reinforcing bar, wire rod, merchant bar and other specialty products.
We sell to customers primarily located in the 10 western states from our
McMinnville, OR plant and
distribution centers in El
Monte, CA (near Los Angeles) and Lathrop, CA (near
Stockton). Our mill has direct access to rail service and close
proximity to major freeways and deep draft marine terminals in Portland
for cost-effective transportation. Typical customers are steel service
centers, steel fabricators, and wire drawers.
We pride ourselves in the quality of our products, our competitive
pricing and our exceptional customer service.
Steel Mill and Manufacturing Process
Our steel manufacturing
process begins at our 80+ acre facility in the melt shop with the
melting of scrap metal in our 108 ton electric arc furnace. The molten
steel is then sent to the refining furnace, where adjustments to
composition and temperature are made to produce a specific grade of
steel. Our melt shop's enhanced steel chemistry refining capabilities
allow us to produce special alloy grades of steel not currently produced
by other mills on the West Coast. Finally, molten steel is cast into
long bars called billets in our five-strand continuous billet caster.
In fiscal 2007, we produced 762,000 short tons of steel billets.
Our facilities include two computerized rolling mills that allow for
synchronized operation of the rolling mills and related equipment. The
billets produced in the melt shop are reheated in two natural gas
furnaces into a plastic-like state and then hot-rolled through one of
the two rolling mills to form them into the desired shapes to produce
the desired end products. In fiscal 2007, we produced over 712,000
tons of steel products.
Corporate Strength
Cascade Steel was acquired in 1984 by Schnitzer Steel
Industries, Inc., a global leader in the metals recycling industry
that has been in business for over a century. As a Schnitzer subsidiary
and part of our parent company's vertical integration, we purchase all
of the processed scrap metal we use from Schnitzer's metals recycling
facilities. Being part of a Fortune 1000 company has enabled us to
grow stronger and introduce cost efficiencies and state-of-the art
environmental controls into our operations.
To maintain our competitive edge, we are frequently investing in
improvements to our facilities. Recent additions and enhancements have
increased our operating efficiency, increased the types and volume of
products that we can produce and improved the quality of finished
products.
In addition to our facility improvements, our strong position in the
market is due to many factors including our:
- Consistent source of scrap metal
- Efficient production processes
- Premier customer service – we are constantly striving to excel in
customer satisfaction
- Access to multiple modes of transportation including:
- On-site access to rail (Union Pacific)
- Access to nearby major freeways (Interstates 5 and 84)
- Ready access to private and public deep draft marine terminals in Portland
- Proximity to major western markets
- Energy efficient facilities and low power costs
Sustainability and the Environment
Sustainability starts with our business model. Recycling metal instead
of using virgin ore to create new steel products saves energy and
natural resources. By using recycled metals, the steel industry saves
enough energy each year to power 18 million households. Recycling one
ton of steel conserves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal
and 120 pounds of limestone. Creating products from recycled steel
instead of virgin ore uses 40% less water and reduces mining wastes by
97%.
However, sustainability doesn't end with our business model. Like our
parent company and its other subsidiaries, we are constantly working on
reducing our environmental footprint. Over the years, we've improved
our processes and controls, invested capital to increase our efficiency
and decrease our energy use, and fostered a culture of resourcefulness
and accountability. For over 40 years, we've shown that it is possible
to operate profitably while maintaining a focus on sustainability and
being responsible stewards of our environment.
Partnering With the Community
Cascade Steel is committed to contributing to the social and economic
development of McMinnville and the greater Yamhill County area. We firmly
believe in strengthening our community and in helping our younger citizens reach
their full potential. When this happens, everyone wins. All of us share a
responsibility to make our community better; better for our children, better for
our families and better for all citizens. As a pillar in our community, Cascade
Steel does more than provide monetary contributions. We frequently donate rebar
and other steel products for local community projects. Meanwhile, many of our
employees contribute both time and money generously to important community
charitable efforts helping to improve the lives of those less fortunate.
Industry Involvement
We are a proud member of the following trade associations:
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