Address: 1555 N. Mayfair Road, Wauwatosa, WI 53226
Website: www.wisteeltube.com
Year founded: 1950
Product or service offered: Certified metal service center distributing ferrous and non-ferrous bar, tube and pipe products. The company has the ability to supply customers with raw materials, semi finished parts and fully processed components.
Projected 2012 revenue: $61 million
Leadership: Joseph Teich, president
Target clientele: The company’s bar, tube, pipe and machined products are used in a wide variety of OEM’s, machine shops and fabricators serving industries such as lawn and garden, agriculture, construction, oil and gas, automotive, military, mining and more.
Business organization memberships: Metals Service Center Institute, North American Steel Alliance
What has fueled your company’s growth? “We have been able to maintain excellent relationships with numerous key customers. As their businesses increased and needs changed, we have been able to adjust to their changing needs. For example, initially we may have been selling a company just raw material, now in addition, we may cut the material to length, furnish the material with some fabrication to it or we may kit the material which is used by many of our lean manufacturers.”
What is the biggest obstacle to your company’s growth? “At this moment, I feel just having one location, which is at capacity, is our biggest obstacle.”
Do you plan any changes in your company in the upcoming months? Yes, Wisconsin Steel & Tube is currently working on numerous projects that will continue to help us grow.
Who are the business people, locally or nationally, whom you admire? And what traits do those people exhibit that make you admire them? “Locally, it would be Thomas L. Smallwood, who is chairman of the board of directors for Wisconsin Steel & Tube. He has contributed and given back to the Milwaukee communities on so many levels, which is not only admirable but an inspiration for me to want to do as well. Nationally, it would be General Stanley McChrystal. I had the fortunate opportunity to hear him speak at a MSCI conference in Maryland. His motivational speech stressed the importance of communication within the organization of your business.”
What is the outlook for the business conditions of your industry over the next several months? “I am very optimistic that business will continue to be steady until the end of this year.”
What is your company’s key strategy for rising out of the recession? “Wisconsin Steel & Tube has risen from this recession due to having a key management team that contributes to the success of Wisconsin Steel & Tube.”
