American Sheet & Tin Plate Co.
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Steel manufacturing, Tinplate production |
| Founded | November 1903 |
| Fate | Merged with Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation |
| Headquarters | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Parent | United States Steel Corporation |
American Sheet and Tin Plate Company was an industrial enterprise incorporated in New Jersey, focusing on the production of tinplate materials. Its headquarters were located in the Frick Building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, while its manufacturing facilities operated across the United States. The firm specialized in producing steel sheets coated with a thin layer of tin.
Early years
The company was established in November 1903 through the consolidation of the American Tin Plate Company and the American Sheet Steel Company. It became integrated into the United States Steel Corporation conglomerate, which included seventy-one manufacturing plants. In April 1906, to address steel supply challenges affecting tinplate output, the company inaugurated the Sabraton Works plant in Morgantown, West Virginia.
Labor disturbances occurred in 1919, and in 1937, the company was a party to a significant case before the U.S. Supreme Court. Earlier, in February 1936, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission accused it along with fourteen other companies of conspiring to limit sales and distribution of specific tin plate types, based on an agreement from 1934. Subsequently, on May 29, 1936, it merged with the Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation, which was the largest subsidiary of U.S. Steel.
The Morgantown Factory
The Morgantown facility was established by American Sheet and Tin Plate Company in 1906 after acquiring land previously owned by industrialist George C. Sturgiss, who had lost control following the collapse of the Morgantown Tin Plate Mill Company. Initially sold to the Rolling Mill Company of America and then to the Morgantown Tin Plate Company in 1904, that entity went bankrupt before finishing construction. After legal proceedings restored ownership to Sturgiss, he sold the property to American Sheet and Tin Plate in 1905. The plant operated for more than twenty-five years, playing a key role in expanding Morgantown’s industrial base and prompting the development of an electric streetcar line for employees. Starting with a workforce of 300, plans were made to increase staff to 800.
While labor strikes affected other company sites, Sabraton Works experienced minimal work stoppages due to labor conflicts. Production interruptions were primarily linked to outside conditions such as a drought in 1908 and steel shortages in 1913. The longest shutdown occurred during the Great Depression from June 1931 until July 1933; the factory ceased operations permanently in 1934. In 1940, Sterling Faucet Company acquired the premises and expanded employment from 22 workers to approximately 1,000 within ten years.
See also
- American Sheet and Tin Mill Apartment Building
- Polk Street Concrete Cottage Historic District
- U.S. Steel Recognition Strike of 1901