Youngstown Sheet and Tube
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Steel manufacturing |
| Founded | 1900 |
| Founder | George D. Wick, James Anson Campbell, and other local financiers |
| Defunct | 1977 |
| Headquarters | Youngstown, Ohio , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | George D. Wick (President), James Anson Campbell (Secretary, later President) |
| Products | Steel products including sheet and tube steel |
Number of employees | 5,000 (at time of 1977 closure) |
The Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company was a prominent American steel producer headquartered in Youngstown, Ohio. Established in 1900, it evolved into one of the leading steel manufacturers in the United States throughout the 20th century before ceasing operations in 1977.
History
In 1888, entrepreneurs George D. Wick and James Anson Campbell established the Mahoning Valley Iron Company. Following its purchase by the Republic Iron and Steel Company, they departed to address changes within Youngstown’s industrial landscape, particularly the shift from iron production to steel manufacturing and the growing dominance of national corporations such as U.S. Steel, which had absorbed the local National Steel Corporation.
Wick, Campbell, along with other local financiers, founded Youngstown Iron Sheet and Tube Company in 1900 with an initial capital investment of $600,000 to maintain regional ownership. Wick assumed the presidency, while Campbell served as secretary. In 1905, the company removed "Iron" from its name and broadened its product range beyond sheet and tube steel, becoming a significant player in steel production.
By 1923, Youngstown Sheet and Tube expanded by acquiring Brier Hill Steel Company in Youngstown as well as facilities located in East Chicago and Indiana Harbor, Indiana. This growth positioned it as the fifth-largest steel manufacturer nationwide and the foremost employer within the Mahoning Valley. That same year, it also purchased Mark Manufacturing Company.
The primary facility—known as Campbell Works—was equipped with four blast furnaces, twelve open hearth furnaces, multiple blooming mills, two Bessemer converters, a slabbing mill, a hot strip mill, seamless tube mills, and bar mills situated at Struthers Works. The Brier Hill Works housed two blast furnaces, twelve open hearth furnaces, blooming mills, plate mills, and an electric-weld tube mill. Although Brier Hill was largely shut down during the Great Depression, it resumed operations in 1937 with a focus on producing tube rounds for Campbell’s seamless tube mills. Between 1937 and 1979, molten iron was transported between these plants to balance production capacities.
In 1916, labor unrest at the East Youngstown plant escalated into riots that devastated much of the surrounding business district, prompting intervention by National Guard forces. Subsequently, the town was renamed Campbell in honor of the company’s president. In 1937, Youngstown Sheet and Tube participated alongside other “Little Steel” firms in opposing union organization during the Little Steel Strike, leading to violent confrontations and fatalities among workers.
During the Korean War era in 1952, President Harry S. Truman’s attempt to nationalize steel mills to prevent a strike resulted in the landmark Supreme Court decision Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, which curtailed executive power.
On September 19, 1977—referred to locally as "Black Monday"—the company suddenly shut down its Campbell Works facility and laid off 5,000 employees. The Brier Hill Works along with Indiana plants were sold to Jones and Laughlin Steel, which was later acquired by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV). Brier Hill ceased operations in 1979 amid widespread downturns in the steel industry but reopened in 1986 under Cargill as North Star Steel. In 2002, Cargill divested this facility to French multinational Vallourec. Meanwhile, the Indiana Harbor mill continues functioning under Cleveland-Cliffs.
Distinguished Personnel
- Joseph G. Butler, Jr., notable American industrialist and benefactor, recognized as the founder of the Butler Institute of American Art.
- James A. Campbell, served as the inaugural Secretary of the Board in 1900, elevated to Company president in 1904, and led the American Iron and Steel Institute throughout World War I.
- Pete Mauthe, president during the World War II period, honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
- Ernest L. Webster, member of the Los Angeles City Council from 1927 to 1931.
Related Topics
Sources
- Blue, Frederick J.; Jenkins, William D.; Lawson, William H.; Reedy, Joan M. (1995). Mahoning Memories: A History of Youngstown and Mahoning County. Virginia Beach, VA: The Donning Company. ISBN 0-89865-944-2.
- Ruminski, Clayton J. Iron Valley: The Transformation of the Iron Industry in Ohio's Mahoning Valley, 1802–1913 (Ohio State University Press, 2017).
Additional Resources
- Articles with short description
- Steel companies of the United States
- Companies based in Youngstown, Ohio
- Manufacturing companies based in Ohio
- Defunct companies based in Ohio
- Manufacturing companies established in 1900
- Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1977
- 1900 establishments in Ohio
- 1977 disestablishments in Ohio
- American companies disestablished in 1977