Sheffield Steel Files Chapter 11 Protection

Sheffield Steel filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Dec. 7th. The filings include Sheffield Steel and its subsidiaries, Waddell’s Rebar Fabricators Inc., and Welling Industries.

Despite filing for the protection, the company states that it intends to continue normal operations, and does not foresee any significant interruptions in shipments of products to customers.

The announcement by Sheffield brings to around 25 U.S. steel companies that have filed for bankruptcy protection over the past three years. The significant pricing pressure caused by the growth in imported steel products, lower finished product prices, reduced demand, and high energy costs have created an extremely difficult environment for the domestic steel industry.

Sheffield Steel is a mini-mill producer of SBQ and MBQ hot-rolled bar products, concrete reinforcing bar and fabricated products including fabricated rebar, steel fence posts and railroad track spikes.

The company is headquartered in Sand Springs, Okla. It has an annual billet making capacity of 600,000 tons. Additionally, the company has a rolling mill in Joliet, Ill., and two fabrication shops in the Kansas City area.