Valbruna ASW Inc.

Valbruna ASW Inc. is a premier specialty steel-making facility located in Welland, Ontario, offering a unique combination of carbon, stainless, and other specialty steel making capabilities. Flexible steel refining methods include: argon oxygen decarburization, vacuum oxygen decarburization, vacuum degassing, and ladle metallurgical station. Producible steel grades include 10xx series carbon steel; 300 and 400 series stainless steel; 4100, 4300, 8600, and 9000 series alloy steel; and A36/44W high strength, low alloy steel. Valbruna ASW can produce billet (115 X 115mm, 130mm x 130mm and 147mm x 147mm) and bloom (200 X 250 mm) products to 40′ maximum length. Square tapered and cylindrical forging ingots available in 20″ through 30″ sections. Valbruna ASW’s flexible steel refining methods, including argon oxygen decarburization, vacuum oxygen decarburization, vacuum degassing and ladle metallurgical station, allow for production of various high quality products.

THE HISTORY

The Welland Facility was originally constructed in 1918 by Dillon Crucible Steel Alloy Company to produce high‐tensile tool steel. In 1920 the Atlas Crucible Steel Company purchased the company. The facility was acquired by Roy Davis and Daniel Lanthrop in 1928 and operated under the name Atlas Steel Company. Subsequently the facility’s capabilities were expanded to include a rolling mill and stainless and other specialty steel production. In 1939 the Canadian government invested millions of dollars in the facility to produce steel for World War 2 and by 1948 Atlas steels was regarded as the largest specialty steel company in the British Commonwealth employing 3000 people and exporting to 53 countries around the world. Through the fifties the company added a stainless strip mill and a vacuum arc melting facility. In 1963 Rio Algom Limited purchased Atlas Steels and operated under that banner until 1985 when the facility was spun into a standalone company, Atlas Specialty Steels holding the distinction of being the largest producer of stainless steel in Canada.

In 1989, Atlas Specialty Steels and sister company Atlas Stainless Steels (Tracy, QC), jointly Atlas Steels Limited, were acquired by SAMMI Corporation, a South Korea‐based steel products manufacturer in a highly‐leveraged transaction. On August 1, 2000 the assets of Atlas Steels Inc., including the Welland and Tracy facilities were sold to Slater Steel. Atlas Specialty Steels maintained its position in the market and continued to be profitable through 2001 helping Slater achieve its goal of debt retirement. In April of 2006 MMFX, a technology company with a unique patent for high strength, corrosion resistant rebar, acquired the Welland Facility with a view towards sourcing its proprietary steel billet internally at lower costs. On August 27th, 2010 ASW Steel Inc. emerged as a new entity possessing virtually all of the assets previously held by MMFX Steel of Canada.
Over the next six years, ASW grew its business exponentially such that by 2016 production levels approached 90,000 tons.

On Nov 1st, 2016, ASW was purchased by Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation as a bolt on entity acquired to assist their public company in their quest for diversification. Ampco is traded on the NYSE under the AP label.

In its current configuration, the Welland Facility can produce approximately 150,000 tons of carbon, alloy and stainless steels annually in 75 ton heats out of one EAF supported by an extensive array of refining options including LF, VDG, VOD and AOD. ASW currently produces cast billets and ingots in a variety of sizes and lengths.