O'Neal Steel Acquires Leeco Steel

 In a strategic move to enhance its presence in the market for specialized grades of high-strength steel and alloy plate, O'Neal Steel, Birmingham, Ala., has purchased the assets of Leeco Steel Products Inc., Darien, Ill. Leeco is focused on distributing and processing specialized plate such as carbon steel, alloy, high-strength, extra-high-strength, abrasion-resistant and weathering steel. Leeco also operates a service center in Manitowoc, Wis. The two locations service customers throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. O'Neal Chairman Craft O'Neal and President Bill Jones cite Leeco's specialized product mix as "an excellent strategic addition to the O'Neal line." "We're always looking for opportunities to do more for our customers," Jones says. "The ability to supply and process even more types of high-strength steel and alloy plate will enable O'Neal to serve new and existing accounts in more ways than ever before." Under O'Neal's ownership, the company will do business as Leeco Steel LLC. Like O'Neal's other subsidiaries-Metalwest and Aerodyne Alloys-Leeco will operate as a stand-alone company led by current President Bob Pepoff and his management team.