Prices Soar For Another Commodity : Steel

Long Beach Business Journal - May 13, 2008
By Stacy Clements - Staff Writer


It's a $60 billion enterprise and the backbone of the country’s infrastructure and transportation industries – steel. The commodity is used to construct bridges, cars, railroads and skyscrapers, but steel prices are peaking as rapidly as
petroleum, and there seems to be no end in sight........

Daryl Phillips, president and CEO of Phillips Steel Co., says that its location in West Long Beach is advantageous because of its proximity to the ports and major freeways. His grandfather founded the company in 1915, while fourth generation
family members currently run its day-to-day operations. The company also recently expanded to include Phillips Steel and Industrial Supplies in La Porte, Texas. “There’s a lot of negativity [about the economy] going on in the newspapers and on the news channels, but we don’t see it.

The Los Angeles/Long Beach port [complex] is a very strong business environment,” Phillips says. “We don’t care what the dollar is or what the cost of goods are because it’s a commodity,” he adds. “We just pass that on to the consumer.” Phillips Steel’s Westside operations are comparable to a Home Depot center that specializes in metal. The facility distributes and supplies steel, stainless steel, aluminum and brass. Additionally, it distributes metal working tools and provides on-site cutting and fabrication. The original warehouse still stands on the approximately 100,000-square-foot lot on Anaheim Street. “The demand for metal for industry [use] is still strong, and we’re very optimistic that it will remain strong,” Phillips says.


In 1915, Phillips Steel Company specialized in scrap metal. Today it distributes and supplies steel, stainless steel, aluminum and brass, and also provides metal tools, cutting and fabrication. The original warehouse still stands on the approximately 100,000- square-foot lot on Anaheim Street. Owner Daryl Phillips’ grandfather founded the company, while fourth-generation family members currently run its day-to-day operations.

Remembering Robert Bob Lee : Memorial Bus Shelter

LONG BEACH, CALIF. -- Aurora Lee holds a City of Long Beach proclamation during the unveiling of a new bus shelter dedicated to her late husband, Robert Bob Lee, on the corner of Santa Fe Ave. and the Pacific Coast Highway on April 21, 2010, in Long Beach, Calif. Lee was a Long Beach business owner who was active in both the West and Central Redevelopment Project Area Committees. The Long Beach Redevelopment Agency (RDA) joined Councilmember Tonia Reyes Uranga, Long Beach Transit and the West Project Area Committee at the unveiling of a memorial bus shelter in West Long Beach. Mr. Lee passed away in March 2008. Phillips Steel kindly donated the steel panels used in the artwork, created by Wayne Healy, which captured the vitality of Bob Lee.  Bob Lee was very active in both the West and Central Redevelopment Project Area Committees and left a huge mark on the community of Long Beach.  Click HERE   to read more.

       

Robert Bob Lee Bus Shelter Memorial - Located on the corner of Santa Fe Ave. and the Pacific Coast Highway

Tools : A One Stop Shop

1999 marked the opening of the company's new tool department, offering a broad assortment of brand name tools and supplies from such companies as Makita, Milwaukee, DeWalt, Stanley, Vise-Grip, Channellock and others. "We have become a one-stop shopping source for all metal-working needs, " says company Vice-president, Greg Phillips.  Click HERE  to see a more comprehensive line of our brands.

Our clients range from small local business owners and larger construction projects.  What we found from our clients is that they have specific needs and although we provide all necessary metal materials, they also required solutions for other project needs.  This was true for larger project teams outside the local area working on new projects within the Los Angeles community.  We recently assisted one client from Texas who did not want to incur expensive shipping costs of certain equipment to their project site near LAX, Los Angeles International Airport.  For Phillips Steel to provide both their metal and alloy needs as well as equipment and supplies really helped our client fulfill  his needs. 

At Phillips Steel, we are more than just a Metal distributor.  We like to consider ourselves knowledgeable of the industry and truly enjoy providing solutions for all our clients.

Our Rich History in Building the Community Landscape

Phillips Steel Company was founded in1915 in Long Beach, California by Paul Phillips, the grandfather of current company president, Daryl Phillips, at the corner of Ocean and American Avenues. There are century old documents on display in the company office showing how Grandpa Paul Phillips, born in Russia, immigrated to the United States through Texas in 1903, eventually ending up in Southern California. Grandpa Phillips started what was essentially Long Beach's first recycling center, turning scrap metal, paper and rags into new and usable products.  


We specialize in all forms of Basic to Custom/hard to fabricate : Carbon, Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Brass Alloy, and other specialized alloys.  Go online to www.phillipssteel.com and see who we are about.  For your particular items, click our  Catalog  and see what's available for any size orders.  You can also call us directly and one of our knowledgeable staff can answer any of your questions.  Call 562-435-7571 for Los Angeles or San Pedro Port or for our Houston or La Porte Port call 713-491-6054.