On May 5, 1975, O’Brien Steel was established by Marge and Joe O’Brien in a rented Quonset hut in East Peoria, IL. From day one, the O’Brien family has made it a priority to continually reinvest in the company.

In 1978, O’Brien Steel moved to its current location in Peoria, IL. Through the years, many modifications and additions have been made to our facilities, all to better serve our ever-growing customer base. Thanks to our many satisfied customers, O’Brien Steel has experienced continued growth. In 2011, a new 75,000 square-foot warehouse was erected at our Peoria site to accommodate our growing steel distribution business. Another milestone occurred in 2012 when O’Brien Steel acquired the steel division of Wausau Steel in Wisconsin. Wausau Steel operates plants in Wausau, WI and Minneapolis, MN. In January of 2013, O’Brien Steel opened up a 75,000 square-foot facility in Milwaukee. Like O’Brien Steel – Peoria, the Milwaukee facility provides steel distribution and plate processing. The acquisition of Wausau Steel provides a northern expansion into Wisconsin and Minnesota, with very similar product and processing lines. O’Brien Steel has evolved into a “hybrid” steel service center. Not only does O’Brien Steel provide high-quality carbon steel products such as plate, structural and merchant bars and shapes, but we also offer extraordinary plate-cutting capacity and secondary processing capabilities − all with the personalized service that our customers expect. Our versatility allows our customers many options to determine the best way to utilize their own resources.

Our large truck fleet enables us to provide timely deliveries. We will continue to invest in our people and facilities to make sure that our customers are provided with the best quality and delivery in the business. Please review our Products and Processing pages to get a better idea of how we can serve your steel needs. We are also proud of the team of talented and dedicated employees that we have assembled. It’s our fine people that differentiate O’Brien Steel from the competition.