Behind the Scenes: Bartlett & Schaumburg
The material processed at Schaumburg and fabricated at Bartlett may not be front and center, but it’s behind the scenes in more places than you might think.
Open your fridge, start your car or pass a truck on the highway, and there’s a good chance you’re seeing something made from material processed in our Schaumburg and Bartlett, Illinois facilities. Most of the material coming out of these divisions isn’t front and center, but it’s essential—it’s behind the scenes in everyday things like ovens, refrigerators and ice machines, laundry units, truck trailers, generators, toolboxes and utility vehicles.
Located just eight miles apart, these two Chicagoland facilities play different but important roles within Olympic Steel’s Specialty Metals business. Together, they support a wide range of industries including food service, transportation, commercial appliances, data centers and energy. While they often serve the same customers, each location handles a different stage of the material’s path from coil to component.
That process typically begins at Schaumburg, which looks very different today than when it got its start with Olympic Steel in 1993 as a carbon-focused facility. Over the years, Schaumburg has been updated and expanded to support a shift into specialty metals processing, including a key 42,000-square-foot expansion completed in November 2018 that brought the facility to 145,000 square feet and expanded both specialty metals and cut-to-length (CTL) capacity. There have also been practical changes in how material is handled day to day, like the addition of rubber coil cradles and vertical racking to support safer, more efficient movement through the facility.
Today, Schaumburg handles CTL for stainless steel, aluminum and tandem products like cold-rolled, galvanized and aluminized steel, taking coil and converting it into flat sheet that’s ready for use or further processing. The facility now operates three CTL lines, including its newest addition in April 2026, and serves as the Company’s primary hub for specialty metals cut-to-length processing. Material leaving Schaumburg may ship directly to a customer, another division, or to our Bartlett location for value-added processing (fabrication).
Olympic Steel expanded its Chicagoland presence in April 2023 with the addition of the 82,000-square-foot Bartlett facility, which is dedicated to fabrication and value-added manufacturing. Before then, that work was happening within Schaumburg, taking up about 25,000 square feet of the building. The move was strategic, supporting growth in both the cut-to-length and fabrication sides of the business.
Bartlett is equipped with two lasers, four press brakes ranging from 40 to 230 tons, and MIG and TIG welding capabilities. Here, flat sheet starts to take shape as laser‑cut parts, formed components, welded assemblies or sub‑assemblies. Bartlett fabricates specialty metals, tandem products and carbon steel, which is cut-to-length regionally in either Schaumburg, Illinois or Gary, Indiana.
Despite being a few miles apart, a high level of communication and collaboration keep things running smoothly. The team is grounded in trust, aligned in how they execute, and united by a shared pride and culture of celebrating successes.
That culture is also what Damon Wos, General Manager, believes sets the teams apart. “What truly differentiates us in the marketplace is the strength of our people and how they serve our customers. They are the true competitive advantage.”
And that commitment doesn’t end with the workday—it carries beyond the walls of the facilities and into their communities, where living out their Core Values includes supporting organizations like Feed My Starving Children and Make-A-Wish Illinois.
Keep learning and growing with us! Visit Olympic Steel Academy for more behind-the-scenes insight on the work we do, our products, processes, services, Family of Brands and more.
