History
SME Steel has been providing comprehensive structural steel fabrication and erection for application in commercial, industrial, hospital, institution, government, civic, health clinics, data centers, research and development, airports, distribution centers, sports facilities, casinos, and multi-use project construction since 1992.
SME Industries, publicly known as SME Steel, was founded April 20, 1992, by Jerry and Craig Moyes with approximately 200 employees and first year revenue of approximately $23 million. Since that time, SME Steel has grown with a peak of over 1500 employees and had years of over $450 million in peak revenues.
SME Steel annually fabricates more steel than every other structural steel fabricator in Utah combined. SME Steel has five plant locations throughout the Western United States and has grown to become one of the largest structural steel fabricators/erectors in the United States and is now entering international markets.
Project Highlights
SME Steel has completed some of the largest and most challenging projects presented by owners and design teams ranging from $100,000 to $280 Million in structural steel packages including the Stratosphere Tower, Bellagio Hotel and Casino, Caesars Colosseum, AT&T Park (Home of the San Francisco Giants), the Grand America Hotel and Ballrooms, the San Jose Sharks Arena, the Intermountain Medical Center hospital complex, and in 2014, the new Levi’s® Stadium, home to the San Francisco 49ers.
SME Steel has constructed high profile projects across the Western United States such as City Creek Center in downtown Salt Lake City including the famous 320,000 pound sky bridge that was highlighted on National Geographic’s program, “World’s Toughest Fixes.”
Another project of interest is Disney Cars Land in Anaheim, California. The mountain ridge looks reminiscent of the Utah mountain range near Moab. The steel, at the core of the mountain and indeed the entire Cars Land ride, looks like a giant pile of pick-up sticks; however, every piece of steel was pinpointed in several locations utilizing satellite precision.
SME Steel has built several Las Vegas properties that you may be familiar with such as Bellagio Resort & Casino, CityCenter, The Mirage, Treasure Island, Planet Hollywood, MGM, Caesars Palace, Golden Nugget, Sunset Station, Green Valley Ranch, Excalibur, and many Cirque du Soleil theaters.
Bellagio Resort & Casino required 20,000 tons of structural steel with a contract value of $60,000,000 to create this beautiful and architecturally complex structure.
CityCenter is one of the world’s largest commercial developments topping out at 78,000 tons of structural steel, 61 stories, 67 acres, 18 million square feet, and six U.S. Green Building Council LEED (Leadership in Energy and Engineering Design) Gold certifications with a total contract value of $280,000,000. CityCenter also earned the distinct award of Best Commercial Project.
With respect to Utah and Utah’s economy, SME Steel provides roughly 600 jobs within our state and has exported structural steel components at a value of $1.5 billion over the past ten years.
The equipment is the same, the material is the same, and the difference is the people. We have the best employees and the lowest turnover in the industry. We under-promise and over-deliver. We back up our promises with action.
Success at SME Steel is the result of people thinking and acting outside the box. Our reputation is a direct result of innovative, skilled, and creative individuals who constantly Seek Excellence, Meet Challenges, and Exceed Goals—the SME Steel motto.
Strong Labor Partner
SME Steel maintains its own erection crews and on average has over 350 ironworkers on our projects at any given time. Shipping, sequencing, and fabricating are all in line with the requirements of the erection crews.
SME Steel is pleased to be part of the Ironworker Apprenticeship Program which helps people to train and prepare for a career in the steel construction industry.
The American Institute of Steel Construction has awarded SME Steel as an AISC certified fabricator and as an AISC certified erector. SME Steel is pleased to be part of this fine organization.
A Tradition of Excellence
Since SME Steel began, it has added four companies and two divisions. With facilities located in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, and Arizona, SME Steel is the only fabricator/erector with the capacity to fabricate, install, and paint any element of steel which includes structural steel, miscellaneous metals, stairs, handrails, ornamental metals, metal deck, Buckling Restrained Braces (BRBs), and special moment frame systems (DuraFuse Frames).
With more than 400,000 square feet in fabrication facilities located in West Jordan, Utah; Price, Utah; and Pocatello, Idaho, SME Steel can produce approximately 20,000 shop hours per week. SME Steel shops utilize the most up-to-date sophisticated equipment available in the steel industry.
Supporting the structural fabrication shops are two miscellaneous steel facilities located in Phoenix, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada.
This unique combination of products and services allows SME Steel to provide the capacity to fabricate and ship in excess of 2,000 tons of structural steel per week working normal hours.
SME Steel is known for quality steel fabrication and erection of buildings and miscellaneous steel fabrication, as well as performance of turnkey steel construction from design-assist service consultation to detailing, shop fabrication, and field erection.
White Knuckle Challenge
One of the most challenging obstacles came with the Echelon project, a $4.8 Billion casino project in Las Vegas. Early one Friday morning in August, 2008, SME Steel received a phone call alerting them to the immediate halt of fabrication and erection.
At this time, SME Steel was approximately 35% complete with the project. All crews currently working were notified instantly that this project is now on hold.
Knowing that historically this could likely end up as a bankruptcy or in litigation for everyone involved including facing the possibility of going out of business, the SME Steel team quickly congregated to discuss options, contemplate the facts, and hopefully discover another possibility that had not ever been considered. SME Steel presented ideas to the owners and came up with an ingenious plan which met the needs of the owners while allowing SME Steel to be able to collect on the work completed as well as keep the backlog for the future. This was a defining moment for SME Steel.
Safety First
Safety is a critical focus in all aspects of our operations. SME Steel works as an integral team member.
This advice was given at a recent safety meeting: “Lead by example. Avoid the shortcuts and follow the safety rules. Think about the best way to protect yourself…even if something goes wrong…and you will go home safe tonight, and every night. Your family depends on you to be safe. Don’t let them down.”
Corporate Culture
With respect to internal initiatives, SME Steel hosts Lunch and Learn seminars in addition to sending key employees to American Management Association training. Reward initiatives include bonus programs and quarterly company-wide barbecues.
Culturally, the most unique aspect of SME Steel is the topping out ceremony hosted at the project site. As the highest piece of steel is positioned, there is an ancient ceremony including an evergreen tree, an American flag, and signatures of the ironworkers alongside the entire design and construction team on the hoisted steel beam representing gratitude for the earth, country (freedom), and brotherhood. This is followed with congratulations and great food.
Each of these initiatives highlights the value SME Steel places on its employees garnering a high degree of loyalty and retention.
